Greetings that tell a back story

Christmas is as much about gifts and cakes as it is about those wonderful, feel-good cards. And if it’s cards we are talking of, Hallmark is a name that first springs to mind. The company, which makes cards, gifts and even movies, had a humble beginning over a 100 years ago.

Its founder, Joyce Clyde Hall, started selling postcards as a teenager in Nebraska to make ends meet. At 18, he moved to Kansas City, Missouri, with two boxes full of cards. Hall slowly became a salesman and opened a small shop. But it was only during the First World War that these cards became popular. In the book, Hallmark: A Century Of Caring, Hall said: “People sought closer contact with one another and especially with their relatives and friends in the service. As a result, many more men became permanent buyers of cards than ever before." And there’s more. Hallmark has also been credited with inventing decorative wrapping paper in 1917—after running out of standard plain paper.