Christmas 1958

I was recently scanning a bunch of our family slides that I inherited from my Dad. I came across this photo of the Christmas tree at his parent's house on Christmas Eve 1958. I was barely 2 years old that Christmas. I don't recall them ever having a Putz Style Village like you can see under the tree. The two handsome babies in the photo to the right of the tree are my Older Brother and I. Jim sadly just passed away last month. I rememeber in later years playing with that orange road grader you can see at the bottom of the photo. I also rememeber that little drum and the teddy bear. I don't recall that fire engine though. All of these toys stayed there at my Grandparent's house so we would have them to play with when we came to visit later on.

The furthest back I can remember is around the time I was 5 years old which would have been December 1961. They didn't have the Village then so they must have gotten rid of it. One thing I do always remember being on their trees are the Spinner Ornaments you can see on this tree. I was fortunate enough to have been given those ornaments by my Grandmother around 1996. They can be found for sale quite often on ebay, but usually go for as much as $30.00 per ornament.



HERE'S A CLOSE UP OF THE SAME TREE THAT SHOWS THE SPINNER ORNAMENTS BETTER. I THINK WHY MY GRANDPARENTS MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN RID OF THE VILLAGE WAS AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER THEIR CHRISTMAS TREE WAS ALWAYS A SHORT ONE THAT THEY HAD ON A TABLE IN THEIR DINING ROOM. SO PERHAPS THERE WAS NO LONGER ROOM FOR THE VILLAGE. MY GRANDPARENTS AND BOTH OF MY PARENTS ARE GONE NOW SO I HAVE NO ONE TO ASK ABOUT WHERE THE VILLAGE WENT TO. MY OLDER BROTHER DIDN'T KNOW EITHER. I ALSO REMEMBER IN LATER YEARS THAT THEY ALWAYS HAD A STRING OF BUBBLE LIGHTS ON THEIR TREE EVERY YEAR. GREAT MEMORIES THAT I WISH MY DAD HAD TAKEN MORE PHOTOS OF. I HOPE THE PHOTO BRINGS BACK SOME FOND NOSTALGIC MEMORIES FOR YOU:




Here's a photo of how my Grandparent's table top Christmas tree would look in the corner of the dining room. Not sure what year they got the bubble lights, but they aren't on the tree in this photo. My Dad had it dated as 1960 which was the first year they moved their tree to this corner:

MY PUTZ STYLE ALPINE VILLAGE DISPLAY

I finally got my Alpine Village set up in a display. Here's some photos:

PUTZ STYLE CHRISTMAS VILLAGE

OUR FAMILY GOT ONE OF THESE PUTZ-STYLE CARDBOARD CHRISTMAS VILLAGES AROUND 1969. WE DISPLAYED IT UNDER OUR TREES THAT YEAR AND THE NEXT. FOR SOME REASON AFTER THAT IT WAS RELAGATED TO MY SISTER'S BEDROOM. WELL IN 1993 I MOVED BACK HOME FROM TENNESSEE. I ASKED MY MOTHER IF I COULD HAVE THAT VILLAGE SINCE IT JUST SAT IN A BOX FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS. SHE SAID YES. I'VE DISPLAYED IT, OR PARTS OF IT EVERY YEAR SINCE. HOWEVER LONG AGO THE ORIGINAL BOX IT CAME IN, AND THE ELECTRICAL LIGHT STRING DISAPPEARED. SO I'D ALWAYS KEPT IT IN AN OLD COWBOY BOOT BOX, AND USED A MINI-LIGHT STRING TO LIGHT THE BUILDINGS WITH.

THIS PAST SUMMER I HAPPENED ACROSS AN IDENTICAL SET STILL IN THE ORIGINAL BOX, AND ONE SMALL FORTUNE LATER IT IS NOW MINE. IT IS GOING TO HAVE A PLACE IN A NICE SMALL VILLAGE ON OUR HUTCH THIS YEAR. HERE ARE THE PHOTOS OF THE SET (INCLUDING THE FIRST PHOTO OF THE LAST YEAR IN 1972 THAT IT WAS EVER PUT ON DISPLAY IN OUR HOME):

















AS YOU CAN SEE BY THE PHOTOS THE SET FROM THIS YEAR IS IDENTICAL TO THE SET WE GOT IN 1969. MY DAD COULDN'T REMEMBER WHERE IT CAME FROM, BUT I'VE BEEN TOLD PROBABLY EITHER SEARS OR WOOLWORTH'S. I'M NOT SURE WHO PRODUCED THIS SET. ALL IT SAYS ON THE BOX IS "MADE IN JAPAN", AND NO. 1041.

THIS WILL BE OUR FIRST CHRISTMAS WITHOUT EITHER ONE OF OUR PARENTS BEING ALIVE. SO THIS VILLAGE WILL BE LIT IN THEIR MEMORIES! I LOVE YOU BOTH MOM AND DAD!!!