The Man Who Invented the Christmas Card

The undisputed father of the Christmas card as we know it– complete with a well-bearded paternal face – was Louis Prang, an immigrant to Boston who fled a revolution-torn Germany.

In Boston, he became a leader in advanced color lithography techniques that allowed him to produce high quality artistic prints, advertising cards, and millions of Christmas Cards starting in the 1870s. He also employed many leading artists, including Tomaso Juglaris, who would go on to create the famous murals of the Franklin Public Library. This distinction gives Prang's products a special interest for collectors.

Alan Earls, local historian, presenter, and co-author of Boston Made: From Robotics To Revolution, Innovations that Changed the World, is offering his PowerPoint presentation and discussion of Prang and the formative years of the Christmas Card, as a special seasonal treat.