The Passion of Former Days: holidays

Showing posts with label holidays. 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

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

Thanksgiving Leftovers

Happy belated Thanksgiving to the American folks! To go with those leftovers, how about a few early 20th century Thanksgiving postcards from the New York Public Library?

New York Public Library

Postmarked 1909. Source

New York Public Library

Postmarked 1915. Source

New York Public Library

Written: "Why is it I never hear from you?" Postmarked 1909. Source

Postcards of Easter

It's the part of the term where I go MIA, but I couldn't possibly let a holiday pass without a jaunt to the postcard collection of the New York Public Library! Especially when so many of this holiday's are, quite frankly, bizarre.

Happy Easter!

New York Public Library

Postmarked 1909. Source

New York Public Library

Unwritten. Source

New York Public Library

Postmarked 1909. Source

St. Patrick's Day Postcards

An early St. Patrick's day post! In threeo days it's the anniversary of this blog and I've something special planned for the following days, including the 17th. But, of course, I can't let a holiday pass without dipping into the New York Public Library's collection of early twentieth century holiday postcards. So once again we have a wonderful collection of the lovely, the cheesy, and the odd. As usual I've noted any of the messages that go beyond "best wishes" or similar. To see the back in its entirety simply follow the source link and click the arrow to flip the object.

So, happy early St. Patrick's Day!

New York Public Library

Postmarked 1932. Source

New York Public Library

Unwritten and unmailed. Source

New York Public Library

Unwritten and unsent. Source

Valentine's Day Postcards Part Two

Another set of Valentine's Day postcards from the New York Public Library collections. Mailed yours yet?

From the 1900s to 1920s.

New York Public Library

Unwritten and unmailed. Source

New York Public Library

Postmarked 1910. Source

New York Public Library

Written in a Scandinavian language, postmarked 1912 (from Minnesota). Source

Valentine's Day Postcards Part One

Another holiday, another set of holiday postcards from the New York Public Library collection! Two, actually-- I wanted to include so many I split them into half for managability. So stay tuned!

From the 1900s and 1910s.

On the back: "I love the little birds that sing/ And every flower that blooms in spring. Clarence." Source

New York Public Library

Unwritten and undated. Source

New York Public Library

On the back: "Take this in place of the bouquets I need to gather for you. Elizabeth." Postmarked 1909. Source

New Year's Postcards

Another holiday, another set of holiday postcards! These New Year's ones are especially great-- lots of embossing and metallic gold paint, really lovely (the rest of the set is here). As before I've given some of the writing on the back-- many just say "Happy New Years" and I haven't transcribed those, but I've done most of the ones with longer messages. I've also included the dates they were postal-stamped, when legible-- it's amusing how many were sent a bit late.

From the New York Public Library.

New York Public Library

"Friend Messick, We acknowledge your kind greetings and heartily reciprocate. All at well at home and we trust same with you and yours. When are you coming to Washington to visit us. There is always welcome. Sincerely J [or F] Harrison." Mailed 1909. Source

New York Public Library

"Going home tonight for good. Wishing you all a Happy New Year". Written December 1914 but posted Jan. 1915 Source

New York Public Library

Posted 1908. 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

Father's Day

Photos of dads and their kids, of course!

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

A father playing with his child, undated. Source

Library of Congress

Karl Franz Josef (last Emperor of Austria-Hungary) with his son, 1913. Source

Ed Clark, LIFE © Time Inc.

A dad builds Lincoln Logs with his kids, Denver, 1953. Source

Passover in Berlin, 1946

Sometimes context makes all the difference. These photographs show Passover at home and at the synagogue-- in Berlin, 1946.

(note: the captions incorrectly say 1945; this of course can't be accurate because the war hadn't ended yet. Fortunately one of the photographs below includes a list of dates, confirming 1946).