Wisconsin Historical Society presents American History through Holiday Cards

Have you ever heard of a "Hooverized Xmas"? In 1918, such a notion existed, evidenced by a not-too-spiffy holiday greeting card, now part of the Wisconsin Historical Society's digital archives.

Believe it or not, Americans have been exchanging holiday cards for more than 150 years, and thousands of them have made their way into correspondence donated to the Wisconsin Historical Society.

For the last several decades, archivists have set aside especially beautiful or evocative cards in a separate collection that now fills eight large boxes.  Thanks to advances in technology and the Wisconsin Historical Society’s Forward! Campaign, you can bring the card collection to life online, from the comfort of your own home.

Poke through more than 200 of the most interesting historical Christmas cards in a Wisconsin Historical Images gallery today!