Richard H. Pease (1813 - 1869) was an American merchant and lithographer active in Albany, New York, during the middle part of the 19th century. Pease is best recognized for his publication of America's first Christmas card for the 1849 -1850 holiday season. He also played a role in populating the American version of Santa Claus and tying it to consumerism in the holiday advertisements his produced for his 'Temple of Fancy or Pease's Great Variety Store.' Pease operated the Great Variety Store in tandem with his lithography business until he passed the store on to his son, Harry E. Pease, in 1855. The store was located at 516 Broadway, Albany. Pease also published hand-colored lithographs of fruit for Ebenezer Emmons’s book Agriculture of New York State, published between 1846 and 1854. From 1856 to 1867 he worked with the lithography firm of Hoffman, Knickerbocker and Co.



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