Henry Cole English statesman and inventor Date of Birth: 15.07.1808 Country: Great Britain

Biography of Sir Henry Cole

Sir Henry Cole was an English statesman and inventor who introduced many innovations in the field of trade and education in 19th century United Kingdom. He is credited with the idea of sending Christmas cards, the first of which Cole introduced in 1843. He enjoyed the patronage of the aristocracy, which helped in the organization of the Great Exhibition.

Cole was born in Bath, England, on July 15, 1808, and received his education at Christ's Hospital, a boarding school in London. His career began at the age of 15 when he took up a position as an assistant keeper at the British National Archives. He played a crucial role in the reform and preservation of the archives.

From 1837 to 1840, Cole worked as an assistant to inventor Rowland Hill, who introduced the penny post system, with a uniform rate of one penny per letter. In 1843, Henry presented the world's first commercially produced Christmas card, designed in collaboration with artist John Callcott Horsley.

Personally interested in industrial design, Cole used the pseudonym Felix Summerly to participate in the creation of the aesthetic design for a ceramic company called 'Minton'. This teapot was awarded prizes. Under the same pseudonym, Cole tried his hand at writing. This led to the creation of a series of children's books, including 'An Alphabet of Quadrupeds' in 1844 and 'The most delectable history of Reynard the Fox' in 1846.

Through his membership in the Society for Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (SEAMC), Cole lobbied the government for support in his campaign to improve standards in the field of industrial design. With the support of Prince Albert, a royal society SEAMC was established, and an exhibition of excellent products from various manufacturers was held in 1847. This exhibition was expanded in 1848 and 1849.

Cole attended the 11th Quinquennial Paris Exhibition in 1849 and noted that the event was not of an international nature. As a result, he proposed inviting participants from around the world for the upcoming exhibitions in 1850 and 1851, with the support of the Royal Society. Queen Victoria showed her favor by creating a special royal commission for the exhibition, chaired by Prince Albert. The Great Exhibition of industrial design took place at The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, from May 1 to October 15, 1851.

The commercial success of the exhibition allowed Cole to allocate the excess funds of £186,000 to the improvement of science and art education in the United Kingdom. Land was purchased in South Kensington for the construction of 'Albertopolis', a center for educational and cultural institutions. As the head of the Department of Practical Art, Cole played a crucial role in the development of the Victoria and Albert Museum, originally known as the Museum of Ornamental Art, which was founded in 1852.

For his work at the Great Exhibition, Cole was awarded the Order of the Bath and was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1875. In print publications, he was often referred to as the 'Old King' Cole. He passed away on April 18, 1882. One of Cole's first Christmas cards, which he sent to his grandmother in 1843, was sold at an auction in 2001 for £22,500.