CIJ 2023-The History of Hallmark

[AnnieClaus]

Those of us that are crazed about all things Christmas, the name Hallmark is in our everyday vocabulary.
Who would think that the company was started by an 18-year-old high school dropout, Joyce Clyde Hall who arrived in Kansas City, Missouri with 2 boxes of postcards he intended to sell.
The postcards sold easily and soon his brother Rollie joined him and the company was named, "Hall Brothers."
Eventually the name of the company was changed to "Hallmark."
In 1915 a fire destroyed their office and all of their inventory. The only thing they managed to grab was the safe.
The fire forced them to buy printing presses and thus they began producing their own greeting cards.

In 1951, NBC approached Hallmark about sponsoring an opera made specifically for television, "Amahl and the Night Visitors." This was the first of many TV specials which became "Hallmark Hall of Fame."
Hallmark would eventually incorporate actual television channels such as "The Hallmark Channel," and "Hallmark Movies & Mysteries."

The 1970's Hallmark introduced the Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments which sparked ornament collecting.

As the company grew, it acquired other companies such as Crayola and DaySpring.

Hallmark is still thriving today and is still family run.

Interesting Facts:
* Hallmark is credited with inventing wrapping paper. Early on in the company's history, one Christmas, Hallmark ran out of tissue paper, which was the way presents were wrapped. Customers still wanted something to wrap their presents with so they offered customers French paper which they had bought to line envelopes.
The following year, they offered their own patterned wrapping paper and the way we offer presents was forever changed.

* Artist Mary Hamilton has been employed by Hallmark for over 60 years and her greeting card creations are some of the most popular sellers.

* The most successful of Hallmark's greeting cards was debuted for Mother's Day in 1939. It is simply called, "The Pansy Card." It depicts a pushcart full of the flowers with the sentiment, "To Let You Know I'm Thinking of You." The card has been a sales juggernaut for the company.

Your turn:
What are your memories/traditions surrounding Hallmark?
Do you get a keepsake ornament or all of them every year?
Did you watch Amahl and the Night Visitors?
Do you watch the Hallmark Channels?
Have you given someone "The Pansy Card?"

 

[GrammaDeb]

I periodically watch a Hallmark movie. Never got into the ornaments. One of my high school classmates went to work for Hallmark right after HS graduation in 1971. She was an amazing artist all through school. She said she was terrified to leave home at that age and move to another state to start her career. I love Hallmark cards and paper.

Interesting history. Thank you for sharing.

 

[Myron's Mom]

I’m thinking I bought my first ornament in the early 80’s. I used to go to the big parties at the shop had that was close to us. They were late at night and was kinda fun. That was around the early 2000’s. I pretty much stoped buying ornaments of any kind. I have way way too much here. These days I hardly ever buy hallmark.
I do watch the channels but not like I used to.

 

[Holiday_Mom]

So we have Hallmark to thank for my love for wrapping paper? I remember watching the Hallmark Hall of Fame movies. The voice who introduced the movie always got my attention. It was so warm and invititing.

I always thought I'd work in a Hallmark store. In grade school and high school, I'd go in and browse the cards and gifts. At Christmas, I made it a point to purchase a card so that I could get their small pocket size calendar planner. I'd get home and fill it in the best I could. Some things have not changed. LOL!

I think the first Hallmark ornament I received was a Barbie wedding doll. In the past year, I've bought wedding ornaments for the newly married couples that we know.

For the most part, I do like to watch the Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies and Mysteries.

 

[Lori K]

I watch a lot of the Hallmark Channel. Their movies tend to have a positive focus and I find them uplifting. We used to use a lot of Hallmark oraments on our tree, but with the passing of DH, I've left them in the ornament box. They were a lot of the building trades-type ornaments along with water sports ones representing his interests. Early on, it was just too difficult to incorporate them. Maybe someday ...

 

[halimer]

There was a giant Hallmark store on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 57th St. It had the most wonderful things and I always loved going into it. I don't know when it disappeared.

I was there one day right before my wedding (1976 - going to a bridesmaids fitting for a friend's wedding) and I foud this beautiful tin that I fell in love with. I used it for many things over the years - primarily tea bags. It's rather worn and in the basement now but I still can't get rid of it.

 

[sweetpumkinpye]

Debbie, that is a lovely tin.

