Christmas in the United States during the post-war years (1946–1964) reflected a period of peace, productivity, and prosperity. Americans staged sumptuous Christmases and enjoyed a variety of holiday foods unknown to previous generations. Several films, foods, toys, and television programs of the era have become American Christmas traditions.
Once reliant upon Germany for its ornaments, toys, and even its Christmas customs, America became self-sufficient in the post-War years with Christmas ornaments and toys being manufactured in the United States that were considerably less expensive than their German counterparts.
American Christmas customs and traditions such as visits to department store Santas and letter writing to Santa at the North Pole remained intact during America’s post-War years, but the era generated contributions that have endured to become traditions.
These vintage photos show how Americans celebrated Christmas in the 1950s and 1960s.
Christmas rush at Macy’s in NYC, 1947Christmas shopping in New York City, 1945Father Christmas delivering presents to the Children’s Aid and Adoption Society at Leytonstone, London. 20th November 1931.A children’s Christmas party at the Hoxton Mission, London. 18th November 1933.One-year-old Paramount child star Baby LeRoy plays with his new toys under the Christmas tree, 1933.Christmas shopping in NYC, 1930sChristmas window shopping in New York City, 1950sA family at Christmas tea time with chocolate cake, a candelabra and holly on the table, 1935.Father Christmas hands out presents to children at the Aid And Adoption Society home at Leytonstone. 7th December 1938.A seasonably attired young shopper climbs on to the sandbags to get a closer look at the toys in a shop window in the West End of London. December 1939.Two policemen regard London’s 64ft Christmas tree, a gift from Norway, illuminated in Trafalgar Square, in front of the National Gallery. 1st December 1948.Crowd of holiday shoppers outside of Macy’s, NYC, 1939Last minute Christmas Eve shoppers gather in front of Macy’s window display in New York, Dec. 24, 1946Manhattan Christmas window shopping, New York, 1947Two children waiting for Santa Claus, 1950s.A young girl hangs a Christmas garland on the door of her cottage home at Northleach, Gloucestershire, in accordance with an old local custom. 24th December 1954.When decorating a Christmas tree use a firm stepladder and don’t be like this woman who is standing on a chair and leaning over too far, 1955.Happy Christmas shoppers happily gaze at the window displays of the shops of Washington DC, 1955After the Christmas shopping rush, 1948A close-up of a woman making Christmas tree decorations in Crisfield, Maryland, 1955.A young patient in the pediatric ward of the Lenox Hill Hospital, America receives an unexpected Christmas present from student nurse Linda Gross, 1955.Three young carol singers give their rendering of a Christmas song in the falling snow, 1955.Macy’s Christmas shopping in snow, NYC, 1950s
Niagara Falls is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Falls, also known as Canadian Falls, which straddles the international border of the two countries. The smaller American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls lie within the United States. Bridal Veil Falls is separated from Horseshoe Falls by Goat Island and from American Falls by Luna Island, with both islands situated in New York.
Formed by the Niagara River, which drains Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, the combined falls have the highest flow rate of any waterfall in North America that has a vertical drop of more than 50 m (160 ft). During peak daytime tourist hours, more than 168,000 m3 (six million cubic feet) of water goes over the crest of the falls every minute. Horseshoe Falls is the most powerful waterfall in North America, as measured by flow rate.[3] Niagara Falls is famed for its beauty and is a valuable source of hydroelectric power. Balancing recreational, commercial, and industrial uses has been a challenge for the stewards of the falls since the 19th century.
Niagara Falls is located 27 km (17 mi) north-northwest of Buffalo, New York, and 121 km (75 mi) south-southeast of Toronto, between the twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Niagara Falls, New York. Niagara Falls was formed when glaciers receded at the end of the Wisconsin glaciation (the last ice age), and water from the newly formed Great Lakes carved a path over and through the Niagara Escarpment en route to the Atlantic Ocean. (Wikipedia)
These stunning photos show Niagara Falls frozen over during winter in the past.
A fairy-land of ice and snow, Niagara Fall, 1903American Falls from below prospect point, Niagara, 1850Cave of the Winds in Winter, Niagara Falls, ca. 1900sFrozen Niagara Falls, 1885Ice Bridge, Niagara Falls, 1912Ice conditions at Niagara Falls during the winter of 1888Niagara Falls completely frozen over in 1911Niagara Falls during the winter, ca. 1850sNiagara Falls frozen in 1911Niagara Falls frozen over, 1933Niagara Falls, 1900Niagara Falls, 1890Visitors at frozen Niagara Falls, 1883Visitors at Niagara Falls, 1911Visitors explore the Cave of the Winds, Niagara Falls, 1916A cave behind Horseshoe Falls, Niagara Falls, 1917
‘River of No Return’ is a 1954 American Western film directed by Otto Preminger and starring Robert Mitchum and Marilyn Monroe. The screenplay by Frank Fenton is based on a story by Louis Lantz, who borrowed his premise from the 1948 Italian film The Bicycle Thief. It was made in Technicolor and CinemaScope and released by 20th Century Fox.
