The Rust Craft Greeting Card Company was an American greeting card and printing company. It produced what is believed to be the first Christmas card.
Video Rust Craft Greeting Card Company
The company
The company was founded in a bookstore in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1906 by its owner, Fred Winslow Rust. The first Christmas card was printed on heavy tan paper and included a brief message in two colors. The success of the Christmas card grew into a business letters, postcards, and greeting cards with envelopes. Rust revolutionized the use of the "French Fold," which turned a single piece of paper into a card by folding it into quarters.
Rust was soon joined by his brother Donald. Fred then began to focus more on the creative and sales aspects of the company while Donald managed the manufacturing and finances. In time, the offerings would grow to include cards for holidays including Valentine's Day, Easter, St. Patrick's Day, and Thanksgiving. In addition, cards were produced with bon voyage and travel messages, and even cards with messages in Braille.
The brothers eventually retired from the book store and moved to Massachusetts to focus on the greeting cards. At first the company was located at 1000 Washington Street in Boston's South End neighborhood. Needing more space, the company built a new facility on Rustcraft Road in nearby Dedham, Massachusetts in 1954.
The company remained there until 1980 when it was purchased by Ziff Corporation, who also owned Norcross Greeting Card Company. Rust Craft's manufacturing was moved to West Chester, Pennsylvania where Norcross already have a facility. Both Rust Craft and Norcross were eventually acquired by Windsor Communications. Windsor spent $10 million in 1981 to close the Dedham plant, incentivize employees to stay on, and to move operations.
They struggled with heavy competition, however, and with only 6-7% of market share and eventually went bankrupt. American Greetings Corporation purchased what was left of the two companies. At the time it went out of business, it had a Canadian affiliate, Rust Craft Ltd.
Maps Rust Craft Greeting Card Company
Rust family
The Rust brothers were born in Belfast, Maine, but moved to Kansas City as boys. Fred wrote and published three volumes of poetry. He lived in Newton, Massachusetts with his wife and son and had a summer house in Cohasset, Massachusetts. He died in 1949 at the age of 73. Donald had two sons with his wife, and later had four grandchildren. He died in 1961 at 84, having spent his final years in Cohasset.
References
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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