Editing Christmas seal (section)

== United States ==
[[File:First Christmas Seals, 1907,1908 & 1908.jpg|thumb|upright=2.3|{{center|The first U.S. Christmas seals, of 1907, 1908 and 1909<ref name="denune1"/> }}]]

At the beginning of the 20th century the [[United States]] was also experiencing a tuberculosis outbreak of epidemic proportions. At the time the only practical way to treat the disease was confining those afflicted in a [[sanatorium]]. Most of these facilities, however, were in dire need of funding and were faced with closure. One such facility was located in [[Brandywine, Delaware]], and almost at the point of its termination, where a doctor, Joseph Wales, remembered his cousin [[Emily Bissell]] who was experienced in fundraising efforts. He subsequently sent her a letter relating the situation his sanatorium was facing. Bissell was touched by his letter and sent out looking for ways to raise the $300 needed for her cousin's sanatorium to remain open.<ref name=lancet2014>[[#lancet|The Lancet, journal]], 2014, v. 2, pp. 608-609</ref>

The great success of Christmas seals in Europe prompted Danish born [[Jacob Riis]], a [[muckraker|muckraking]] journalist, photographer and a friend of [[Theodore Roosevelt]], to write an editorial advocating their sale in America. The editorial and the great success Christmas Seals brought to charitable efforts in Europe in 1904 was a great source of inspiration to Emily Bissell who pursued the prospect in the United States and organized the production and sale of Christmas seals in America.<ref name="nyt"/><ref name=del're141-142/> Bissell likewise hoped to raise money for her cousin's sanatorium on the [[Brandywine Creek (Christina River)|Brandywine Creek]] in [[Delaware]]. Bissell went on to design a Delaware local Christmas seal, the first to be issued in the United States, in 1907.  Christmas seals generated $3000 in the first year. By 1909 sales generated $250,000. It became clear to the Red Cross sales of Christmas seals should continue as an independent enterprise. The Director of the American Red Cross, [[Ernest P. Bicknell]], was a member of the Board of Directors of the National Tuberculosis Association, now in its sixth year of operation. Bicknell along with Dr. [[Livingston Farrand]], a member of the faculty of Columbia University proceeded in the summer of 1910 to arrange a partnership in the sale of Christmas Seals with the Red Cross, which lasted until 1920, when the Red Cross turned over the entire Christmas seal operation to the National Tuberculosis Association. In the succeeding years sales grew continuously, from three thousand dollars in 1907 to 26 million dollars by 1955.<ref>[[#legacy|History Matters]], Essay</ref><ref>[[#long1957|Long, 1957]], p. 144</ref>

Initially printed by the [[Lithograph]] process, the seals were sold in post office lobbies across the United States.<ref name="nyt"/> The first U.S. Christmas seal of 1907 was initially sold on December 7, 1907 in [[Wilmington, Delaware]] by the Delaware Chapter of the American Red Cross, at a penny each. By 1908, Bissell's idea grew to a national program administered by the National Association for the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis (NASPT)  Christmas seals issued from 1908 to 1918 were issued nationally by the American National Red Cross. Net proceeds from the sales would be divided equally between the two organizations.<ref>[[#scott1935|Scott's specialized catalogue of U.S. stamps, 1935]], p. 163</ref><ref name=denune1>[[#catalog2014|Denune, 2014]], p. 1</ref>  Beginning in 1919 when the National Tuberculosis Association assumed operations of Christmas seal production all seals bore the red double-barred cross in the designs.<ref name=catalog5/>

[[File:Christmas Seal, booklet pane, 1918 issue.jpg|thumb|upright=0.6|Booklet pane of 1918 issue Christmas seals]]
The Christmas seals issued in 1918 have an unusual history apart from all the others, in that they were not sold to the general public that year.  Issued during [[World War I]] they were only given to members of the American Red Cross so as not to compete with other fund-raising drives for the war effort. Issued only in booklet panes of ten, there are no known sheets of 100 of this issue.<ref name="Denune p. 4">[[#catalog2014|Denune, 2014]], p. 4</ref>
[[File:Christmas Seal,1919 issue.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.8|The Christmas seal of 1919 is the last issue to display the Red Cross, and is the only one to display both the Red Cross and the double-bar cross of the National Tuberculosis Association]]
By 1920, the Red Cross withdrew from the arrangement and sales were conducted exclusively by the NASPT, then known as the National Tuberculosis Association (NTA). Issues from 1920 to 1937; by the National Tuberculosis and Respiratory Disease Association (NTDRA); from 1968 to 1972 and the American Lung Association from 1973 to the present The NTRDA became the [[American Lung Association]] in 1973, though the 1974 seals and those issued thereafter continue to show the NTRDA inscription on the sheet margin.<ref name=scott613>[[#scott1983|Scott's Specialized Catalogue of [US], 1983]], p. 613</ref><ref name=catalog5>[[#catalog2014|Denune, 2014]], pp. a, 4-5</ref>

