Image Courtesy of the Southern Methodist University Bridwell Library
This is a copy of the world's first commercial Christmas Card,
designed and drawn by John Calcott Horsley, RA.
This special Christmas issue of the Peaceful Pub newsletter is packed full of fine poetry, visual art, and prose. It is a journey into the holiday season, a respite from the worries of the world, and also, it is each of us sending holiday wishes to you. Think of it as a personal greeting card from all the members of The Peaceful Pub.
The practice of giving Christmas cards began in England. The first known commercial card was published by English illustrator John Calcott Horsley in 1843. That makes 2008 the 165th anniversary of the Christmas card. One thousand copies of that first card were made and sold. This year, over one hundred million Christmas cards are expected to be purchased world wide. To say the idea was a success would be an understatement.
It wasn’t until 1865 that the practice of giving holiday cards was introduced in America. Louis Prang, a German immigrant to the Boston area, is hailed as the father of the American greeting card industry. He
was a professional printer with a keen eye for art. Prang held design competitions with top prizes of $1000 to attract the best artists. The early cards most often depicted birds and quickly became collectors' items. You might be surprised to know that the first musical Christmas card was made in the 1880’s. It depicted a bird and the words “Squeeze me and I will sing to thee”.
As the card industry grew, it became a welcome source of income for poets. At the peak of the industry, cards were selected for the appeal of the poetry inside. Newspapers would often review available cards, much as they did movies or books. Today, a small percentage of writers is lucky enough to land a job on the creative in-house staff of a greeting card publisher but most writers of greeting card verse are freelancers.
The best way to become familiar with greeting card verse and the requirements of various companies is to read as many greeting cards as possible. In addition to reading cards on the rack at the local supermarket and variety stores, poets can find examples of contemporary and current cards online or write for a sample packet and writers guidelines from companies that are of interest.
Many of the largest greeting card companies do not accept unsolicited freelance submissions. Instead, poets should focus on finding greeting card publishers who actively solicit freelance greeting card verse submissions. Check the writers' guidelines for each company and submit your work in the format requested by each company.
This Christmas Card/newsletter is chock full of Christmas wishes. May your holidays be peaceful and safe and may all your cards be collectors' items. Merry Christmas to you and your Muse from all of us at
The Peaceful Pub.