Sadly (or luckily for me) Hallmark is not widely known here in Australia. We do not have Hallmark stores and we don't have the Hallmark channel which makes me very sad. You can get some Hallmark cards in the newsagents and Target stock a very small range of decorations just before Christmas and that is about it.
When I was in the US a few years back I did find a Hallmark store and spent maybe 2 hours in there looking at all the wonderful items.

 

[jampss]

I watch M&M channel more than the regular Hallmark these days. Been watching The Great American Channel more. I did work in a Hallmark store in 1985! I haven't bought the ornaments.

This was wonderful history! I had no idea about the two brothers.

 

[luludou]

No Hallmark stores around here, but I do watch the movies!

 

[AnnieClaus]

I have been really into watching the movies for almost 2 years now.
I watch more the Hallmark than the Movies and Mysteries.
Although 2 movies last year- "We Need a Little Christmas," and "The Gift of Peace," were my favorites and they were on the Movies and Mysteries channel.
Like, Lori, I find them comforting and a feel of, "This is how life should be. This is how we should treat each other."
I think a lot of modern day television and movies are very violent.
So, I prefer to hang out in the towns and with the characters in Hallmark movies.

Katrina- I wonder if you could stream them somewhere. I think some are on YouTube.

I remember one year at Christmas I was very sick with a stomach bug. I remember lying on the couch watching "Amahl and the Night Visitors." My Mom had wanted to watch it.
I think it was one that got replayed every year.

We do have a Hallmark store in the town I live in.
I have created a new tradition- every new baby that enters the family in that calendar year gets a "Baby's First Ornament" for Christmas. I purchase these at the Hallmark store.

Annie

 

[MinnieCo]

So my stepmother worked for Hallmark when I was a kid and that's where my love of wrapping paper came from. I remember visiting in the summer and in the bedroom I stayed in, the closet was FULL of Hallmark wrapping paper. I use to think it was the most beautiful paper ever!!! At home my mom never had fancy stuff like that, so i'd always think...When I grow up I'm going to get paper just like that. Here I am at 50+ years old and I'm 100% a wrapping paper junkie. now I use to just buy clearance paper and buy ALOT of it, but now I'm pretty picky about what I like and don't apologize for it. My friends know Michelle's packages come with pretty wrapping and fancy bows.
I guess the same thing can be said about me sending cards. My mother and grandmother sent me cards for everything, so guess what...I love sending cards. Now I make my own sometimes, but nothing beats going to Hallmark and buying a gorgeous card!!!
On a more personal note, my stepmother continued buying paper over the years. She worked for them again in the 90's, so her collection is pretty large and currently sits at my parents business in Houston. Just last week my mom announced she's retiring an closing the business and my brother called me joking and the first thing they said was....COME PICK UP THE WRAPPING PAPER!! hahaha When I go down there in a few months to help move things, it's going to be like a treasure hunt. I can't wait to see what I find and what my moms' willing to part with already.
As far as ornaments I wouldn't say I'm a Hallmark ornament collector per say, but we do have a large number of Hallmark ornaments. We started buying my daughter barbie ornaments as a teen and now she has a pretty large collection at 28 years old. I still buy her the yearly barbie and any others I can get at a good price after Christmas. For me, I tend to buy vintage inspired ornaments when they have them. They just make me smile and I do buy cool ones my husband will enjoy. Last year it was a purple mustang and this year it's a Blazer and both are his favorite vehicles.
Now about Hallmark movies...I admit I'm a Hallmark movie junkie. Always have been, BUT with so many movies now it's kinda taken the fun out of it in a way. i use to be able to say I've seen them ALL, but now I struggle to keep up. I do find a few gems in the 40 or more they make a year, but tend to remember the old ones as favorites just because I can remember the names. Now I watch a Hallmark movie and can't remember the name for anything, because we move on so quickly to the next. My favorite like many others is The Christmas Card. Always has been and I can watch it over and over each year.
Oh......and lastly, I remember my grandma taking me with her each week to Hallmark and she'd buy butterscotch candies there. Then I'd goggle over the Hello Kitty merchandise back in the 70's when Hello Kitty was first released.

(I think I'm going to save this prompt...bottom line..I've got alot of Hallmark attachment memories...lol)