Here is a photo collection of Marilyn Monroe filming ‘River of No Return’ in 1954.
Boston, officially the City of Boston, is the capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States and 24th-most populous city in the country. The city proper covers 48.4 square miles (125 km2) with a population of 675,647 in 2020, also making it the most populous city in New England. It is the seat of Suffolk County (although the county government was disbanded on July 1, 1999). The city is the economic and cultural anchor of a substantially larger metropolitan area known as Greater Boston, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) home to a census-estimated 4.8 million people in 2016 and ranking as the tenth-largest MSA in the country. A broader combined statistical area (CSA), generally corresponding to the commuting area and including Providence, Rhode Island, is home to some 8.2 million people, making it the sixth most populous in the United States.
Boston is one of the oldest municipalities in the United States, founded on the Shawmut Peninsula in 1630 by Puritan settlers from the English town of the same name. It was the scene of several key events of the American Revolution, such as the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, the Battle of Bunker Hill and the siege of Boston. Upon American independence from Great Britain, the city continued to be an important port and manufacturing hub as well as a center for education and culture. The city has expanded beyond the original peninsula through land reclamation and municipal annexation. Its rich history attracts many tourists, with Faneuil Hall alone drawing more than 20 million visitors per year. Boston’s many firsts include the United States’ first public park (Boston Common, 1634), first public or state school (Boston Latin School, 1635) and first subway system (Tremont Street subway, 1897).
Today, Boston is a thriving center of scientific research. The Boston area’s many colleges and universities make it a world leader in higher education, including law, medicine, engineering and business, and the city is considered to be a global pioneer in innovation and entrepreneurship, with nearly 5,000 startups. Boston’s economic base also includes finance, professional and business services, biotechnology, information technology and government activities. Households in the city claim the highest average rate of philanthropy in the United States; businesses and institutions rank among the top in the country for environmental sustainability and investment. The city has one of the highest costs of living in the United States as it has undergone gentrification, though it remains high on world livability rankings. (Wikipedia)
Belfast (meaning ‘mouth of the sand-bank ford’) is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom and the second-largest in Ireland. It had a population of 343,542 as of 2019. Belfast suffered greatly during the violence that accompanied the partition of Ireland, and especially during the more recent conflict known as the Troubles.
By the early 19th century, Belfast was a major port. It played an important role in the Industrial Revolution in Ireland, becoming briefly the biggest linen-producer in the world, earning it the nickname “Linenopolis”. By the time it was granted city status in 1888, it was a major centre of Irish linen production, tobacco-processing and rope-making. Shipbuilding was also a key industry; the Harland and Wolff shipyard, which built the RMS Titanic, was the world’s largest shipyard. Belfast as of 2019 has a major aerospace and missiles industry. Industrialisation, and the inward migration it brought, made Belfast Northern Ireland’s biggest city. Following the partition of Ireland in 1921, Belfast became the seat of government for Northern Ireland. Belfast’s status as a global industrial centre ended in the decades after the Second World War.
Belfast is still a port with commercial and industrial docks, including the Harland and Wolff shipyard, dominating the Belfast Lough shoreline. It is served by two airports: George Best Belfast City Airport, 3 miles (5 kilometres) from the city centre, and Belfast International Airport 15 miles (24 kilometres) west of the city. The Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC) listed Belfast as a Gamma + global city in 2020. (Wikipedia)
(Photos by Bert Hardy/Picture Post/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
From lighting a real candle on the branch of an indoor Christmas tree, to a well-dressed family singing carols on a stairwell in the home, this lovely collection of nostalgic photos reveal how children from a bygone era celebrated the festive season.
A little girl and her Saint Bernard deliver Christmas, ca. 1910s
Jackie Gleason for Manhattan ShirtsDonna Reed for Singer Machines, Inc.Ann Sothern for Lucky Strike CigarettesDick Van Dyke for KodakClayton Moore (The Lone Ranger) and Jay Silverheels (Tonto) for Christmas SealsLucille Ball and Desi Arnaz for Philip Morris Cigarettes(L to R) Arthur Godfrey, Bing Crosby, Perry Como, and Bob Hope for Chesterfield CigarettesStarting at 12 noon going clockwise: Nat King Cole, Stan Kenton, The Four Freshmen, Les Paul & Mary Ford, Ray Anthony, Margaret Whiting, Glen Gray, Dean Martin, and Judy Garland for Telechron Timersfor Lucky Strike Cigarettes(L to R) Curly Joe DeRita, Moe Howard, and Larry Fine for U.S. Savings BondsSammy Davis Jr. for Alka SeltzerRonald Reagan for Chesterfield Cigarettes1940s Bing Crosby Vintage Illustration Christmas Tree AdvertisementRonald Reagan with wife Nancy, 1955Barbara StanwyckLoretta Young 1952Anne BaxterBob HopeJoan Crawford, Royal Crown Cola, 1944Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz for Philip Morris CigarettesSanta ClausAnn-Margret, 1960sRoy RogersJoan Crawford in a 1937 Christmas ad for Lucky Strike Cigarettes
