Vintage Christmas
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
There's something about Christmas that encourages us to wax nostalgic, remembering those mornings from years past, when you could hardly sleep because you were so excited to see what Santa left under the tree for you. So it only makes sense to share some vintage slide scans with you today.
I'm guessing that this photo was taken on Christmas Eve. The kids have gone to bed (hopefully leaving milk and cookies next to the fireplace for Saint Nick - and some carrots for the reindeer), and the grownups have brought out all of the wrapped presents from various closets and other hidey-holes. We see a number of dolls beneath the tree, but the one in the middle (with the golden curls) is the real star of the show.
This next one is from the same household, but the date on the slide is from a few years later. There are four young girls, happily ripping through the gift wrap to see what's inside! The girl in pink is holding a Yogi Bear "soaky", a plastic bottle that held bubble bath. The only other object that I can ID is the "rolling reader" to the right - an educational toy. Snore!
Next is an undated family portrait, everyone's gathered around the tree. It's snowy outside! A toddler is holding a spinning top, a young girl is holding another magnificent doll, and the boy to the right has one too. Hey, I don't judge. You might remember the girl with the camera from THIS PHOTO.
Here's the fireplace in a cozy home, circa 1953. The stockings are hung by the chimney with care, and the mantle is full of Christmas cards from friends and family.
And lastly, here's another vintage Christmas tree. This family bought a smaller tree, but put it up on a stand so that presents could be more easily piled under and around it. Not a bad idea! Their Sylvania TV has a blonde-wood cabinet that almost looks like it's from a high school wood shop. But hey, Beaver Cleaver is still funny on it!
I hope that each and every one of you have a wonderful day full of joy and happiness. I am personally grateful to all of you for your friendship and kindness.
I'm still away from home! But I look forward to reading all of your comments.
24 comments:
These are wonderful glimpses into Christmas-past. Thank you, Major.
I especially like the little tulle Christmas tree in the 2nd pic, on the shelf in the back, by the window. My grandma had one with pink tulle, with little glass ornaments hooked on.
"...and the grownups have brought out all of the wrapped presents from various closets and other hidey-holes."
Six of my cousins lived around the corner from me, when we were all kids. My aunt and uncle would hide all my cousins' gifts at my house and I would wrap them. Our basement would be piled with gifts, and it took me MANY hours, over several weeks, to sort and wrap all of them - including bicycles, pinball machines, etc. (My aunt paid me in gifts, so I loved it.) On Christmas Eve, when my cousins were asleep, my aunt would drive over to our house and load up her station wagon...making multiple trips. On Christmas day, I would go over to their house and have to act surprised to see their gifts. I guess I did a good acting job, as none of my cousins realized I wrapped all their gifts for many years - until I just recently told them. They always wondered where their mom hid all those gifts.
Merry Christmas to Major and to all you Jr. Gorillas. May you get everything you wished for. I'll see you all later, today, after you've opened all your gifts. (I didn't wrap them.)
In the first image: Those candles on the window sill have electrical cords; much safer than the real variety. I can imagine them being taken down from the attic (probably in the boxes they originally came in) and placed in the same windows every year.
With all the dolls displayed prominently, it looks like this family had only girls. The hair on the "star of the show" certainly is lustrously golden!
The sheet music on the piano has an illustration of a couple of awestruck shepherds. So it's a Christmas song, no doubt. Looking at the notes, I'd say it was "The First Noel".
Second image: I wonder if that's the mom in the white pajamas? She's got a ring on her finger.
About the "Rolling Reader": At least it isn't socks... or underwear... or mittens... or slippers... or gloves... or a hat... or...
In the family portrait: Wow. All the boys inherited Grandpa's Dumbo-like ears! (a couple of the girls, too.)
I tried to read what's on that booklet that the boy on the right is holding, but to no avail.
The box for the spinning top is on the table to the left.
The girl in yellow is holding some sort of basket. A Christmas basket? Is that a thing? Like an Easter basket?
In the last image: That blue box says "No. 154 Refrigerator" Did they have small portable fridges back then? If not... what is it?
Sue, haha. Before you told us that your aunt "paid me in gifts", I pictured you as a victim of child labor. Working all hours of the day in a sweat shop of a toy factory. Sounds like your cousins got quite a haul!
