CHRISTMAS 1951 - OOPS, CHRISTMAS 1953 AND 1954

OOPS...I decided to add this picture out of order. It's another one from 1951 and I've shown it on my blog before because of the old television set in the background. That was our first TV...the one we watched Winky Dink on and fought over who would get to draw on the TV screen. If you have no idea who Winky Dink was you are probably under 55 years old! I looked closely at the original picture and the train on the table was by Hallmark.



This is Christmas 1953. It reminds me of the pictures I used to see as a child in my Sunday School books. It would be a picture of the family...the mother sitting in a chair, the father standing behind her, and the children sitting on the mother's lap or the arm of the chair. Behind all of them, surrounded by light, would be Jesus with his arms stretched out. As a child I thought Jesus was behind me when no one else was around to see him. So, I'd spin around real quickly and try to catch him. I've asked other people if they ever did this and so far I haven't found a single person. I guess I was the only mixed up little kid. Good thing no one ever caught me by myself in my room spinning around. Anyway, in this picture we're wearing matching red felt skirts with white reindeer.

This is another picture from that year and you can see the tin dollhouse we received. It's a ranch style house and I see them on eBay from time to time. Behind the dollhouse are some Vogue Ginny Doll clothing boxes, so I know we must have had Ginny Dolls in 1953. You can barely see the boxes sticking out.

And this is Christmas 1954. My sister is holding her Ginny Doll and the Brownie Doll I received that year. I'm holding my Dennis The Menace Doll. I slept with him for many years and still remember the way he smelled. It was a rubbery plastic kind of smell. My sister and I both received Ginny Dolls that year wearing the same outfit. Her doll had blond hair and mine was a redhead. I still have my doll. Once again, we're wearing matching outfits. I remember the dresses being a teal blue, but my sister tells me they also had purple in them.

And this is the entire family that year. Even Lucky the cat is in the picture. He was the very first cat I ever loved and is now one of many that have stolen my heart. (I can still remember every cat I've ever had.)

This concludes the vintage Christmas pictures. I'm afraid after this year my mother gave up. I think we both complained about having to pose for the pictures and mom decided it just wasn't worth the hassle. Over the years I've shared these pictures online and some even appeared one year in Doll Castle Magazine. One of the pictures is shown on Carolyn's Rock and Roll Ginny site. (If you're interested in vintage Ginny dolls her site is one of the best.) My one regret is that mom didn't live long enough to know how much other people enjoy these pictures.

Thanks, Mom. Sorry for the hassle and Merry Christmas!