The Passion of Former Days: christmas

Showing posts with label christmas. Show all posts

24 December, 2015

Santa Claus Town, 1916

Just in time for Christmas! This set of images is devoted to some of the goings-on of Santa and "Santa Claus Town" in 1916, as pictured by a combination of drawing and composite photography. The context of these is unfortunately unknown; they were deposited with the British Library to register their copyright, indicating commercial use, but what that use was I do not know. The images fortunately do come with captions--some of which only raise more questions.

The British Library

"Santa Claus Town." Source

The British Library

"Santa Claus Palace." Source

The British Library

"The palace bears." Of course Santa keeps polar bears in his palace! Source

Christmas Greetings from the Trenches

Embroidered silk postcards soldiers at the Western Front sent to their families back home, for Christmas. These kinds of embroidered postcards were very popular among soldiers of World War One, and were made in large numbers by French and Belgian women during the conflict. The Australian War Memorial collection holds over 600, which I intend to return to. The themes are mostly floral and/or patriotic, their reassuring prettiness belying the conditions lived by the men who sent them.

These postcards are especially poignant this year--one hundred years since that first Christmas in the trenches.

A postcard with the same pattern, but a non-Christmas greeting, can be seen here. Source

Source

Stereographs of Christmas

Stereographs were the mass entertainment of their day, so it is little surprise that, like mass entertainment today, they hopped on the Christmas bandwagon this time of year (though their Santa was a bit thinner than ours!).

New York Public Library

H. Spears Christmas tree with toys, 1873. Source

New York Public Library

Toys set up in a Christmas-decorated room. Source

Library of Congress

"Something for all, I have something for all." c. 1897. Source

The First Batch of Christmas Postcards

It's been about a year now since the start of my addiction to the holiday postcard collection of the New York Public Library. It began with a heap of Christmas postcards, followed by postcards for most major holidays this year. Now we're back to Christmas--fortunately the Christmas category has over 700 postcards! Here's a sampling to start the season.

New York Public Library

Written on verso: "Dear Cousin / Isn't this an appropriate message for the times-- [illegible] for you from Lizzie / I am trusting that two little girls won't scrap in taking their pick." Source

New York Public Library

No date on postmark. Source

New York Public Library

Written on verso: "Dear Laura, the hat pin and cushion are for you the brush and comb handkerchief and hair ribbon for Anna. Please give Abram the tie and Charlie the suspenders. Wish you all a Happy Xmas. Your loving sister Lotty. Source

Merry Christmas!

A selection of (not-previously-featured) Christmas photos! Wishing everyone a lovely day!

State Library and Archives Florida

Santa Claus in Florida, 1965. Source

The National Library of Wales

Boys with Christmas lanterns, Knighton, Wales, 1952. Source

Nationaal Archief

Kids regarding a Christmas tree, the Netherlands, no date. Source

Australian Christmas Postcards

We've had a look at some swell early twentieth century Christmas postcards already this month, including a few with images that seemed to have little do with Christmas. Well, the Australians of the 1890s-1910s took it one step farther and simply stamped Christmas wishes onto any random photograph to make holiday postcards (at least, it was pretty common; I don't have a representative sample, but there's certainly it was popular!). I suppose it makes some sense-- send a picture of the place you live along with your greetings, especially to someone living far away--but certainly it's a bit random, and delightful.

And Merry Christmas to the Aussies, who get it before most of us, after all!

Selected from a larger Christmas card set by the State Library of Queensland (except two, from the Powerhouse Museum). Many thanks to Tania Schafer, curator of that set!

State Library of Queensland

Sutton's Beach, Redcliffe, c. 1908. Source

State Library of Queensland

Merry Christmas from Queensland, c. 1900. Source

State Library of Queensland

The post office at St. George, c. 1905. Source

Christmas Postcards

Going through my posts yesterday has got me feeling Christmas-y! Let's have our first new Christmas post of the year.

In the early twentieth century, people were just crazy about sending postcards, especially for holidays and especially for Christmas. The New York Public Library has about seven hundred (here, if you want more after this post). The ones I've chosen stood out to me either because they're especially nice, especially ugly, and/or especially strange.... though I'll leave it to the viewer to decide which is which!

The NYPL terrifically reproduces the backs as well as the fronts; many are fairly simple, just the sender and reciever or a variant of "Merry Christmas", but a few are more interesting and I've reproduced them. Most, however, are written, so do follow the source links if you're interested!

New York Public Library

Source

New York Public Library

Postmarked 1907. Source

New York Public Library

"It has quit raining. Have you read anything about what is liable to happen on Dec. 17 this year when the six greatest planets begin drawing on the sun. Some of the more radicals deem it will cause the end of the world, maybe." (seriously-- read it!)

Postmarked 1918. Source

Posts Of The Christmas Season

Last year, for most of December I had Christmas-themed posts; rather than repeat myself, as we come once again to the holiday season I've brought them all together here. A couple more shall be upcoming, as well as heaps of stuff I haven't been able to share yet, but for now, some Christmassy pics to unwrap!