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During any major holiday, it’s highly likely that a greeting card will arrive in your mailbox, and there’s a strong possibility it’s from Hallmark. Discover some lesser-known facts about the brand that has become a symbol of holiday celebrations.
1. IT ALL BEGAN WITH A HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUT.
Back in 1910, Joyce “J.C.” Hall decided to leave high school behind and moved from Norfolk, Neb. to Kansas City, Mo., aiming to wholesale postcards. Alongside his brothers, Rollie and William, he had previously attempted to enter the postcard business in Nebraska with little success. However, in the thriving city of Kansas City, Hall found a bustling metro area and access to numerous rail connections, enabling him to expand sales to nearby towns. The business flourished, prompting Rollie to join him, and together they established their own shop.
2. A DEVASTATING FIRE PAVED THE WAY FOR HALLMARK’S SUCCESS.
The brothers experienced steady growth until 1915, when a fire destroyed their shop and wiped out their entire inventory. Unshaken, they secured a loan, purchased an engraving company, and began producing exclusive designs. This bold decision paid off. As the postcard business declined, the Halls shifted focus to beautifully designed greeting cards for occasions like Valentine’s Day.
3. THE COMPANY IS CREDITED WITH INVENTING WRAPPING PAPER.
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Before 1917, gift-giving was straightforward: you wrapped presents in plain white, red, or green tissue paper. However, when the Hall brothers ran out of tissue paper that year, they faced a dilemma. Customers still wanted an elegant way to wrap their gifts. Rollie Hall ingeniously offered French paper, originally intended for lining envelopes, as a substitute. The idea was so popular during the holiday season and beyond that by 1919, the Halls began producing their own patterned gift wrap, turning it into a holiday essential.
4. THE HALLMARK NAME WASN’T INTRODUCED UNTIL 1925.
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J.C. Hall admired the traditional hallmarks goldsmiths used to authenticate their creations. The company explains that Hall believed “Hallmark” was ideal because it conveyed quality with authority and incorporated their family name. The name debuted in 1925 and appeared on every card sold by the Hall brothers’ company by 1928. In 1954, Hall Brothers Inc. officially became Hallmark.
5. IT REMAINS A FAMILY-OWNED BUSINESS.
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More than a century after its inception, Hallmark remains a privately held company, headquartered in Kansas City, and continues to be managed by the Hall family. J.C. Hall’s son Donald J. Hall serves as chairman of the Hallmark board, while his grandson Donald Jr. holds the roles of president and CEO.
6. ONE ARTIST HOLDS THE TITLE OF GREETING CARD ROYALTY.
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When you come across a Hallmark card featuring charming bears, kittens, angels, or children, check if the artwork is signed with just “Mary.” Mary Hamilton, an artist who has been with Hallmark for over six decades, is renowned for her “cutes” and is celebrated as a legend in the greeting card world. (On her 55th anniversary with the company in 2010, a New York Times article highlighted colleagues who referred to her as “our rock star” and “Hallmark’s Cher.”) Hamilton’s secret to capturing cuteness? Even she isn’t entirely sure—she once remarked, "I paint with emotion, without a fixed plan. It’s something you learn to do instinctively."
7. ONE CARD STANDS ABOVE THE REST.
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Throughout its century-long history, Hallmark has produced countless designs, but one stands out as the most iconic. The “Pansy Card,” featuring a cart overflowing with pansies and the message “To Let You Know I’m Thinking of You,” has been a bestseller since its debut for Mother’s Day in 1939. Its timeless design and versatile message have made it Hallmark’s most enduring product.
8. HALLMARK WAS AN EARLY ADOPTER OF THE MICKEY MOUSE TREND.
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Today, it’s hard to picture a world without Disney characters on nearly every product, but that wasn’t always the case. In 1932, Hallmark began exploring licensing and secured a deal to produce greeting cards featuring Walt Disney’s beloved characters. A possible factor in sealing the deal: Disney was an elementary school classmate of J.C. Hall’s wife, Elizabeth. This partnership proved highly successful and helped Hallmark navigate the challenges of the Great Depression.
9. HALLMARK IS THE OWNER OF CRAYOLA.
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If you’ve purchased the world’s most iconic crayons since 1984, you might have unknowingly bought a Hallmark product. Hallmark purchased Binney & Smith Inc., the company behind Crayola, for $204 million, partly due to Crayola’s widespread brand recognition among consumers.
10. THEY’VE WON A STACK OF EMMYS.
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Before becoming known for heartwarming stories, Hallmark’s TV movies were rooted in Shakespearean drama. The Hallmark Hall of Fame series has been a TV mainstay since the company partnered with NBC to broadcast Amahl and the Night Visitors on Christmas Eve in 1951. This foray into television was a strategic move by J.C. Hall, who later acknowledged, “I don’t approach culture with philanthropy in mind. The reality is that quality television drives business success.”
The success of the first special led Hallmark to produce a television adaptation of Hamlet in 1953, starring Maurice Evans. The company asserts that this production reached more viewers than all previous stagings of Hamlet combined. This triumph paved the way for more Shakespearean adaptations and original programming. Over six decades later, the Hallmark Hall of Fame series has switched networks several times but continues to thrive. With over 250 films, the series has collectively won 81 Emmys.
11. HALLMARK IS RESPONSIBLE FOR RAINBOW BRITE.
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Children of the 1980s likely recall Rainbow Brite, the vibrant heroine of Rainbow Land. What many may not realize is that she was conceived by Hallmark’s designers, who began developing her in 1981 to appeal to girls aged three to seven. (This was reportedly Hallmark’s response to the success of rival American Greetings’ Strawberry Shortcake.) At her peak, Rainbow Brite was a leading children’s media icon, with licensed toys by Mattel, an animated TV series, and a theatrical animated film.
12. HALLMARK OPERATES A FAMILY-FRIENDLY ALTERNATIVE TO NETFLIX.
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With over 60 years of experience in television production, Hallmark has built an extensive archive. The company leverages this through Feeln, a streaming service launched in 2007 by producer Rob Fried. Feeln focuses on films and shorts that are “well-crafted and convey uplifting messages for audiences of all ages.” To qualify, content must avoid nudity, violence, profanity, and steer clear of divisive social or political themes. Current offerings include Hallmark Hall of Fame classics, as well as films like Look Who’s Talking, Hitch, and The Other Boleyn Girl.
13. THE COMPANY CURATED ONE OF THE MOST IMPRESSIVE COLLECTIONS OF AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHY.
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Hallmark isn’t just a creator of art—it’s also a curator and collector. Starting in 1949, the company began assembling a photography collection that would later become iconic. After hiring curator Keith F. Davis in 1979, Hallmark rapidly expanded its portfolio, amassing 6500 photographs that trace the evolution of American photography from 1839 to the present.
14. AND THEN THEY DONATED IT ALL.
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By the time Davis completed his acquisitions, Hallmark’s photography collection had become both vast and culturally significant. It featured 6500 works by 900 photographers, ranging from early daguerreotypes to masterpieces by legends like Andy Warhol, Annie Leibovitz, Harry Callahan, and Alfred Stieglitz. Valued at $65 million, the collection was a treasure trove of photographic history. In 2006, Hallmark donated the majority of the collection to Kansas City’s Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, elevating the museum to one of the world’s leading hubs for photographic art and history.
