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Tuesday, December 21, 2010

A Victorian Christmas

For Real!!!!
This is a family photo.
My Mother grew up in a big old victorian house in Highland Park, Illinois,
just outside Chicago.

The home she grew up in, had been in the family for generations.
This photo was of the Christmas tree in the living room of that home a long, long time ago.
I don't know what year this was. 
It was before my Mother's time.
She was born in 1939 and her Mother grew up in this house.
You'll notice no lights on the tree so it's before electricity.
I spent one Christmas in this room about 1965 or 66.
That wallpaper was not there or that sofa but I know those little tables were still in the house.
And that little bit of a windsor rocker that you see in the bottom right sits in
my Mother's living room today.
I am sure there are ornaments on this tree that were on our tree as children.
Ornaments my Mom has now.
See the neck ties hung on the tree and the slippers underneath and opened boxes?
This must have been taken Christmas morning.
You can't see it in this photo but I'm sure its there...
the victorian tree stand that we used every year for our tree.
Something similar to this.
No place for water for a real tree.
But we always did a faux one.
Still it was so hard to get the tree straight in it.
One person to hold the tree and one person to screw the screws into the tree.
Mom and Dad handled that,
While I said...."No this way....no it's still leaning...no a little more that way".

That stand made it so difficult...but we all loved the stand and it just was not Christmas
unless it held the tree.
We never put a tree skirt over it.
We loved it so much we set it on top of the skirt to show it off.

21 comments:

Robin@DecoratingTennisGirl said...

Nita,
What a great picture! It is a wonderful treasure of your Mother's home.

A Whole Lotta Magic said...

How wonderful for you to have so much history literally at your fingertips.

S
xo

the gardener's cottage said...

geez what a great pic. it looks a lot like the house i just posted on. i love the spoon on the wall holding the pic up. what a treasure your tree stand is too.

~janet

Pam Kessler said...

What a neat old picture. I love the wallpaper on the ceiling. My Mom's house had that. The fringe on the sofa is pretty also. Oh, and the picture on the wall way up high. Very charming!

Carol@6WilsonBlog.com said...

I adore that tree stand, Nita. The best thing about Christmas, other than the reason for the season, is the memories it makes and makes us recall. Great post.

the cape on the corner said...

what a neat stand-i like that you set it over top of the skirt.

Olive said...

Nita, look at that curvy sofa in the photo. The image is wonderfully Victorian! ♥O

Sonya@Beyond the Screen Door said...

I love that you have that kind of history of your family! What a picture! Is that a spoon on the wall above the picture?
That tree stand is gorgeous!

Merci-Notes said...

What a wonderful family photo! I too see that spoon on the wall! hehe. I think this is form the Victorian Era ~ thus the spoon and many other things on the wall and in the room,,, but you already know this :)

Thank You for sharing this special photo with us! It is a treasure!
Merry Christmas to you!

With Kindness,
Mary {from Chicgao area!}

Adam Hazlett said...

WOW! They had pattern on everything back then....even the ceiling!!!
I love the look of that tree, it looks just like the one in the old classic movie "The Preacher's Wife" with Cary Grant....It'd be nice to have a tree like that today. They don't seem to look like that anymore.
Beautiful stand too, I guess they didn't need water in real trees back then because they wouldn't leave them up too long.

My mom once told that they wouldn't have a tree in the house till Santa brought it in and decorated it Christmas Eve night...they came down Christmas morning to a tree and presents, what magic. Quit a chore for her parents to do all that in one night.
I guess times were tough and trees were free by Christmas Eve night.
Adam

JoAnn S. said...

Nita, what a great photo to have, its like looking back into another life!!! Fabulous. I would frame it and put it out at Christmas on an easel. hugs JoAnn

Sheila A. said...

You have no idea how thrilled I am to see this picture. You're so lucky to have it. I am deeply into geneology right now...I think I have one foot in this century and one foot in another age. I am making a special book...just for me...would you consider letting me make a copy just for my personal book? Merry Christmas to you and your family. Oh, love the tree stand!!! Thank you for sharing..I just found your blog!

Paulette Kinney/Paper Nosh said...

wow nita...this is amazing ! Family legacy is so rare these days. Thanks so much for sharing this treat !! xxx, paulette

Unknown said...

That family photo is so priceless. I love it.
Thanks for sharing, and Merry Christmas!

Cindi Myers said...

WOW! Don't you wish that it could have been in color!
I would LOVE to see all the different patterns and designs in full technicolor...
that one top photo kinda looks a little "spooky" to me in black and white...is that a portrait of an ancestor? I have a HUGE oval one of my Dad when he was 5 yrs old that is scary looking to some people (but not to me because it's just my Dad) :) - Cindi

Sharon Rexroad's Bringing Creativity 2 Life said...

Nita -- what a surprise to come home from working in Highland Park and read your post! It really is such a small world, isn't it?

Kathy said...

in't that old photo amazing / Wow I would love to be back in time and see the whole home -it must have been fabulous in its day

Nita Stacy said...

Sheila A -
I tried to email you and tried to find you on the internet but no luck. So I'm commenting here in hopes you'll read. Yes...you may use the photo for your project. So happy you found my blog!

Catlyn Berry (Cizz) said...

Hi Nita! What a wonderful photo, did you notice the gorgeous handbag sitting on the floor beside the sofa! and the tassel trim on that sofa is wonderful!

Hugs'
Catlyn

Melanie {The Tiny Tudor} said...

How lucky you are to have this picture. There is so much to look at- and that wallpaper- even on the ceiling, so much pattern and detail to love.

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

How amazing! It looks like something from an old movie! I love it...and I love your blog! I'm going to put your blog on my favorites list! Merry Christmas! ♥