Christmas seals were created in 1903 by a Danish postmaster to raise money and awareness for tuberculosis. In 1907, an American woman borrowed the idea to save a hospital. Today, Christmas seals support the American Lung Association and fund research to stop lung disease.
Many organizations offer seals, small stamps that are not valid postage, to support their cause. These seals are usually issued on a major holiday, such as Easter or Christmas. In 1903, a Danish postmaster named Einar Holboll created the first Christmas seal as a way to raise money and awareness to help stop the spread of tuberculosis (TB), which was a growing problem at the time. In their first fundraising year, the Christmas Seals raised 80,000 Danish kroner, the equivalent of 15,107.25 US dollars (USD). Backed with support from the Danish government, the first six years of sales earned enough to fund a tuberculosis hospital, or sanatorium, with a large amount of money going towards medical research.
In 1907, four years after the first Christmas seals went on sale, an American woman named Emily Bissell borrowed the idea. Her cousin, Joseph Wales, was a physician at the small Brandywine Sanatorium in Delaware. His hospital was in desperate need of $300 to stay open. Emily Bissell, an active participant with the American Red Cross, borrowed Einar Holboll’s concept and, with a $40 USD donation, paid for a print run of 50,000 Christmas seals. They sold for a penny apiece.
Working with the National Association for the Study of TB Prevention and Treatment and the American Red Cross, Emily Bissell raised more than $3,000 USD to help keep the sanatorium open, which was about ten times the amount requested from the hospital. The suit was championed by senior public officials, including then-President Theodore Roosevelt. Since that year, Christmas seals have been an annual tradition. When the antibiotic that cured tuberculosis was discovered after World War II, the National Association for the Study to Prevent and Cure Tuberculosis reformed as the American Lung Association and continued to produce and sell its annual stamps.
Over the years, Christmas Seals has featured a variety of themes and guest artists. The lawsuit has expanded to not only fund aid for tuberculosis, but other lung diseases as well. The seals are provided for a small donation to the American Lung Association, and the organization says about 80 percent of the money goes to help local branches. Much of the money, the association says, goes to fund volunteer work and research to stop lung disease. As well as helping others, Christmas Seals have taken a backseat as collectables and have several organizations dedicated to the hobby.
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