I Bring Unto You Good Tidings of Great Joy

by Erin Doane, Curator 

The image of the baby Jesus lying swaddled in a manger surrounded by Mary and Joseph, magi and shepherds, angels and animals is an icon of Christmas.  The nativity scene or crèche has been reenacted in public and recreated in homes for centuries.  The first “living” nativity was said to have been staged by Saint Francis of Assisi in a cave near Greccio, Italy in 1223 to remind people of the true meaning of Christmas.  The living nativity was picked up by churches and the nobility who created ever more elaborate scenes. Today, it is standard at  most Christmas pageants.  The Radio City Christmas Spectacular in New York City concludes with the presentation of the nativity, featuring live camels and sheep.

Living nativity at St. Luke's Church in Elmira, 1959

The first static nativity scenes, composed of carved wooden figures of the holy family and attendants, appeared in Italian churches in the 1300s.  The nativity remained set up all year long on a side altar or chapel and was decorated for the Christmas season.  As with the living scenes, the static nativity was also adopted by the nobility and aristocrats.  By the mid 1500s the scenes were highly artistic with rich clothing on the figures.  The tradition of setting up the nativity for Christmas has spread through practically all Christian nations, with each culture adding its own style.  Both Catholic and Protestant families in Germany in particular adopted the nativity into their traditions, placing the baby Jesus into the manger on Christmas day.

The Museum has in its collection one nativity that was donated in 1972.  The painted ceramic figures were made in Germany sometime in the late 19^th-early 20^th Century.  The set consists of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, two angels, the three wise men or magi and their camels, three shepherds, eight sheep, an ox and an ass which are also traditional figures, two palm trees and a star.

22 More Shopping Days 'Till Christmas

By Rachel Dworkin, Archivist

Black Friday and Cyber Monday may be over, but we certainly haven’t seen the last of this shopping season.  It’s easy to wax nostalgic about a bygone era when we weren’t bombarded by constant ads and Christmas music in October but let’s be honest.  For the last 100 years, Christmas and commercialism have gone together like chocolate and peanut butter.  There may be more media to saturate with advertisements and, yes, the carols are starting earlier, but for as long as anyone reading this blog has been alive the Christmas shopping season has been a force to be reckoned with.  

 While Jerome’s certainly had the most whimsical ads, the S.F. Iszard Co. probably had the best deals.  I mean, hand embroidered crepe kimonos from Japan for less than $2.98, talk about savings.   Of course, advertising wasn’t the only trick to getting people into downtown stores.  The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City began in 1924 as clever bit of marketing.  In 1957, the Iszard’s family borrowed the idea.  By the second year alone they had over 5,000 people in attendance.  The store would be closed during the parade, but would be open for business as soon as Santa dismounted his float to hold court in Iszard’s Toyland and officially kick off the Christmas shopping season. 

Iszard’s Christmas Parade, ca. 1960

Once they got the customers in the doors, Elmira’s downtown department stores worked to bring the holiday cheer, or at least the holiday decoration. 

Iszard’s Department Store, 1937

Now, it may seem to some like I’m favoring Iszard’s and Jerome’s over, say, Rosenbaum’s, Gorton Coy and Elmira’s other fine former retailers and, well, I am.  After all, the Jerome and Iszard families were kind enough to give us boxes of their stuff, so I might as well use it.

Jerome’s holiday mailer, ca. 1950s