‘Tis the Season to Recall the Lilac Hedges Greeting Card Company

is the season to recall the story of the Lilac Hedges greeting card company of Litchfield. Lilac Hedges was founded by Ralph P. Hinchman III after he returned from service in World War II, and was based in two buildings, a house and a barn, that originally belonged to the historic Echo Farms. The property on Fern Road was renamed Lilac Hedges by Hinchman’s relatives, and the company was named after the property, according to the Litchfield Historical Society. Hinchman started by making Christmas cards for neighbors, friends, and family members, which featured the person’s house on the card. As the company grew, the cards were created by artists including Hinchman, Jac Venza, Henry D. Bowman, Hilary Knight, and Donn Sheets. Pop Art legend Andy Warhol even designed several Lilac Hedges cards. (The Andy Warhol Museum) Lilac Hedges expanded to include cards for other occasions, stationery, invitations, and note cards, and at its peak, the company’s cards were sold in major department stores like Bergdorf Goodman and Bonwit Teller. Hinchman eventually sold his share of the business to his partner, Francis McIlhenney, who moved it to California, where it eventually closed. After selling his share, Hinchman traveled and painted murals before his death in 2005. The Litchfield Historical Society has a collection of Lilac Hedges cards and company records that include materials donated by Hinchman’s sister, Elsa Hinchman Clark, and others who worked with Hinchman and the company, including artists Jac Venza and Henry D. Bowman. See the historical society’s collection. https://archives.litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org/.../340 To learn more, also see this story from Connecticut Explored. https://www.ctexplored.org/lilac-hedges-say-it-with-a-card/ 📷 All images sourced from historical society social media posts, primarily from its account on X/Twitter: https://x.com/judgereeve‘Tis the season to recall the story of the Lilac Hedges greeting card company of Litchfield.
Lilac Hedges was founded by Ralph P. Hinchman III after he returned from service in World War II, and was based in two buildings, a house and a barn, that originally belonged to the historic Echo Farms.
The property on Fern Road was renamed Lilac Hedges by Hinchman’s relatives, and the company was named after the property, according to the Litchfield Historical Society.
Hinchman started by making Christmas cards for neighbors, friends, and family members, which featured the person’s house on the card.
As the company grew, the cards were created by artists including Hinchman, Jac Venza, Henry D. Bowman, Hilary Knight, and Donn Sheets. Pop Art legend Andy Warhol even designed several Lilac Hedges cards.

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Lilac Hedges expanded to include cards for other occasions, stationery, invitations, and note cards, and at its peak, the company’s cards were sold in major department stores like Bergdorf Goodman and Bonwit Teller.
Hinchman eventually sold his share of the business to his partner, Francis McIlhenney, who moved it to California, where it eventually closed. After selling his share, Hinchman traveled and painted murals before his death in 2005.
The Litchfield Historical Society has a collection of Lilac Hedges cards and company records that include materials donated by Hinchman’s sister, Elsa Hinchman Clark, and others who worked with Hinchman and the company, including artists Jac Venza and Henry D. Bowman.
To learn more, also see this story from Connecticut Explored.
 
Images sourced from historical society social media posts, primarily from its account on X/Twitter.
 
is the season to recall the story of the Lilac Hedges greeting card company of Litchfield. Lilac Hedges was founded by Ralph P. Hinchman III after he returned from service in World War II, and was based in two buildings, a house and a barn, that originally belonged to the historic Echo Farms. The property on Fern Road was renamed Lilac Hedges by Hinchman’s relatives, and the company was named after the property, according to the Litchfield Historical Society. Hinchman started by making Christmas cards for neighbors, friends, and family members, which featured the person’s house on the card. As the company grew, the cards were created by artists including Hinchman, Jac Venza, Henry D. Bowman, Hilary Knight, and Donn Sheets. Pop Art legend Andy Warhol even designed several Lilac Hedges cards. (The Andy Warhol Museum) Lilac Hedges expanded to include cards for other occasions, stationery, invitations, and note cards, and at its peak, the company’s cards were sold in major department stores like Bergdorf Goodman and Bonwit Teller. Hinchman eventually sold his share of the business to his partner, Francis McIlhenney, who moved it to California, where it eventually closed. After selling his share, Hinchman traveled and painted murals before his death in 2005. The Litchfield Historical Society has a collection of Lilac Hedges cards and company records that include materials donated by Hinchman’s sister, Elsa Hinchman Clark, and others who worked with Hinchman and the company, including artists Jac Venza and Henry D. Bowman. See the historical society’s collection. https://archives.litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org/.../340 To learn more, also see this story from Connecticut Explored. https://www.ctexplored.org/lilac-hedges-say-it-with-a-card/ 📷 All images sourced from historical society social media posts, primarily from its account on X/Twitter: https://x.com/judgereeve