Pease, Richard H.

Richard H. Pease (1813–1869) was an American merchant, lithographer, and engraver based in Albany, New York. He is best known for publishing America’s first Christmas card (1849–1850) and for helping to popularize the modern image of Santa Claus through holiday advertisements. He operated the Temple of Fancy, or Pease’s Great Variety Store, which combined his lithography business with retail, offering decorative prints, stationery, and novelties. Pease made significant contributions to cartography. He produced a number of detailed maps and views for E.B. O’Callaghan’s "The Documentary History of the State of New York" (1849), including newly engraved copies of rare and manuscript maps related to the early history of the Province and State of New York.