Thanks for this look into the past, Major. And Happy Christmas, Merry Holidays to all!
- Joyfully Bounding (Scrooge giddily going from room to room upon discovering that he has a second chance to redeem himself, and change the dreadful Shadows he was shown)
Each and every one of these Christmas pics is pretty great. Just think, all these children and now senior citizens with many of them having grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Thanks, Major!
Merry Christmas to all!
My brother and I had one of those plastic bubble bath containers, in the shape of Yogi Bear. Funny, we were just talking about it a couple months ago. Unfortunately, it no longer exists, but I do have a pic of me with it on Christmas morning.
It looks like there is a second Yogi Bear item, in that same pic. It's on the far left and cut off. All we can see is his nose, eye, and part of his hat. I suppose it could be another character, but it sure looks like Yogi to me. (There is also a sled in that pic, hiding among the wrapping paper on the floor.)
My TV is on a table that is almost identical to the one in the last pic. And I have two tree toppers, identical to the one on that Christmas tree. They are plastic, and I usually place them on top of two 1950s lamps, on either side of my 1950s sofa. (I kind of like 50s stuff.)
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight!
'Twas Magic!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, to you Major and everyone on this wonderful blog! These are just fantastic pics! I noticed in the second photo the same wrapping paper from the first photo is visible on the floor bottom left. That fireplace photo looks like it was just taken. Have a great day!
Wishing the Major and all the Junior Gorillas the happiest of Holidays!
Here’s to another year of pictures and conversations. It’s great to have friends like all of you.
JG
These remind me of our tinsel-bombed real trees of my youth! TONS of tinsel!
And the big multi colored bulbs!
Once, in the 3rd grade, while we were decorating the tree, I layed out a string of those lights around the living room and plugged them in. Then a Christmas special came on in the den and I ran in there to watch it. What happened? Well, let's just say those bulbs get hot and carpet melts. Epic Yuletide fail. Oh well...
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!
Merry Christmas to Gorillas everywhere! Sue, that's so sweet, you playing Santa's Elf for your cousins like that! Sharp eye on the sheet music, JB! I'm going to add my own guesswork and posit that's a John W. Schaum piano book - that's the method my childhood piano teacher used, and the style of illustration looks very similar.
I love all the beautiful oldfangled wrapping paper. It reminds me of my Dad's mother, who saved and reused the same paper every year. There were always ten layers of old tape left at the seams! One year as a joke, they wrapped a bag of dry cat food so the cat would have a present under the tree. When they opened it for him, they found out that he'd torn a tiny hole in one corner and had been pulling out a few kibbles at a time to snack on. The bag was nearly empty.
I am jealous of the doll haul in the first and third pictures! And I would love to have that blonde TV cabinet as an end table, even if the set didn't work. We had one of those pointy spiky tree toppers when I was growing up, too.
I always look forward to these Christmas posts each year. They bring back such great memories. I remember the tinsel being very heavy and my mom saving it wrapped in newspaper from year to year. She also had beautiful ornaments from her family that were German including the pointed tree topper. But over time they either broke or faded badly and none are left. I think I got a doll every year for awhile. I believe Bruce knew were the goods were hidden each year and had it all figured out by Christmas morning. I was miss goody two shoes and didn't participate LOL.
By the way unknown is Irene. My laptop got the blue screen of death and is down for awhile. Using my KIndle.
Major-
As JB mentioned, I suspect that's 'Mom' in the first image. Either that, or she's merely a 'child bride'.
Look at you becoming an expert in ID-ing televisions-! A Sylvania, indeed... with Halolight-!
Merry Christmas to all. And thank you Major, for another year of wonderful images and tip-top commentary.
JB, I didn't even notice the big ears, but Clark Gable made them "cool," you gotta admit. And, YES, my cousins got a TON of presents. It was unbelievable. I 'grew up' with them (I'm an only child, so they were like my brothers and sisters) and they shared everything with me. We had lots of fun playing with all those toys. We're still very close, to this day - I love them dearly (though, sadly, two of them passed away, this past year).
Good to hear from you Irene...we hope and pray for continued good health for you in the coming year!
Gojira, good to hear from you, too.
Melissa, I just checked out your Christmas tree (linked in yesterday's comments) - I love it! The only thing that would make it better would be if ALL of us were gathered around it now, sharing and laughing together...it would be the best Christmas celebration!
