Christmas Card

As popular 19th-century mantelpiece items of the holiday season, American Christmas cards were created to promote societal ideas and mannerisms through art. A variety of messages could be interpreted from these chromolithographic prints such as seasonal abundance and warmth, social obligation, and perhaps even debates on how greeting cards facilitated the mechanization of human emotions. The creators sought technical perfection in an already competitive holiday greeting card industry, especially when these items were ideal conversation starters in social gatherings. This card is alluring for consumers because it features the image of a scallop shell filled with multicolor flowers and a Christmas message on the top left corner. Such a scene conveys the charm and tenderness of the holiday season.

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