Christmas card of 1843, sent to Sir Henry Cole by the artist John Callcott Horsley. Sir Henry Cole FRSA (15 July 1808 - 18 April 1882) was a British civil servant and inventor who is credited with devising the concept of sending greetings cards, introducing the world's first commercial Christmas card in 1843. John Callcott Horsley RA (29 January 1817 - 18 October 1903) was an English academic painter of genre and historical scenes, illustrator, and designer of the first Christmas card