Christmas Saturday Serendipity (December 25, 2021)

 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to  all!

For this Christmas Saturday Serendipity I suggest a little trip down memory lane for those of us who are old enough to recall the winter Christmas scenes made famous this time of year by Currier and Ives.  And perhaps to introduce younger readers who may not know about the once famous lithographers and the printmaking firm they ran from 1835 to 1907.  A few examples of their prints are included along with some suggested reads from The Weekly Genealogist of NEHGS with a Christmas theme.  Enjoy!

1.    Nathaniel Currier was a New Englander who was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts in 1813.  He died in 1888, but the firm went on until until 1907.  The name Currier and Ives was adopted in 1857 after James Merritt Ives joined the firm. To learn more about Currier and Ives go here.  

2.    The Weekly Genealogist of NEHGS found several articles this week with a Christmas theme.  For those who do not subscribe to that newsletter, here are a few of their finds. 

From Smithsonian Magazine read "What 'It's A Wonderful Life' Teaches Us about American History." 

Read about Christmas celebration in 1860 in an article at Historic Deerfield titled, "A Thoroughly Modern Christmas in Northfield."

If you have ever been curious about how Shakers celebrate Christmas, read from The Portland Press Herald, "Shaker holiday baking traditions endure in the hands of Brother Arnold" who bakes at Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village in New Gloucester, Maine, a Shaker location since 1783.

And Blue Earth County Historical Society has a short piece on, what else .  .  . "Christmas Advertising" from a historical perspective. 

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Happy New Year to all!

John D. Tew

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