Material Type

Artifact

Date Range From

1950

Date Range To

1959

Materials

WOOD

No. Pieces

1

Height

2

Length

50.5

Width

28.5

Description

PAINTED WOODEN CUT-OUT DEPICTS SANTA CLAUS IN RED SUIT WITH BROWN BELT AND BLACK BOOTS. BACK OF WOOD PAINTED BLACK.

Subjects

CEREMONIAL ARTIFACT

Historical Association

DOMESTIC

History

ACCORDING TO DONOR TREVOR BENNET AT TIME OF DONATION, "THIS WAS PURCHASED BY A FAMILY FRIEND - MRS. HOWLINGS, AS A GIFT FOR ME IN THE EARLY 1950S. SHE AND MY MOM OFTEN WENT SHOPPING TOGETHER. THE SANTA WAS ALWAYS PLACED UNDER MY FAMILY'S CHRISTMAS TREE IN THE LIVING ROOM. MRS. HOWLIGS BECAME A RESIDENT AT THE GREEN ACRES LODGE WHEN IT WAS NEW, SOMETIME IN THE 1960S - I DON'T REMEMBER WHEN- I DO RECALL SHE DIED THERE." FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE PERMANENT FILE. *UPDATE* IN 2018 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT ELISE PUNDYK CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF THE COLLECTION, INCLUDING A NUMBER OF ARTIFACTS DONATED BY TREVOR BENNETT. ON AUGUST 28, 2018, PUNDYK SAT DOWN WITH BENNETT FOR AN INTERVIEW REGARDING THAT DONATION. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION HAS BEEN EXTRACTED FROM THAT INTERVIEW: ON THE SANTA BENNETT STATED, “THIS SANTA WAS MADE OUT OF WOOD. IT WAS MADE BY ONE OF MY MOTHER’S FRIENDS. HER HUSBAND USED TO MAKE THESE WOODEN THINGS IN SUMMER AND THEN PUT THEM UP FOR SALE IN DECEMBER AND I LIKED IT. SO I BOUGHT IT… I USED IT AS AN ADULT. I WOULD HAVE BOUGHT THIS ABOUT 1971 I WOULD THINK.” ON CHRISTMAS GROWING UP, “A WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS WE STARTED DECORATING AND THEY STAYED UP ‘TIL JANUARY 1ST AND TAKEN DOWN ON JANUARY 2ND, AND THE BOXES FOR MOST OF THESE ITEMS WERE KEPT SO THEY’RE ABLE TO GO BACK IN THE BOXES. I WAS [RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DECORATIONS]. I HAD TO FIND THEM AND PUT THEM UP TAKE THEM DOWN, PACK THEM PROPERLY. AND IF THEY WEREN’T PACKED PROPERLY, NOTHING WAS SAID, THEY WERE JUST SIMPLY THROWN OUT. MY MOTHER WAS VERY GOOD AT HAVING THINGS TIDIED UP AND PUT AWAY WHERE THEY SHOULD GO. IF YOU COULDN’T TIDY IT UP, YOU COULDN’T KEEP IT. THAT WASN’T A BAD WAY OF GROWING UP. IT MADE ME LEARN RESPONSIBILITY FAST.” “[CHRISTMAS] WAS A NICE BREAK IN THE YEARLY ROUTINE. IT WAS A CHANCE TO MEET GOOD PEOPLE YOU ONLY SAW ONCE A YEAR. THE STORES HAD ALL SORTS OF NEAT THINGS. I REMEMBER EATON’S HAD AN ELECTRIC TRAIN SET WITH WONDERFUL SCENERY AROUND IT, THAT THEY USED TO SET UP IN THE BASEMENT OF THE STORE A CORNER. IT ATTRACTED ME AND DOZENS OF OTHER KIDS AS WELL.” FOR INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT SEE PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P20060032015

Acquisition Date

2006-10

Collection

Museum

Less detail