{"id":114558,"date":"2023-12-19T10:53:42","date_gmt":"2023-12-19T15:53:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/?p=114558"},"modified":"2025-03-25T15:44:52","modified_gmt":"2025-03-25T19:44:52","slug":"box-christmas-card","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/box-christmas-card\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s in the Box? Christmas Card Printing Block"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.kb-image114558_fba916-ee.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .kb-image114558_fba916-ee .kb-image-is-ratio-size{max-width:900px;width:100%;}.wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image114558_fba916-ee.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image114558_fba916-ee .kb-image-is-ratio-size{align-self:unset;}.kb-image114558_fba916-ee figure{max-width:900px;}.kb-image114558_fba916-ee .image-is-svg, .kb-image114558_fba916-ee .image-is-svg img{width:100%;}.kb-image114558_fba916-ee .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}.kb-image114558_fba916-ee img.kb-img, .kb-image114558_fba916-ee .kb-img img{border-top:1px solid #000000;border-right:1px solid #000000;border-bottom:1px solid #000000;border-left:1px solid #000000;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kb-image114558_fba916-ee img.kb-img, .kb-image114558_fba916-ee .kb-img img{border-top:1px solid #000000;border-right:1px solid #000000;border-bottom:1px solid #000000;border-left:1px solid #000000;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kb-image114558_fba916-ee img.kb-img, .kb-image114558_fba916-ee .kb-img img{border-top:1px solid #000000;border-right:1px solid #000000;border-bottom:1px solid #000000;border-left:1px solid #000000;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image114558_fba916-ee\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/12\/CC011-Graphic.jpg\" class=\"kb-advanced-image-link\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1748\" height=\"1240\" src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/12\/CC011-Graphic.jpg?resize=1400,993\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/12\/CC011-Graphic.jpg?resize=1400,993\" alt=\"Happy Holidays from the National VA History Center. (Graphic by VA)\" class=\"lazyload kb-img wp-image-114562\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271748%27%20height%3D%271240%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%201748%201240%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%271748%27%20height%3D%271240%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/12\/CC011-Graphic.jpg?resize=300,213 300w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/12\/CC011-Graphic.jpg?resize=600,426 600w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/12\/CC011-Graphic.jpg?resize=768,545 768w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/12\/CC011-Graphic.jpg?resize=1400,993 1400w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/12\/CC011-Graphic.jpg?resize=1536,1090 1536w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/12\/CC011-Graphic.jpg 1748w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 1748px) 100vw, 1748px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Happy Holidays from the National VA History Center. (Graphic by VA)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The holiday and Christmas season is a time where many of us feel closest to the past. Who doesn\u2019t get a rush of fond memories every time we unwrap a beautifully decorated present? When I started working as collection manager at the National VA History Center in Dayton, many of the artifacts were still wrapped up for protection on their move to the new facility. While unwrapping boxes from the Mountain Home VA, I found tools of a trade that few Americans today know about: letterpress printing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s easy to take something like typed words for granted. But what we can do quickly on our phones or laptops once took hours. Basically, letterpress printing involves placing moveable letters known as type into an iron frame called a chase that locks the letters in place. At Mountain Home they used machines with metal plates and large rollers to spread ink over the chase. When the inked form is pressed onto paper, it prints text or images onto the page.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image114558_734253-83.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .kb-image114558_734253-83 .kb-image-is-ratio-size{max-width:790px;width:100%;}.wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image114558_734253-83.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image114558_734253-83 .kb-image-is-ratio-size{align-self:unset;}.kb-image114558_734253-83 figure{max-width:790px;}.kb-image114558_734253-83 .image-is-svg, .kb-image114558_734253-83 .image-is-svg img{width:100%;}.kb-image114558_734253-83 .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}.kb-image114558_734253-83 img.kb-img, .kb-image114558_734253-83 .kb-img img{border-top:1px solid #000000;border-right:1px solid #000000;border-bottom:1px solid #000000;border-left:1px solid #000000;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kb-image114558_734253-83 img.kb-img, .kb-image114558_734253-83 .kb-img img{border-top:1px solid #000000;border-right:1px solid #000000;border-bottom:1px solid #000000;border-left:1px solid #000000;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kb-image114558_734253-83 img.kb-img, .kb-image114558_734253-83 .kb-img img{border-top:1px solid #000000;border-right:1px solid #000000;border-bottom:1px solid #000000;border-left:1px solid #000000;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image114558_734253-83\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/12\/CC011-Template.jpg\" class=\"kb-advanced-image-link\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1409\" src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/12\/CC011-Template.jpg?resize=1400,963\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/12\/CC011-Template.jpg?resize=1400,963\" alt=\"A hand carved printing block template with a custom image of a dog and phrase 'Merry Xmas' flowing vertically. (VA)\" class=\"lazyload kb-img wp-image-114560\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%272048%27%20height%3D%271409%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%202048%201409%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%272048%27%20height%3D%271409%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/12\/CC011-Template.jpg?resize=300,206 300w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/12\/CC011-Template.jpg?resize=600,413 600w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/12\/CC011-Template.jpg?resize=768,528 768w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/12\/CC011-Template.jpg?resize=1400,963 1400w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/12\/CC011-Template.jpg?resize=1536,1057 1536w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/12\/CC011-Template.jpg 2048w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>A hand carved printing block template with a custom image of a dog and phrase &#8216;Merry Xmas&#8217; flowing vertically. (VA)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But what does this have to do with the holidays? When organizing the collection of printing blocks from Mountain Home, we found a linoleum block that may have been used for printing Christmas cards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While many of the printing blocks in our collection were carved by machine, this one has marks where a Veteran carved out the shape of the puppy and the bubble letters wishing recipients a \u201cMerry Xmas\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image114558_ae5992-8f.