For the last 100 years, when America has gone to war, so have greeting cards. Their verses and images, how they were advertised, and even the papers and inks all combine to paint a vivid picture of wartime life as it was experienced at Reynolda House, across the United States, and by the troops overseas. Packed with colorful images of vintage cards, this entertaining talk takes us back in time to 1917 and Reynolda's first Christmas, then forward to the Babcock era of World War II, to explore how greeting cards kept families linked and showcased American pride and patriotism.
O'Donnell is an independent scholar and former editor of Style 1900 magazine.
Image: American soldiers opening American Red Cross Christmas packages, Library of Congress, between 1917 and 1920, Prints and Photographs Division, American National Red Cross Photograph Collection. LC-DIG-anrc-06526