Product Details
Christmas Memories: Gifts, Activities, Fads, and Fancies, 1920s-1960s

Christmas Memories: Gifts, Activities, Fads, and Fancies, 1920s-1960s
By Susan Waggoner

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Product Description

Oh, those Christmas memories. We all have them, locked away in our hearts. But what about the Christmases we weren’t there for? The one our favorite heirloom ornament came from, or the one we know only from a picture of our newlywed parents smiling under the mistletoe?
In Christmas Memories, Susan Waggoner, author of STC’s It’s a Wonderful Christmas and Under the Tree, looks at bygone holidays from the perspective of those who lived them. Beginning with “Christmas in the Melting Pot,” which depicts yuletide in the early 1920s, the author presents detailed snapshots that re-create holiday seasons past. She chronicles the gifts, activities, fads, and fancies that made each Christmas unique; indulges in fantasy shopping at yesterday’s prices; shares thoughts from letters, diaries, and magazines of the era; and makes the past pop to life with vibrantperiod art. Readers will revel in the irresistible nostalgia of Christmas Memories.

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #5814 in Books
  • Published on: 2009-10-01
  • Original language: English
  • Number of items: 1
  • Binding: Hardcover
  • 128 pages

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Susan Waggoner has written numerous books of fiction and nonfiction. She is the author of STC’s
It’s a Wonderful Christmas, Under the Tree, Classic Household Hints, and, with Robert Markel, Cocktail Hour, Vintage Cocktails, and Make Mine Vodka. Waggoner lives in New York City. 

Customer Reviews

Ahh! The memories...5
I thought this was probably the best of Susan Waggoner's festive season books. It's a Wonderful Christmas: The Best of the Holidays 1940-1965 looked back to the 1940s to 1960s and Under the Tree: The Toys and Treats that Made Christmas Special, 1930-1970 focused on toys from 1930 to 1970. All three books follow the same format with the words backed up plenty of Christmas photos, illustrations and graphics.

I was rather disappointed with the feel of the two previous books because I thought they looked rather scrappy but I'm happy to say that this latest edition really captures the feel of the season from page one. It starts with the 1920s and runs up to the 1960s with a mixture of reminiscences from personalities and unknown folk, details of everyday life at Christmas time over the decades, quotes from books and period magazines but I think it's the illustrations that come across best. These are taken from period ads (lots of them) catalogs, Christmas cards, photos and more (perhaps the catalog pages could have been bigger to see the prices, though). Fortunately the design of the pages pulls all this material together to make the book a pleasure to browse through.

Well worth getting if you want to relive those nostalgic Yuletide memories or maybe, if you are young enough, you just want to find why your parents are always raving about Christmas in those simpler times.

***SEE SOME INSIDE PAGES by clicking 'customer images' under the cover.

Memories5
a real fun read it brings you back to your childhood if you;er over 50 and for those younger it will show you how to really enjoy the holiday

A wonderful slice of nostalgia!5
This book is an amazing source of all things retro and Christmas. I haven't taken the time to sit down and read it thoroughly, but flipping through and looking at the photos was incredible. Lovely examples of decorations and ads from each era, it is sure to inspire any one who loves Christmas and the Holiday season to get in the mood!