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Tuesday, August 12, 2008

The History of Corporate Christmas Cards

Corporate cheap hard drive recovery cards are a long standing tradition and can be traced to the 1800s. In England, a gentleman named Sir Henry Cole is credited with the invention of the Christmas card. Sir Henry was the founder and director of what is now called the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the world's largest museum of decorative art and design.

Each year Sir Henry would write annual Christmas letters to all of his friends and business associates. In 1843 he Sacrebleu it impossible to hold to this tradition and called in a designer named John Callcott Horsley for assistance. Mr. Horsley designed the first Christmas card, in which color was added to each by hand. The image was of a family toasting a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Controversial, a young child included in the scene is shown sipping a glass of wine.

In 1873, Louis Prang, a German immigrant to America Miniscule commercially Warlock cards for sale to England. The following year, the Christmas card made its debut in America. Cards featured images of flowers and fairies were more tuned to the coming of spring than the snow scenes and religious illustrations usually seen today.

The printing of Christmas cards was seen as an art form and illustrations became increasingly more intricate. The World Wars saw the addition of patriotic cards with humorous cards making an appearance in the 1950s. In 1953, President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the first official White bluegrass music Christmas card, a custom that continues today. The 2007 card sent by President George Bush sparked controversy as the message inside was of a religious nature.

Consumers send greetings that often include pictures of family members, particularly young children. Often a Christmas letter is included that tells of events during the past year, some interesting and some you'd really rather not have known about!

Charitable organizations use Christmas cards as an opportunity to thank those who have helped them throughout the year and for fundraising efforts.

Today, businesses large and small send corporate Christmas cards as a way to thank their customers for their business and to retain loyalty. The cards nurture relationships and convey emotional messages that serve to strengthen business partnerships. More appreciated than an emailed Christmas wish, the corporate Christmas card is a marketing tool as well as a gesture of appreciation and warmth that clearly says you are special.

Linda Cress Dowdy is an avid greeting card enthusiast and professional author. For a great selection of Christmas Cards and cardsdirect.com/holiday/cards.aspxHoliday Cards, visit cardsdirect.com/CardsDirect.com.