Page 29 - joa-12-22
P. 29
Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 Figure 8
Addressing the sensitivities of the President’s Republican Richard Nixon’s 1972 card. For his final
many constituencies—Christian/non-Christian, Christmas in office in 1980, Democrat Jimmy
religious/secular, domestic/foreign—the Kennedy Carter sent out a then-unprecedented 120,000
and Johnson White House cards had carried American Greetings cards as a thank-you and
alternate inscriptions. For example, JFK’s 1962 farewell keepsake to those who had campaigned
cards offered three options: “Christmas Greetings and worked for him over the years. They featured
and best wishes for a Happy New Year,” “Season’s an Oval Office painting, The President’s House,
Greetings,” or “Best wishes for a Happy New Year.” by an anonymous artist who obviously admired
Subsequent administrations abandoned these Bartlett’s image.
cumbersome attempts to match the message to the For his first White House Christmas in 1974,
recipient. Contemporary White House cards just months after assuming office, Gerald Ford
express good cheer in phrases that may or may not Figure 9 selected a comparable view (Fig. 8, center). That
actually mention Christmas. Fig. 4 samples the 1831 engraving, based on H. Brown’s bucolic scene,
sentiments inside a half century’s worth of official The President’s House, Washington, included
holiday cards from Kennedy to Obama, accented vegetable gardens and a drover with sheep. Ford’s
with several Christmas mementos intended for second card reproduced 35,000 copies of another
Presidential friends and staff. rural setting far from Washington (Fig. 9).
After more than a decade of supplying official George Durrie’s c. 1825 original, A New England
cards, Hallmark’s exclusive White House Farmyard in Winter, decorates a Green Room wall in
connection was suspended for the duration of LBJ’s the White House.
administration. His 1964 and 1965 cards by Robert In-house illustrators working at the respective
H. Laessig, a veteran American Greetings artist, greeting card companies more often supplied the
offered original perspectives of the White House in artwork on vintage Presidential cards. For example,
winter (Fig. 5). A southwestern willow oak in the a Hallmark artist designed the gold foil raised relief
foreground of the 1964 card acknowledges the of the North Portico encircled by an embossed green
President’s Texas roots. Figure 10 wreath for the 1970 Nixon card (Fig. 10).
Since then, American Greetings has traditionally More recently, the First Family or White House
supplied the cards for Democratic administrations, staff sometimes directly approach a favorite
as Hallmark has for the Republicans. Both businesses independent artist. Or, several artists may be
take pride in producing the President’s Christmas encouraged to enter an informal competition for the
cards and have done so despite tight deadlines and honor of designing the President’s card. An
financial sacrifices. Company executives coordinate invitation to the White House Christmas party is the
closely with White House staff or even the First customary pay-off.
Lady herself to design the perfect card. For their first Presidential card in 1981, the
By 1965, LBJ had 2,800 on his official mailing Reagans commissioned Jamie Wyeth, son of
list. That year he also sent an additional 27,800 Andrew, grandson of N.C. His painting, Christmas
“reciprocating” cards, mostly as courtesy responses Eve at the White House, was reproduced on 65,000
to well-wishers who had sent greetings to the First cards (Fig. 11). Returning for the Reagans’ 1984
Family. Engraved reciprocating cards date back to card, Christmas Morning at the White House, Wyeth
the Coolidge and Hoover administrations. Fig. 6 Figure 11 captured squirrel tracks in fresh snow below the
shows a later example of this type. LBJ was an North Portico.
ex-President by Christmas 1969. In contrast to the Similarly, Bill and Hillary Clinton invited an
decorative cards he posted as President, his simple artist they both admired, Connecticut illustrator
gold-embossed acknowledgment arrived in a small Thomas F. McKnight, to design a series of White
envelope bearing a printed franking signature. The House Christmas cards. Beginning in 1994 with his
full Presidential Seal enhanced Richard Nixon’s fanciful interpretation of the Red Room, McKnight
final reciprocating card dispatched from the White turned his attention to the Blue Room in 1995. In
House in 1973. 1996 he rendered the Green Room in the same
Several administrations favored historical White whimsical manner. Socks, the Presidential cat,
House views as Christmas card subjects. For appears in all three views (Fig. 12). By this point,
instance, the 50,000 Nixon 1971 cards reproduced American Greetings was printing 300,000 cards
a 1930 N.C. Wyeth advertising poster. Building the annually for the White House.
First White House shows George Washington Figure 12 Two of these same rooms had already provided
inspecting the construction site with architect James Hoban (Fig. 7). the themes for Ronald Reagan’s cards in 1982 and 1983 (Fig. 13). Gibson
Nixon and his two successors adopted the similar images seen in Greeting Cards was granted the opportunity to produce 65,000 copies of
Fig. 8. At right, an 1839 print based on William H. Barlett’s painting, James Steinmeyer’s faithfully-detailed watercolor of the Red Room.
The President’s House, from Washington, was reproduced by Hallmark for Hallmark resumed its customary role the following year when asked to
December 2022 27
