Louis Prang & Co.
Father of American Christmas cards
Louis Prang was an American printer, lithographer, publisher, and Georgist. He is sometimes known as the "father of the American Christmas card". Prang was born in Breslau in Prussian Silesia. His father Jonas Louis Prang was a textile manufacturer and of French Huguenot origin; his mother, Rosina Silverman, was German. In 1864, Prang went to Europe to learn about cutting-edge German lithography. Returning the next year, Prang began to create high quality reproductions of major art works. Prang also began creating series of popular album cards, advertised to be collected into scrapbooks, showing natural scenes and patriotic symbols. At Christmas 1873, Prang began creating greeting cards for the popular market in England and began selling the Christmas card in America in 1874. Prang is also known for his efforts to improve art education in the US, publishing instructional books and creating a foundation to train art teachers.
Artworks by this artist (217 total)
- Home of Abraham Lincoln. Springfield, Ills. 1860 1865-1870
- Capture of Fort Fisher 1887
- Patrician, female head 1879
- To my valentine. Love may come and love may go 1882
- Flowers 1884
- Doves 1893
- Prang’s floral mottoes, no. 14. Lord, I believe 1873
- Little Girl with Leaves ca. 1861-1897
- Bird with autumn foliage 1873
- Buttercups ca. 1861-1897
- The American stag or round-horned elk – Cervus Canadensis 1872
- Prang’s floral mottoes, no. 27. The groves were God’s first temples 1873
- Prize black Alicante grapes
- I think of thee dear love of mine the best of all that’s not divine 1882
- Jesus in the Temple (Luke II;46,47) 1892
- The flight into Egypt (Matth. II;14.15) 1892
- Cupid and Psyche 1887
- Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem (Mark XXI;8, 9) 1892
- Gray wolf – Canis lupus 1874
- Capt. Semmes, of the pirate ‘Alabama’ 1862-1865