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .kb-image114558_ae5992-8f .kb-image-is-ratio-size{max-width:699px;width:100%;}.wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image114558_ae5992-8f.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image114558_ae5992-8f .kb-image-is-ratio-size{align-self:unset;}.kb-image114558_ae5992-8f figure{max-width:699px;}.kb-image114558_ae5992-8f .image-is-svg, .kb-image114558_ae5992-8f .image-is-svg img{width:100%;}.kb-image114558_ae5992-8f .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}.kb-image114558_ae5992-8f img.kb-img, .kb-image114558_ae5992-8f .kb-img img{border-top:1px solid #000000;border-right:1px solid #000000;border-bottom:1px solid #000000;border-left:1px solid #000000;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kb-image114558_ae5992-8f img.kb-img, .kb-image114558_ae5992-8f .kb-img img{border-top:1px solid #000000;border-right:1px solid #000000;border-bottom:1px solid #000000;border-left:1px solid #000000;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kb-image114558_ae5992-8f img.kb-img, .kb-image114558_ae5992-8f .kb-img img{border-top:1px solid #000000;border-right:1px solid #000000;border-bottom:1px solid #000000;border-left:1px solid #000000;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image114558_ae5992-8f\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/12\/CC011-Card.jpg\" class=\"kb-advanced-image-link\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1342\" src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/12\/CC011-Card.jpg?resize=1400,917\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/12\/CC011-Card.jpg?resize=1400,917\" alt=\"The finished card, once the block was pressed down onto paper. (VA)\" class=\"lazyload kb-img wp-image-114559\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%272048%27%20height%3D%271342%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%202048%201342%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%272048%27%20height%3D%271342%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/12\/CC011-Card.jpg?resize=300,197 300w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/12\/CC011-Card.jpg?resize=600,393 600w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/12\/CC011-Card.jpg?resize=768,503 768w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/12\/CC011-Card.jpg?resize=1400,917 1400w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/12\/CC011-Card.jpg?resize=1536,1007 1536w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/12\/CC011-Card.jpg 2048w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>The finished card, once the block was pressed down onto paper. (VA)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Printing has a rich history in VA. As early as 1869 the Central Branch of the <a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/exhibits\/national-homes-postcards\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"104292\">National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers<\/a> had a shop where members printed materials for National Homes across the country. Veterans in the Mountain Home print shop were printing medicine labels, newsletters, and other materials well into the 20th century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Veterans worked in print shops for many reasons. They gained skills to prepare for civilian careers in the printing industry and helped injured or <a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/100-objects\/object-63-disabled-union-veterans\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"114073\">disabled Veterans<\/a> to regain strength and dexterity in their hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Following the lead of the Veterans who printed cards and pamphlets in years gone by, we\u2019ve partnered with the Letterpress Shop at Carillon Historical Park in Dayton, Ohio to give you an idea of what a card printed with this block would look like!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Season\u2019s Greetings from all of us at NVAHC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video aligncenter\"><video height=\"1080\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1920 \/ 1080;\" width=\"1920\" controls loop src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/12\/CC011-Proof-printing.mp4\" playsinline><\/video><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Video of the &#8216;Merry Xmas&#8217; template being used at Carillon Historical Park to print of a card. (VA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What&#8217;s in the box? &#8211; For this holiday and Christmas season, the curatorial staff at the National VA History Center found an item from the Mountain Home VA that involves a trade that is rarely used today: letterpress printing.<\/p>\n<p>Phones and laptops make it easy to type and design cards that can be printed in mere moments. But in the past, printing a unique Christmas card, for example, would have required specialized training and skill to create a template. Which, is exactly what our staff at the NVAHC found in the latest box opened in the collection. <\/p>\n<p>Happy Holidays!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":114560,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[23,17,127],"class_list":["post-114558","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-curator-corner","tag-national-home-for-disabled-volunteer-soldiers","tag-national-va-history-center","tag-whats-in-the-box"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/box-christmas-card\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"What\u2019s in the Box? Christmas Card Printing Block","url":"http:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/box-christmas-card\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/box-christmas-card\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/12\/CC011-Template.jpg?w=300","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/12\/CC011-Template.jpg"},"articleSection":"Curator Corner","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Department of Veterans Affairs (smw)"}],"creator":["Department of Veterans Affairs (smw)"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"VA History","logo":""},"keywords":["national home for disabled volunteer soldiers","national va history center","what's in the box"],"dateCreated":"2023-12-19T15:53:42Z","datePublished":"2023-12-19T15:53:42Z","dateModified":"2025-03-25T19:44:52Z"},"rendered":"<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"wp-parsely-metadata\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"headline\":\"What\\u2019s in the Box? 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(VA)","byline":"Gage Huey","author_title":"Museum Collections Manager, National VA History Center","external_source":"","external_source_url":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114558","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=114558"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114558\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":115997,"href":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114558\/revisions\/115997"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/114560"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=114558"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=114558"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=114558"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}