YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Christmas cards began as simple holiday letters, a practical way for families separated by long distances to share news during the 18th and early 19th centuries, according to author and historian George Johnson.
Johnson presented “19th Century Victorian Christmas Cards” as part of the Mahoning Valley Historical Society’s Bites and Bits of History series at the Tyler History Center.
He said the tradition shifted in the 1840s as printed cards became more common, evolving from handmade designs into increasingly elaborate works of paper art. By the late 19th century, advances in printing and paper engineering produced cards that unfolded into detailed scenes and featured intricate artwork, reflecting broader cultural and artistic changes of the Victorian era.