Merry Christmas, everyone!
'Twas Magic!, I saw that face thingy on the left as well, but I couldn't make sense of it. It does look like another Yogi something-or-other. Too big for bubble stuff or shampoo. Maybe a cookie jar?
JG, the feeling is mutual!
Stu, yes but it created a vivid Christmas memory that, I'm sure, gets talked about to this day!
Melissa, I bow to your music book expertise. I've always played keyboards by-ear (and boy howdy, yer ears really get t'hurtin' after awhile!), so I never took lessons. I can figure out the printed notes, though.
Loved the missing kibbles story!
Irene (Unknown), Same here about the tinsel; wrapped in (or around) newspaper. And you're right, old tinsel was made of lead (literally!) and was heavy. But it hung realistically on the tree; unlike today's plastic/mylar stuff... TRE.
Nanook, what was "Halolight"? Does that white area around the picture tube glow? Why?
I was thinking that the TV might be an early color set, just by the shade of greenish-gray on the screen. Just a guess.
Sue, I'm glad you had your cousins to act as siblings while growing up. And that you're still close.
I think I liked the Eeyore plush ornament on Melissa's tree best. Don't ask me why, I just do.
We are definitely in a "tinsel drought" when you compare Christmas past with today's decor sensibilities.
@ JB-
Halolight was, as you surmised, a backlit ‘surrounding’ the 21” picture tube. I believe it was neon, and caused a slight interference in the picture. I think Sylvania offered them from 1952 thru 1960. It was supposed to be “kinder to your eyes”. “Movie-Clear Television with Studio-Clear Sound”. I’m so sure-!
@ JB-
I forgot- not a chance that was a color TV set. That screen is clearly bigger than the 12” tube RCA offered in the only color set available back then.
"And remember....ONLY Sylvania has Halo Light!"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TA_JX5knDTY
I got out of the habit of using tinsel because cats find it so delicious. Thank you all for the kind comments about my tree. JB, I am particularly fond of that Eeyore plush myself. I think it’s the contrast of the jolly Santa hat and the not-quite-jolliness of the wearer.
“Halo Light” sounds like a TV that only plays movies about angels. “Well, I guess it’s another ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ marathon tonight.”
Nanook, Halolight sound like it fits in the same category as the much-hyped 'chlorophyll' which was ever-present back then. Geez, it interfered with the picture? Sparkles? Magnetic distortion? It probably caused hum and static in the sound as well. Sounds like they skipped straight to "They Ruin Everything", bypassing the usual period of excellence.
Not sure what year that last pic is. Sometime in the fifties. A neighbor of mine in the late '50s had a color TV that had maybe a 19" screen. It was the only one on the street at that time. We got our first color set in, I think, 1964. Pretty sure it was the same year that the Batman series first aired.
Tokyo, Thanks for the YouTube link. "Halo Light makes the picture look larger and more life-like". I guess we'll just to take his word on that. I don't know about it looking more life-like, but it seems like it would make the image look smaller, not larger.
Melissa, haha. I remember pulling a foot-long strand of the plastic tinsel out of our cat's gullet once, back in the day.
A "It's a Wonderful Life" marathon would get old real quick. How many angels have to get their wings, anyway?
Merry Christmas, everyone!
Those pictures of the piles of gifts makes me think of a local TV station (WCBS in NY) that sent their human interest story guy around some neighborhoods with a bullhorn and shouted "Show Us Your Toys" and interviewed the kids who came out with their new treasures. It was a great Christmas Day local news filler item.
That 1953 mantel photo looks almost exactly like one of the Yule Log channels running on Dish Network this month.
JB thanks for the tinsel info! TRE indeed...
Batman, Star Trek, The Monkees, Dark Shadows, and The Green Hornet all premiered in ‘66. What a time to be a kid with a color TV!
Merry Christmas, everybody!
Scenes from my youth like so many of you. The heavy lead based tinsel...who knew. I thought it looked terrific. Saved it for the following year. You know our parents and grandparents saved everything after living through the Depression and WWII.
And manually attaching and stringing the NOMA C9 lights on the tree...and we somehow survived!
A belated Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night... KS
Lou and Sue...I knew we were kindred spirits...I'm an only child too.
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