Norcross Greeting Card Collection
- Collector
- Norcross, Arthur Dickinson, d. 1968
- Designer
- Tuck, Raphael, fl. 1880s
- Manufacturer
- Norcross Greeting Card Company (New York (N.Y.))
- Rust Craft Publishers (Boston, Mass.)
- Collector
- Rust, Fred Winslow, 1877?-1949
- Designer
- Prang, Louis, fl. 1880-1900
- Chase, Ernest Dudley, fl. 1920s
- Collector
- Rust Craft Greeting Card Company (Dedham (Mass.))
- National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Extractive Industries
- Place
- New York (N.Y.) -- 20th century
- Boston (Mass.) -- 1910-1950
- Provenance
- Norcross Greeting Card Company, West Chester, Pennsylvania, 1982-1985.
- Collector
- Norcross, Arthur Dickinson, d. 1968
- Designer
- Tuck, Raphael, fl. 1880s
- Manufacturer
- Norcross Greeting Card Company (New York (N.Y.))
- Rust Craft Publishers (Boston, Mass.)
- Collector
- Rust, Fred Winslow, 1877?-1949
- Designer
- Prang, Louis, fl. 1880-1900
- Chase, Ernest Dudley, fl. 1920s
- Collector
- Rust Craft Greeting Card Company (Dedham (Mass.))
- See more items in
- Norcross Greeting Card Collection
- Summary
- Collections consists of the records of both the Norcross Greeting Card Company founded in New York City in the 1920s and The Rust Craft Greeting Card Company, founded in Kansas City, Missouri, 1906. Both the Norcross and Rust Craft companies collected antique greeting cards. Also includes a small number of modern cards by other manufacturers, circa 1930-1980. Collection represents development of the greeting card industry, social trends in the United States and technology of the printing industry from 1924 through 1978.
- Biographical / Historical
- Arthur D. Norcross founded the Norcross Greeting Card Company in New York City in the nineteen twenties. From the start Norcross cards had a "look" which contributed to their selling success although, through the years, the company commanded only a small share of the greeting card market. In 1974 the company relocated to West Chester and Exton, Pennsylvania, where in 1981 Norcross and the Rust Craft Greeting Card Company merged to form divisions of a parent company. At some point, Norcross executives realized the value of collecting and preserving antique greeting cards. The company built a large collection of antique cards, a number of which traveled in shows around the country bringing attention not only to the cards themselves but also to the Norcross Company. Arthur Norcross died in 1968, and the company had four owners from then until 1982. One of the owners, the Ziff Corporation, a New York publisher, picked up the Norcross Company to augment the floundering Rust Craft Greeting Card Company that it had purchased primarily for its television holdings. Finally the Norcross and Rust Craft combination was acquired by Windsor Communications, Inc., a privately held company. In August 1981 Windsor entered into Chapter 11 proceedings under the Federal bankruptcy law and ceased producing greeting cards. Factors leading to bankruptcy included the expensive consolidation of Norcross and Rust Craft, a doubtful marketing strategy, and unsuccessful efforts to continue producing two distinct lines of greeting cards. The Rust Craft Greeting Card Company, some of whose records are contained in this collection, was begun as a little bookshop by Fred Rust, (1877? 1949) in Kansas City in 1906. Later that year he created a plain Christmas folder which he called a "letter," perhaps a forerunner of the greeting card. These "letters" proved successful sellers prompting Rust to increase his publications over the years and expand his line to include post cards, greeting cards with envelopes, calendars, and blotters, in addition to lines of cards for New Year's and birthdays. Donald Rust, his brother, soon joined him to take over manufacturing, and in 1908, Fred Rust, seeking to increase distribution, carried his line to Boston while Donald carried his to California. The original bookshop was retained until 1910 when all retailing was discontinued. After building a considerable volume of business, the firm was consolidated in Boston in 1914 and became known as Rust Craft Publishers. Sales mounted as the company issued cards for various seasons. Many of the sentiments were written by Fred Rust himself. Around 1927 Ernest Dudley Chase joined the firm as an associate in charge of creation and advertising. In the 1950s the company relocated to Dedham, Massachusetts and finally in 1981 merged with the Norcross Company in West Chester and Exton, Pennsylvania. A popular innovation of the Rust Craft Company was a card bearing the sentiment printed on the card itself with four or five extra sentiments tucked in as part of the message and design. This card was so popular that it was patented with the name Tukkin. The Rust Craft Company also collected some antique greeting cards.
- Extent
- 1,200 Cubic feet (3,010 boxes, 362 volumes)
- Date
- 1800-1981
- bulk 1880-1881
- Custodial History
- Transferred to the Archives Center from the Division of Extractive Industries.
- Archival Repository
- Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Identifier
- NMAH.AC.0058
- Type
- Collection descriptions
- Archival materials
- Lithographs
- Business records
- Chromolithographs
- Color slides
- Greeting cards
- Valentines
- Trade cards
- Postcards
- Motion pictures (visual works)
- Advertisements
- Scrapbooks
- Slides (photographs)
- Citation
- Norcross Greeting Card Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Arrangement
- The collection is divided into six series. Series 1: Norcross Company Records, 1920-1981 Series 2: Antique Greeting Card Collection, circa 1800-1930 (bulk 1880-1990) Series 3: Rust Craft Company Records, circa 1920-1980 Series 4: Greeting Cards by Other Manufacturers, 1939-1960 Series 5: Norcross Company Permanent Files, 1911-1981 Series 6: Rust Craft Company Permanent Files, 1927-1981
- Processing Information
- Processed by Jane H. Odom, archivist, August 1986; Mary Jane Appel (intern), August 1992; Craig A. Orr, archivist, September 1992; Stacy Coates (intern), September 1996; Vanessa Broussard Simmons, archivist, September 1997, December 1999, November 2002; and Jennifer Snyder, June 1999-December 1999; supervised by Vanessa Broussard Simmons, Archivist.
- Rights
- Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
- Genre/Form
- Lithographs
- Business records -- 20th century
- Chromolithographs -- 1880-1900
- Color slides
- Greeting cards -- ca. 1800-1980
- Valentines
- Trade cards
- Postcards
- Motion pictures (visual works) -- 1960-1980
- Advertisements
- Scrapbooks
- Slides (photographs) -- 1950-2000
- Scope and Contents
- The Norcross Greeting Card Collection consists of cards and a few records of both the Norcross Greeting Card Company and the Rust Craft Greeting Card Company, circa 1911 1981; antique greeting cards, circa 1800 1930 (bulk 1880 1900) collected by both these companies and their executives; and a small number of modern cards by other manufacturers, circa 1939 1960. According to Norcross Company officials in 1978, this collection represents "not only a history of the development of the greeting card industry but also a history of social trends in the United States" and gives "an indication of the quality and technology of the [printing] industry from 1924 through 1978."
- Restrictions
- Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Viewing the film portion of the collection without reference copies requires special appointment, please inquire. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270. Viewing the film portion of the collection without reference copies requires special appointment, please inquire.
