![]() The period after World War II brought an improved economic climate as well as increasingly sophisticated printing, embossing, and finishing techniques, with better greeting cards produced each year. The greeting card business weathered the Great Depression better than most industries, primarily because while most people couldn't afford expensive gifts on special occasions, they could still afford to give greeting cards. Gibson was the first in the industry to develop an electronic reorder system which allowed stores to maintain a profitable product mix. The company developed new merchandising methods and created display fixtures to help control inventory and improve retail sales. In the 1930s Gibson began to focus on helping its retail customers market Gibson products. Gibson was credited with popularizing the "French Fold" card-one sheet of paper folded in half twice-which became the best-selling greeting card form and an industry standard. During this time, many new companies entered the market, and competition led to the refining of printing processes, art techniques, and decorative finishing treatments. At that time, Robert's will dictated that the business was to be incorporated as The Gibson Art Company, with shares distributed equally to his four children: Charles, Arabella, William, and Edwin.Īs Americans communicated with their loved ones overseas, World War I prompted an increase in greeting card popularity. In 1883, Robert Gibson, the business manager of the four, purchased his brothers' interest in the company, becoming the sole owner of the company until his death two years later. ![]() Five years later, Prang had achieved sales of five million such cards a year, and the Gibson brothers were soon designing and making their own line of Christmas cards, Valentines, and Easter novelties. Prang & Co., a Boston lithographer, in about 1866. The company also jobbed imported German lithographed Christmas cards and oversaw production of the first American line of Christmas, New Year, and Valentine greeting cards, developed by L. ![]() sold such products as patriotically decorated stationery, Civil War prints, honor and reward cards for schools and Sunday schools, and Valentine novelties, which were marketed through stationery, novelty, and art stores.ĭuring the 1870s, the brothers began "jobbing" other artists' products, such as the popular chromo-litho Currier and Ives prints. From the start, the Gibsons preferred to produce their own goods for sale at retail stores, rather than hiring out their printing services for commercial purposes. Together, the brothers printed bonds, stock certificates, checks, business cards, and labels. In 1850, the Gibson brothers, Stephen, 34, Robert, 18, George, 14, and Samuel, 12, founded Gibson & Company, Lithographers. His three brothers followed and decided they would go into business using the small press. Louis, one of Gibson's five sons found work with a canal system that led him to Cincinnati. While Gibson, his wife, and daughters eventually settled in St. The family journeyed to the "land of opportunity" with a small French-made lithography press. Gibson Greeting's history can be traced to 1850, when George Gibson and his family emigrated to the United States from Scotland, where Gibson had operated a lithographic and copperplate engraving business. The company also has subsidiaries in Mexico and the United Kingdom. Gibson is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, while its gift wrap division, Cleo Inc., is based in Memphis, Tennessee. In addition to greeting cards, Gibson also produces gift wraps and bags, boxed cards, calendars, party goods, and related items. is the nation's third largest greeting card manufacturer, ranking just behind Hallmark Cards, Inc. SICs: 2771 Greeting Cards, 2679 Converted Paper Products, Not Elsewhere Classified Incorporated: 1895 as The Gibson Art Company
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |