I've selected Christmas photos that show vintage toys and games from the late 1940's and early 1950's.
1949, Salinas, California. Yep. Long time ago.
 |
| How did we survive the obvious dangers of toys like this one? Oh the horror! |
In 1951 we moved to the east coast. Snow! These were taken Christmas Day in Newport, RI.
This trio of pictures are minuscule and difficult to align on the scanner. There was a particular camera that took tiny pictures and the best were selected to be enlarged. Weird.
In 1952 we were still living in Newport. On Christmas morning I was recovering from chicken pox and had to unwrap my presents in bed. My mom used a wringer washer just like the toy in the picture. Only bigger. I still have the Sweet Sue doll.
Taking official Christmas pictures to send to relatives had to be delayed. I don't know how much later this was but my spots were gone, the tree was still up and all the presents had been magically transported downstairs.
On the left: my mom and me.
Daddy and me.
The hemp rug was eventually stored in the garage, got wet and sprouted.
My grandmother Mimi made this outfit from orange quilted material.
It was memorably uncomfortable.
My dad tried to take "professional" photos. I hated the bright spotlights and didn't cooperate.
******************
These pictures raise a very important question:
What in the world happened to my bangs?
You and I must be about the same age, because our Christmas pictures look very similar. I laughed out loud about your "memorably uncomfortable" dress, because there's a brown organdy Easter dress than stands out in my mind as the world's most hideous thing a child was ever forced to wear. And, like you, I had a Mimi. Parallel universes?
ReplyDeleteI was born in the late '40's and this HAS to be a case of growing up in parallel universes. I've never personally known anyone else named Mimi. What an unusual coincidence!
ReplyDeleteI clearly remember the torture of wearing party dresses made of stiff and scratchy material that caused chafing and itchy squirming. For special occasions we also had to wear little white cotton gloves that showed every speck of dirt and uncomfortable black patent leather shoes with ankle socks. It's no wonder that a couple of my childhood pictures show me dressed up and looking miserable.