Holiday Cards and the Santa Fe Trail

Prang's Christmas cards. ca. 1886. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/92504352/

Holiday Card History

Before the advent of holiday cards like the ones we send today, people often penned long, personal letters to friends and family during the holidays. For some, the tradition was too time-consuming. Imagine writing by hand to every friend and acquaintance!

Overwhelmed by the number of letters he needed to write; Englishman Sir Henry Cole commissioned what are believed to be the first-ever printed holiday cards in 1843. Rather than writing many long letters, he had beautiful, printed messages he could send to everyone on his list.

Some early holiday cards were imported to the United States in the 1850’s and 1860’s. In 1873, Louis Prang began manufacturing Christmas cards in the US from his factory in Roxbury, MA. Prang’s first cards featured a lovely painting of a flower with the words “Merry Christmas.” Early US-produced cards featured vivid painting reproductions. Often, these early cards did not showcase the holiday symbols we often use today like trees, gifts, Santa, or snowmen. Instead, they were carefully crafted scenes and imagery created by artists.

Given the popularity of holiday cards at the time, it is likely that some Trail travelers purchased and sent these mass-produced cards. However, the high cost of cards and postage would have limited who could send them. Some travelers may have made handmade cards, reproducing popular styles with whatever they had on-hand. Others may have foregone cards in favor of the traditional hand-written letter.

Commercially produced holiday cards continued to gain prominence in the 1900’s and remain a holiday tradition today.

Send Holiday Greetings from the Trail!

Looking to share the holiday spirit and share your love for the Santa Fe Trail? Follow the directions below to print Trail-themed holiday cards to send to your friends and family this year!

Click an image below to access a printable version of the card.

Print (use cardstock for a sturdier card)

Fold in half

Personalize with your own message inside

Put your card in an envelope and send!

Click the image to access a printable card featuring this graphic. Image/NPS

Have a swale holiday!

Swales are traces left in the earth by years of movement by people, wagons, and animals. They can appear in a variety of ways depending on the type of soil and the continued effects of water erosion. In some places, they might look like a very obvious ditch, and in others they might be a wider, shallower, drainage.

Click the image to access a printable card featuring this graphic. Image/NPS

Don't let bad weather ruin your holiday! Wishing you safe travels this season.

Roads on the Trail can be unpaved and winding, so it can take longer to travel, and conditions can be dangerous during winter. Weather on the Trail can change rapidly, and storms can appear suddenly. Bring appropriate clothing layers, sunscreen, a hat, and any other items to protect you from the elements. Check the weather before you go.

Check out these winter weather tips from the NPS.

Click the image to access a printable card featuring this graphic. Image/NPS

Happy Trails this Holiday Season

If you’re heading out to visit the trail this holiday season, make sure you plan ahead. Parts of the trail are easily accessible, while others are trickier to find. Check out our top tips for a safe and fun trail visit!

Sources

Bowler, G. (2004). The world encyclopedia of Christmas. McClelland & Stewart.

Hanc, J. (2015, Dec 9). The history of the Christmas card. Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/history-christmas-card-180957487/

Tucker, N. (2019). Dear (whoever you are), here’s the first Christmas card. US Library of Congress Blog. Retrieved from https://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2019/12/dear-whoever-you-are-heres-the-first-christmas-card/

Zakreski, P. (2015). The Victorian Christmas card as aesthetic object: ‘Very interesting ephemerae of a very interesting period in English art-production.’ Journal of Design History, 29(2), 120-136.

Images

L. Prang & Co. (ca. 1886) Prang's Christmas cards. , ca. 1886. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/92504352/.

Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year.  None. [Place not identified: publisher not identified, between 1880 and 1890] [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2015651619/.

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