01-19-09
CHRISTMAS VISITS
Pre 1920
Large-scale blowups will not be available for all of these, but are included
wherever they were to be had.
A "Stereopticon" slide-card from 1889. 3-D!
Another Stereopticon card from the 1890s, showing it's age.
1897 - "Early Christmas" - Stereopticon.
Christmas 1900 - Home of Wilbur and Orville Wright.
"Brown paper packages,
tied up with strings ..."
A boy with his wind-up Ives train ca. 1900.
1902 - a hand drawn picture of a putz. This sems to have been
drawn from a real-life model. German style houses and animals pre- WW I.
Broadway 1902: It seems the Volunteers of America had the drop on the Salvation
Army with the sidewalk-Santa thing.
1906: - "Santa's Workshop,"
- from still another Stereopticon card.
When it comes to
Christmas photos of this early period, we seem to turn up mostly these old
parlor-entertainment stereos more than anything else, and while charming and interesting -
they are nonetheless staged. This industry must have created lots of
welcome little side-jobs for hungry actors in it's heyday. Still, we can get an
authentic idea of dress and toys and the general appearance of those long-gone times.
Many many fascinating things in view, here.
Christmas 1909: Buffalo, New York. Real candles on that tree!
New York - Madison Square - 1913. Famous photo by G.G.Bain - hand-tinted.
Christmas at a children's lodging house - New York - 1914.
December, 1918: "Free Cristmas Dinner for Horses" Washington, D.C.
1919 -
Wow! A new crystal set! There were no commercial broadcasting stations
in 1919. KDKA in Pittsburgh was the first in 1921 and even then was not on a regular
schedule. They would put ads in the paper to tell you when to listen. About all you
could get in these days was naval morse code wireless and ham radio geeks, but it was
such a wonder! And expensive! That very simple set with half a dozen parts in it cost
as much
- adjusted for inflation -
as a wide-screen HD-TV today.
A handsome present!
The Dickey family - 1913.
1913: You don't suppose the Dickeys missed the "Big Parade?"
That's a Stanley "Steamer" following the big attraction.
The Dickeys in 1915.
A Christmas on the World War I home front - 1917
The Brooklyn trolley end-of-line turnaround. 1906. Vintage train collectors feast your eyes.
Are those trollies not excellent copies of those rare, very early Lionel early standard
gauge models we so covet? And doesn't this whole thing just seem like a model layout?
And look at that track! - third rail right in the middle - just like the Lionel track.
That Lionel third-rail has always been in contention. I remember asking my dad about it
as a kid. He said that some big trains used to have it. But I never saw any - until now.
Macy's New York - 1915. The toy window. Hey, guys - this is the girls'
window!
For information about this site, please contact us at:
http://cardboardchristmas.com/papateds/contact.htm
Copyright 2000-2012 Theodore H. Althof,Jr.Except where noted, the contents of this website and all it's pages and submissions therein contained are the intellectual property of Theodore H.Althof,Jr. All rights are reserved. (Background musical selections are,of course, excepted.)
|
|
Note: This archive was set up at Ted's request in early 2012, and, except for critical updates and announcements, will remain as Ted left it in October, 2012.
The archive is kept online with the help of volunteers from the following affiliated sites and resources: |
- Christmas Memories and Collectibles - |
|
|
|
|
|
|
- Family Activities and Crafts - |
|
|
|
|
|
|
- Trains and Hobbies - |
|
|
| |
|
|
- Music - |
|
|
|
|
|
|