Christmas celebrations of the past forty years are shown through historical photographs, catalogue pages, and over 530 photographs of artificial and real trees, Christmas ornaments, interior and exterior lights, candy containers, cards, tinsel garlands, and cheerful holiday figurines. Innovations in Christmas ornamentation, lighting, and display are presented -- including artificial trees of the 1960s, country-style ornaments of the 1970s, 1980s chaser lights, and sophisticated 1990s European glass ornaments. Updated values are provided in the captions. With this wonderful book to inspire your search, you can carry the spirit of Christmas with you all year 'round!

The historical importance, makers, materials, and rarity of Christmas trees, decorations, and ornaments of all kinds are discussed in detail, including glass ornaments, all types of lighting from candles to electricity, cotton and paper ornaments, and Dresdens. All the major manufacturers are identified and much personal information is given about the families that developed the Christmas ornament industry into big business internationally. Christmas Past includes beautiful colour pictures of extremely rare, exquisite glass balls and figurals and early electric lamps.

A chronological illustrated history of how people decorated and celebrated for Christmas. Many antique ornaments from German origins project various customs. Includes newly revised price guide!

Welcome to Kitschmasland in a fun and nostalgic look at our infatuation with Christmas holiday decor from the 1950s and through the 1970s. This beautiful revised book covers the gamut of decorations - some whimsical, some beautiful - and a treasure trove of campy kitsch that the author calls Kitschmas! Join a magical tour of retro homes decked out for the holidays, and enjoy a variety of festive holiday decorations from our not-too-distant past. Featuring vintage Christmas ornaments, trees, ceramics, and more, over 400 color photos and vintage magazine images are used to illustrate this whimsical journey through some of our favorite decades. This book is a delight for Kitschmas fans, decorators, and the thousands of people devoted to mid-century decor and design.

Over 750 full-color photos featuring thousands of items. Chapters include storage, repairing, histories, and much more. Items photographed have interesting facts and values listed for the Christmas enthusiast.

The Edgar Award-winning editor collects sixty of his all-time favorite holiday crime stories—from Arthur Conan Doyle and Thomas Hardy, to Sara Paretsky and Ed McBain. • “Anyone who cares about the best mystery writing of the past century and beyond would be lucky to receive this thick volume during the holidays." —The Washington Post This collection touches on all aspects of the holiday season, and all types of mysteries. They are suspenseful, funny, frightening, and poignant. Included are puzzles by Mary Higgins Clark, Isaac Asimov, and Ngaio Marsh; uncanny tales in the tradition of A Christmas Carol by Peter Lovesey and Max Allan Collins; O. Henry-like stories by Stanley Ellin and Joseph Shearing, stories by pulp icons John D. MacDonald and Damon Runyon; comic gems from Donald E. Westlake and John Mortimer; and many, many more. Almost any kind of mystery you’re in the mood for--suspense, pure detection, humor, cozy, private eye, or police procedural—can be found in these pages. FEATURING: - Unscrupulous Santas - Crimes of Christmases Past and Present - Festive felonies - Deadly puddings - Misdemeanors under the mistletoe - Christmas cases for classic characters including Sherlock Holmes, Brother Cadfael, Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot, Ellery Queen, Rumpole of the Bailey, Inspector Morse, Inspector Ghote, A.J. Raffles, and Nero Wolfe.

A celebration of Christmas in the 1950s and '60s Midcentury America was a wonderland of department stores, suburban cul-de-sacs, and Tupperware parties. Every kid on the block had to have the latest cool toy, be it an Easy Bake Oven for pretend baking, a rocket ship for pretend space travel, or a Slinky, just because. At Christmastime, postwar America's dreams and desires were on full display, from shopping mall Santas to shiny aluminum Christmas trees, from the Grinch to Charlie Brown's beloved spindly Christmas tree. Now design maven Sarah Archer tells the story of how Christmastime in America rocketed from the Victorian period into Space Age, thanks to the new technologies and unprecedented prosperity that shaped the era. The book will feature iconic favorites of that time, including: • A visual feast of Christmastime eats and recipes, from magazines and food and appliance makers • Christmas cards from artists and designers of the era, featuring Henry Dreyfuss, Charles & Ray Eames, and Alexander Girard • Vintage how-to templates and instructions for holiday decor from Good Housekeeping and the 1960's craft craze • Advice from Popular Mechanics on how to glamorize your holiday dining table • Decorating advice for your new Aluminum Christmas Tree from ALCOA (the Aluminum Company of America) • The first American-made glass ornaments from Corning Glassworks Midcentury Christmas is sure to be on everyone’s most-wanted lists.