Images of Christmases-Past

The Historical Society of Western Virginia’s digital collection has a wealth of insight into the holiday season of the past, from department store window displays to special cards.

Here are some examples:

• A window display at the N.W. Pugh Co. department store; date unknown.
• A photograph of a Christmas Parade passing by the Park Theater on Jefferson Street in Roanoke, sometime in the 1940s.  According to “History of The City of Roanoke” by Raymond P. Barnes, the theater opened on Christmas morning in 1911 “much to the delight of 6,000 persons who attended the first day and to the consternation of the clergy. In at least one church a member was asked to resign because she played the piano on the opening day.”
• A 1942 Christmas greeting card advertising War Stamps created by the United States Treasury Department. The jingle on the inside of the card reads:
  Down with Hirohito,
  With Hitler and Benito…
  Let’s give their plans a “VETO”
  With Savings Bonds and Stamps!
  For Uncle Sam’s relying
  On us to “keep ’em flying”
  So buy and KEEP ON BUYING
  Till we’ve proved ourselves the CHAMPS!
• A Christmas card from the U.S.S. Roanoke ship in 1951