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Show , Ctatotw b TiwefeM. . . . Prussia, a daughter of Many Americans believe that the custom of exchanging Christmas cards is a tradition handed down by our founding fathers. However history reveals that the first card was made in 1843 by John Calcott Horsley, and the custom didnt catch on in America until 1875! Horleys card was Thursday, WEST VAUEY VIEW THE Dec, 23, 1982 touchingly sentimental, were printed in old fashioned gold script. By 1918 the romantic era was on the wane. Only a remnant of the sentimentality was evident by 1920 when cards took on a more geometrical design. And during the Roarcards ing Twenties reflected the permissiveness of the post World War I era when women were seeking to break out of their stereotyped roles by shortening their skirts and bobbing their hair. With the advent of the Great Depresin the 1930s, sion, cards took on a more somber look. Only those who had jobs sent cards during the Queen Victoria, ordered, by cable, from his Boston publishing house. For the German immigrant Prang, only the very best art work would do. So he implemented prize contests on a grand scale, open only to American artists. The resulting card design exhibition became the talk of the Tkfictei SfO!) it dark years when t dfcy' f- - ) roll jsn, UVtM Wax Tim fhci; nm I'ace omi j' stamp osperJy 1965, appeared in featuring the -- Angel Gabriel, and in 1975 it was a reproduction of an early card by Louis Prang greetings. that . When he entered the card greeting business, Prang had jrQ& no idea that within five years he would be turning out five million cards annually, with New York the 1880s. and size, showed a large family having Christmas dinner. Inside the mes- sage simply said Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. About 1,000 cards were sold that first year, but by 1860 the custom of exchanging Christmas cards had spread all over the continent. It was 1875 when Louis Prang, color lithographer of The Father and Amer- ican Christmas Card, began creating some of the finest greeting cards in the world. His Victorian cards, printed in eight colors, were treasures in his own time. In fact the crown Princess of art world in To secure the best verses, Prang turned to the then popular poets such as Mrs. C. Thaxter, Mrs. Emily Shaw Forman and Hopestill Goodwin. He even had Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who was pictured on the face of the card with three children gathered closely around him. The verse in the lower left was from his Childrens Hour, and on the res verse side was Long-fellow- poem, Christmas Bells, an appropriate design. Books containing sample cards shown to dealers in the 1880s reveal that wholesale prices were eight cents per dozen for small 1x2 with 1943 pense that they can do without. But to others, Christmas cards are pass keys to doors inadvertently closed passports voluntarily renewed by the spirit of the season. They are worth the money, the effort, the time and even the postage, because Christmas is a time that makes it so natural to w ant to keep in touch. showed a cherub ringing a bell. This year Christmas inch floral cards, to $1 each for the fancy post-car- d GREEN SHEETWES1 Ctefwftd Cauda (wue ctumged uttfk (h tiim Bu by LaRee Pehrson 2g the help of 300 employes. And for the 20 years he remained in the business the superiority of his cards went . . unchallenged. He finally withdrew from the field, along with other publishers of expensive cards, when cheap German imports began flooding the market and the penny postcard craze took hold. That was about 15 years before a new group of publishers such as Hallmark, American Greetings, Rust Craft andiTJor, cross made their de: but. Although the message of Christmas is timeless, Christmas cards have changed through the years. Old- er Americans who have been around since the turn of the century have witness- - cards, some four j billion of them, lead jthe seasonal greeting ed the birth of the mod- ern day Christmas greeting, and the gradual evolution has reflected- the changing social trends as well as values. The Christmas cards of the early 1900s still showed the romanticism of the Victorian age, with multi-colore- d lithographs, silk tasseled cords, and an embossed face. Inside, the verses, which were card business, which grosses some 400 million dollars annually. And religious and secular stamps add up to half a billion dollars. . To some peopleChristmas cards are an unnecessary American economy was at such a low ebb. And things didnt pick up until World War II sent the men off to war and the women into the munitions factories. The cards of the 1940s depicted servicemen with mes- The 1950s ushered a return to the more traditional values of home and family. But it was also the begin- sages that ranged from wistful hopefulness to strong patriotism. Patriotic symbols were also incorporated into the design of the greeting cards. ning of such decor as magnolia blossoms instead of Christmas roses. Start Four HttiMiMI Stadc Today. Mftramgift JPmrnfb Any person with an earned income can open an IRA, even if you are presently covered by a cur- rent pension plan. It's Easy to Start You can open a CSB IRA with an initial deposit of just $100 with incremental additions of $25 or more each month. If you guarantee monthly contributions of $25 with IRA, your initial deposit may be as low as $25. Auto-Pa- y Auto-Pa- IRA Your contributions may be deducted automatically from your CSB account, or you may arrange for automatic payroll deduction with your employer. Tax Sheltered Savings Whatever you contribute to your IRA is 100 deductible from your annual taxable income. Mo taxes are paid on your contributions or earnings until the savings are withdrawn, then you only pay the tax rate applicable at that time. Here's how your money grows In the turbulent 1960s the peace sym- Tltm'o a teoMH was incorporated bol - . . . WE'RE WRAPPING UP' OUR 36th CHRISTMAS into everything from to graffiti on the sides of buildings. It even found its way into the Christmas card market where it carried a message of peace. During the 1970s Christmas cards took on an impersonal look that offered subject matter that was totally unrelated to Christmas. Christmas colors (red and green) were often conspicuous in their absence. As this decade begins to unfold, the 1980 cards appear to be aimed at art education for the masses. Many have reproductions of famous paintings, both traditional and contemporary. And the art movement seems to have also spilled over into the postal department. The first Christmas stamp was printed in 1962 for four cents. 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