I got to thinking that there's been a lot of interest of late in vintage Christmases. The last few years have been so troubling, so depressing, that there is something soothing in looking at images of Christmas's long gone. Today on Toys & Stuff I'd like to share a glimpse of my Christmas past and you can see as well the seeds of my present day interest in toys. Enjoy!
1954
A trip to The Boston Store to see Santa Claus. The Boston Store was one of my mother's favorite stores. We shopped there for as long as I could remember and many years would have me telling Santa what I wanted for Christmas. Does anyone remember the Secret Santa Store (or something like that)? It was a place within The Boston Store set up to look like Santa's Village on the outside, and inside was a small store within a store. A secure place where kids could shop without their parents thereby allowing them to buy presents for Mom and Dad or anyone else they wanted. I seem to remember that the presents were placed in small cardboard boxes with handles on them allowing the child to just place the box under the tree without the need to wrap the presents.
1961
There's my newborn niece, laying down on a 1961 Sears 'Civil War Centennial' playset by Marx. The back of the photo says this picture was taken at 3AM! Wow, what a Christmas that must have been. The Marx Civil War Mansion featured this past 21 November is the type which came in this set.
1962
What we called the "Front Room" (to distinguish it from the Living Room). I hear people today complaining about how dry the real Christmas trees are. I've got news for you. Even back then I can remember my dad complaining about how fast the real trees dried out! I would finally purchase a fake tree in the mid-1970s - which I still have!! For many years, the smell of Christmas to me was that smell of the plastic tree.
The Nativity scene has a cardboard manger with plastic figures, a light and small music box that played "Silent Night".
That little boy in the lower right corner is me, and can you see what I'm holding? A Marx "Flintstones" playset! Neat!!
1963
Ahhhhh yes, Christmas just isn't complete without a fake fireplace for Santa to come down in! LOL
This is the Living Room with the Front Room just beyond.
My mother wanted so much to be a modern woman. Mid-century modern details could be found all over the house, but it was so difficult for her to successfully pull it off in a house built near the turn of the century.
1966
Looks like Santa has already made his appearance.
You may notice that the Nativity figures are larger than those shown in the 1962 photo. My mother had replaced the plastic figures with a set of larger ceramic figures she made.
I hope you enjoyed this little trip down memory lane!
