Yeah, but they definitely have some of our ornaments.

How exciting to see a comment from Zippy the Pinhead's creator on Shorpy!

I hope at least a few people (besides me) got the reference made in the title of this post to Robert Earl Keen's very funny song.

There certainly is an obvious difference between the grim Dickey clan and tterrace's family.

Just bought a print of a William Henry Jackson photo from the Detroit Publishing Company, circa 1900. WHJ was my great-grandfather. I have very few of his actual photos---nice to be able to see and obtain more here!----Bill Griffith (William Henry Jackson Griffith)

but like most commenters, I'm wondering about the unhappy faces.

Two theories: Either they just found out that the Redskins once again missed the NFL Playoffs or someone recently informed them that the Great Depression was only seven years away.

Back in the day before fire safety took the fun out of everything, my elementary school had a similar Christmas tree in the front hallway.

Not only was it glorious, it smelled wonderful.

The last year we had one was 1965, the next year the principal set up one of those aluminum monstrosities.

Wonder what became of the ornaments.

The juxtaposition of the message "Merry Christmas" with the subjects' grim facial expressions is extremely incongruous, and gave me an unexpected laugh.

Happy Holidays, everyone! Truly.

Oh Min! was a song released in 1918, sung by Edward Meeker, based on a catchphrase from the comic strip "The Gumps." Apparently in 1924 there was a motion picture by the same name.

That poor Mother looks like she is just completely worn out. The hairstyle reminds me of Elsa Lanchester in "Bride of Frankenstein". The "thousand yard stare" in her eyes makes me sorry for her that Valium had not been invented at that time. Sure hope they all had a better Christmas than their picture projects.

The faces of the younger woman and the boys almost look like cardboard. It's probably from the flash. What a great picture.

Looks like everybody's getting socks and underwear this year.

Here's a photo from about Christmas 1922 taken by my grandfather Wilford Fletcher. On the right is my mom, Margaret, and on the left is her older sister Dorothy.

I would like to wish for each and all the Shorpyites: "Best of the Season!"

To Dave especially - what a monumental amount of work this is - I don't think folks can really appreciate that until they've tried to do a bit of itinerant webmastering... I can just see the typical Louis Wickes Hines photo of Dave, standing in front of his computers:

"David, looks 65, says he is much younger, been a webmaster for several years now, makes very little for his efforts. Works 15 hours a day, gets no exercise and little sunlight or fresh air. Hands are always sore from typing and processing digital photos. Eyesight suffering. Perhaps no hope for David to have a 'normal' life."

Thanks to tterrace for his contributed (and ongoing) "stream of richness" and for drawing back the curtains over a window into the fascinating 3-D web of lives of his family and friends.

Thanks to all the Shorpy contributors, from the 'Anonymous' one-line drive-by snarkings, to the Rest of the Bunch.

May each of us find some quiet and contentment in the midst of busy lives and times!

So: Murray Ecksmiss and Hoppy NuYeer, etc etc!

Cheers
Zephyr

Back in the 1920s and '30s, "The Gumps" was a popular comic strip, with Andy Gump and his wife, Min. "Oh, Min!" was a catchphrase back then, so I suppose the album or whatever it is was associated with the strip.

Barbara: "If you were this Chwistmas twee, what would you say?"

Me-Tree: "Could someone put a little Tylenol in my water - I have the worst crick in my upper trunk."

"Some of which turned out better than others." Boy, I'll say! It's amazing how many times I find myself hitting"Send To Trash" while editing my own photos. Big plates weren't cheap I don't imagine, so these fellas had to let things slide. Merry Christmas to ALL!!! (but when More (allegedly) wrote "A Visit From St. Nicholas," Santa says "Happy Christmas to all" -- the editors changed it. So, Happy Christmas to ALL of you fine folks too.

The tree looks like one of those shown in a past picture..

A 12 foot tree in a 10 foot room.

What is it?

[Looks like a game or a phonograph album. "Oh Min!" pops up periodically on eBay. - Dave]

It must be true what they say about those black-hearted lawyers!

"Don't be sad, kiddies; tomorrow we can go back to our usual Dickey lawyering!"

Aside from that, it is nice to see all those wonderful ornaments I remember from my childhood.

Eggnog and Jack, STAT.

Man this is a somber looking bunch, the only one with any real expression is the kid in the Sailor Suit.

Love the tree! Real glass ornaments with elaborate decorations, not the cheap plastic or plain glass junk you find now.