[[File:US Christmas Seals with printer's marks.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|left|Christmas Seals with printer's marks (circled in blue)]]
Often times two or more different printers were employed to produce a given Christmas seal, producing a seal that was identical to the other such printings. To distinguish between the various printings the Christmas Seal Society deemed it appropriate that each printer add his own [[printer's mark]] to one of the seals in a sheet of 100, usually in the middle of the sheet. Printer's marks usually consisted of a small letter within the design of the seal. The addition of printer's marks was initiated in 1926 and continued until 1997.<ref>[[#catalog2014|Denune, 2014]], p. f</ref>

Local Christmas seals also began to emerge during this time and have existed alongside national issues in the US since 1907, and are also catalogued by the [[Christmas Seal & Charity Stamp Society]].<ref name=lancet2014/><ref>[[#scott|Scott's specialized catalogue of U.S. stamps, 1969]], p. 569</ref>

The first real-life people were not featured on U.S. Christmas seals until the 1938 seals were issued. They featured notables in the fight against tuberculosis, including [[Einar Holbøll]], [[Robert Koch]], [[René Laennec]] and [[Edward Livingston Trudeau]].<ref>[[#catalog2014|Denune, 2014]], p. 17</ref>

With the exception of the 1907 and 1908 issues, US Christmas seals were issued in sheets of 100 up until 1975, thereafter being issued in sheets of 54.<ref name=scott613/> Beginning in 1935 US Christmas seals were being printed in [[Se-tenant (philately)|se-tenant]], where there was more than one design of Christmas seals on a single sheet of one hundred Christmas seals.<ref>[[#catalog2014|Denune, 2014]], pp. 14-19</ref> Beginning in 1970 sheets of Christmas seals sometimes each had an individual seal with its own design or depicted an overall scene, with each seal having a portion of that scene, similar to the way that puzzle pieces together displayed a scene or picture.<ref>[[#catalog2014|Denune, 2014]], pp. 40, 43, 54, etc</ref> 
{| style="margin:auto"
| [[File:US Christmas seals in se-tenant form.jpg|thumb|upright=3.4|{{center|:US Christmas seals in [[Se-tenant (philately)|se-tenant]] form}} ]]
|}

Various promotional schemes were tried: in 1954 the small town of [[Saranac Lake, New York]] (home of the [[Adirondack Cottage Sanitarium]]) won a nationwide competition selling Christmas seals, the reward for which was hosting the world premiere of the [[Paul Newman]] film ''[[The Silver Chalice (film)|The Silver Chalice]]''; the cast participated in a parade in the town's annual [[winter carnival]]. Other ideas were employed in the effort to promote Christmas seals, including postmark/cancellations and various forms of advertising, shown in the examples below.
{| style="margin:auto"
| [[File:Christmas seals, 1941 Promotional Flyer.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.9|Christmas seal promotional post card, featuring an image of a 1941 Christmas seal]]
| [[File:Christmas seal postmarks, 1922, 1923.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8|Various post offices used cancellations promoting Christmas seals]]
|}

Aside from Christmas seals issued nationally by the Red Cross and the National Tuberculosis Association, various states issued seals of their own. Beginning in 1927 the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, or [[NAACP]], began issuing their own seals to bring awareness to the prejudice and other issues that affected African Americans.<ref>[[#naacp|Denune, 2024]]</ref>
{| style="margin:auto"
| [[File:State Issued Christmas Seals.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|Several states issued their own Christmas seals, Louisiana seals being the longest lived issues]]
| [[File:NAACP Christmas Seals.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8|Selection of seals issued by the NAACP<br>From left to right: &nbsp;Issues of 1943, 1945, 1962]]
|}

[[File:Christmas seal bonds, $5, 1920 & 1933.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|Selection of Christmas seal bonds, 1920 & 1933; with respective Christmas seals for each year attached<br>(reverse view displayed in lower images)]]
Beginning in 1919 the sale of Christmas seals were sold in a form of a bond in order to accommodate big contributors to the fight against tuberculosis. The range of denominations of the bonds ranged from $5 up to $1000. Variations and changes in the design changed from year to year.<ref>[[#bonds2024|Denune, Christmas Seals bonds, 2024]], Essay</ref>

Today the Christmas seals benefit the [[American Lung Association]] and other lung related issues. Tuberculosis was declining, but recently has been on the rise.  Tuberculosis is still one of the most common major infectious diseases in the world. In 1987 the American Lung Association acquired a trademark for the term "Christmas Seals" to protect their right to be the sole US national fundraising Association to issue them. Of course, this trademark would not apply to Christmas seals issued outside the US or local and regional Christmas seals, used in the US by many organizations since 1907 when the Kensington Dispensary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, issued their own local Christmas seal.<ref name=scott613/>
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