A Vintage Photo Christmas Vignette

 

 

I knew that I wanted to use my bulb tray as the centerpiece for this Christmas vignette in the great room. My thought was to us an old photograph of two children from the early 1900’s as my starting point. I imagined that these two young siblings came from a well-to-do family living in a brownstone house on a cobblestone street in the city.

 

 

Just look at the sweet, innocent faces on these two children. I’m taking the young boy to be about five years old and his sister as being around two. Sailor collars were quite popular back in this era- you can see that both of their outfits feature that style.

 

Toys in that era were not fancy. A toy soldier, a ball, and some blocks were all that many children needed to fuel their imaginations.  Here, a wooden solder waves his arm at you. I’m imagining that these leather shoes were worn by the young girl before she got her high tops.  Hand-me-downs were not common in this family, so I believe the children’s mother is allowing this pair to go home with the children’s nurse, so that someone in her family can wear them.  The toy soldier is just one of many in the young boy’s army.

 

 

In addition to their stacking capabilities, these wooden blocks probably helped the children learn the alphabet.

 

 

A set of dominoes could help the children with number recognition, too.  Do you think their parents thought of them as learning aids, in addition to being toys?  I’m guessing that the looking glasses were borrowed from father so that the children could spy out the playroom window onto the street below.

 

 

Every child in a well-to-do home must have had a train set to play with.  I would guess that these children had many happy times as they moved these Christmas bears along the tracks.

 

And they most certainly hung their Christmas stockings on the mantel in the parlor on Christmas Eve, in anticipation of Santa Claus filling them with goodies.  What child could possibly have been “naughty” at that age?  I’m sure their stockings were filled to the brim with toys and sweets on Christmas morning! 

 

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                       And what about you? Were you good this year?  I hope you have been and that Santa brings you what you’ve asked for!  

     

        Sending Merry Christmas Wishes to everyone! Enjoy the day with your families.

                                                                                                                                                                                            

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