Einar Holboll, a Danish postal clerk, thought of the idea of
adding an extra charitable stamp during Christmas to help fight tuberculosis. 4
million stamps were sold in 1904 bearing the likeness of the Danish Queen and
the word Christmas. After six years enough money was raised to build the
Christmas Seal Sanatorium in Kolding. Eventually it was decided to put future
money into convalescent homes for children.
On December 8th, 1907 Emily Bissell introduced am American
Christmas Seal after learning about the Danish stamps. She designed the stamps
herself and convinced local post offices to sell them for 1 cent. Although it
took a while to catch on, she raised ten times what she had originally been
seeking, $300 for the Brandywine Creek sanitarium.
Howard Pyle donated the design of the second stamp. The
stamps became a national program administered by the National Association for
the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis and the American Red Cross. Eventually
the Red Cross would leave the coalition and all of the money raised went to
fight TB.
After World War II Tuberculosis became curable after the
discovery of streptomycin. Emily Bissell got to see a cure that she had worked
for, as she supported the Christmas Seal program until she died in 1948. It
took years after this until the disease was fully in control in America. The
organization broadened its scope and is now known as the American Lung
Association, although Tb is common in parts of the world and is making a
comeback with antibiotic resistant strains appearing.
Over the world there are almost a hundred different
organizations that issue Christmas Seals. The International Union Against
Tuberculosis and Lung Disease hold contests among these organizations for the
best designs. While many different charity organization issue seals or stamps,
only lung disease organizations can officially issue Christmas Seals.
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