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drawing books for the classroom, and Prang Water Colors was among standard school supplies for decades. A son of a Leipzig artist, Sylvester Koehler, entered the United States at twelve years old in 1849 and in 1868 became technical manager of Prang and Company. He also became one of the founders of the American Art Review, and curator of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

The colorfully printed penny postcard nearly replaced the traditional Christmas card after making it's appearance at the end of the 19th century due to a decision by the U.S. Postal Service and a contract with Ilisha Morgan of Springfield. The post card, lacking an envelope, was less expensive to send and easier to address, though personal messages were exposed for all to read. Some were printed in the United States, but large numbers of them were imports from Germany and England.

Cards in envelopes cost a penny more to send than those without, making a substantial difference to those sending greetings to hundreds of people. By the 1920's, however, the traditional Christmas card with it's envelope had returned. The "studio card" appeared in the 1960's with it's stark greetings and design, but by the 1970's more artistic cards with longer poetic greetings were back in vogue.

And so it is to this day, Christmas and other greeting cards are commonly found for sale in department stores, and often find their way into our homes and hearts.

Learn more about this author, Pat Sumpter.
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