Holiday Windows With A Dose of Nostalgia
I saw some pictures on the Gothamist page yesterday that gave me those warm fuzzy
feelings you get every once in a while around this time of the year. Lord & Taylor debuted their holiday windows, just as they have for over 80 years, at the start of the Christmas shopping season. The pictures brought back fond memories of strolling up Fifth Avenue on the Friday after Thanksgiving, joining thousands of other New Yorkers in an annual tradition.
Congress @ loc.gov; /Artwork: designslinger]
Strolling down Fifth to 34th Street, Macy's puts on a display that rivals the Lord & Taylor
windows. Like all the major big city department stores, the windows were originally static with no moving parts, but they captured children's attention with the same whimsy and imagination that we still see today. The time and labor put into the design and execution of these fantasy worlds is apparent the moment you step up to the large glass openings.
Library of Congress @ loc.gov; (Inset) Marshall Field & Co. sign on the State Street flagship store, meghannmarco.com
Artwork: designslinger]
I grew up in Chicago, so the highlight of every Christmas season was taking a trip
downtown to the Marshall Field department store on State Street. Back then, the holiday windows weren't revealed until right before Thanksgiving, just in time for the hoards of shoppers who descended on the store in the annual day-after shopping spree. Ironically, Macy's now owns Marshall Field & Co., and I read the other day in the Huffington Post that the new owners have really skimped on the Chicago store's holiday windows this year. It's really a shame; the Christmas window displays have been a store tradition since it's founding by Marshall Field and partners, in 1852.
As our world continues to change and reminders of our past continue to disappear, I hope
that budget cuts don't wipe out the few remaining Christmas fantasies set up annually in the windows of these grand old stores. They are a wonderful sight to behold, that children of all ages should have the opportunity to experience. They are also so much fun to design, mold, shape and create. I know, because once upon a time long, long ago, while I was studying architecture, I earned extra cash as a window dresser.
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