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Christmas tree at a New York lodging house in 1914. View full size. 5x7 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. What did Santa bring? Chairs!
December 29, 1923. "Horse Christmas Party" at the Washington, D.C., Animal Rescue League. View full size. National Photo Company Collection.
Pour this on your pancakes, it's that sweet: "Christmas Story" from 1923 or 1924. National Photo Company Collection. All together now: Awww.
December 1900. Christmas tree in the home of Wilbur and Orville Wright at 7 Hawthorn Street in Dayton, Ohio, three years before their famous flight. 4x5 dry-plate glass negative by the Wright Brothers. View full size. There's a lot of detail here for fans of old-school Christmas decoration. Zoom the gifts. Update: Niece Bertha is shown here playing with the dish set in a different room or house.
Christmas shoppers in New York City. Photo from the Bain News Service collection, between 1910 and 1915. View full size.
Join the Red Cross and on Christmas Eve a candle in every window, a service flag for every home. A 1917 membership poster for the Red Cross. The artwork is by L.N. Britton. View full size.
A Christmas window display in 1941 or 1942, photographer unknown. 35mm Kodachrome transparency, Farm Security Administration. View full size.
December 1936: "Christmas dinner in home of Earl Pauley near Smithfield, Iowa. Dinner consisted of potatoes, cabbage and pie." Nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security AdministrationView full size.
December 1954. "A novel idea for the audiophile who likes his music wherever he is. A household teacart can be used as a mobile carrier for any combination of audio gear." View full size. Ektachrome by Ken Schmid Studio. Components: Regency HF-150 high fidelity amplifier, Webcor "Diskchanger," Jensen "Duette" reproducer. More from the original press release from Regency Inc.: "Most homemakers are used to wheeling their cleaning equipment with them from room to room -- why not do the same for the entertainment unit that helps to
The D. Earl Comb Christmas parade. Back in the early 30's Mr. Comb ran this parade throughout the Midwest and the southeastern United States.
He bought the parade from Albert H. Thacher for $1,800 - including all animals, costumes and props.
The pictures are from various locations. I've only been able to pinpoint two - one at a very specific corner in Atlanta and the other in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. My favorites are of the parade clowns. I've got a Flickr group that contains all the pictures, stationery and contract for this. I've still got some documents I haven't scanned in yet (like the instructions to running a parade), but hopefully will sometime soon.
Merry-go-round display at Madison Square Garden toy show, 1908. View full size. George Grantham Bain Collection.
Toy show at Madison Square Garden, 1908. View full size. George Grantham Bain Collection. In the foreground: Junior Aero Club display. Several shadowy blurs can be seen in this time exposure moving about what at first glance appears to be a deserted exhibit space. The car merry-go-round is slowly revolving.
Boys at toy store window with Hop Ching (Chinese checkers) display, Christmas 1941 or 1942. 35mm Kodachrome transparency. Location unknown. View full size. Farm Security Administration / Office of War Information Collection.
"Junior Aero Club" exhibit at Madison Square Garden toy show, 1908. Airplanes, zeppelins, kites etc. George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size.