David Bertaina, assistant professor of history at the University of Illinois Springfield, said tradition remains strong because the public still embraces the cultural values — fostering and strengthening family and business relationships — that gave birth to the Christmas card in the 1870s.
“In the ‘50s, it was sentimental. The ‘60s and ‘70s were irreverent with Santa lounging on the couch. The ‘90s went back to the more Thomas Kinkade-style. Now, you have one’s own card with your picture on it.
“The pictures, letters are modern cultural attempts to express those values with the technology at hand.”
Bertaina's comments were featured in an December 10, 2011, article in The State Journal-Register.
Read the article online
