Marcus Ward, Cards and Stationery

During the 1860’s and 1870’s Marcus Ward and Company. became one of the first mass producers of calendars and greeting cards.

The rise in popularity of greeting cards, mostly unknown before 1860, was due to the arrival of a uniform postal delivery service in 1839, and also to the invention of colour lithography which made the products inexpensive to mass produce.

For 30 years from 1860 these cards became world famous and to send or receive one was to be considered the height of fashion in late Victorian society.

The success of the card and stationery business was mainly due to William Ward. He had an eye for new talent and recruited some of the best illustrators and designers of the period for the London office. These included Kate Greenaway who achieved world-wide fame as an illustrator.

Click the appropriate 'Title' link below to view a thumbnail sized sample of the illustration or a 'Download' link to view a larger sized sample of the illustration.