Christmas theme:
“Christmas Cheer, Antique Toys and WWI Christmas Truce”
Christmas Cheer, Antique Toys and WWI Christmas Truce display case created and coordinated by SCHS board member, Rose Marie Karius, December 2014 at Oak Bend Library.
The antique toys and Christmas decorations, old and new, were loaned by SCHS members listed below. Besides celebrating the holiday season, the display case commemorated the World War One Christmas Truce which occurred 100 years ago in December, 1914.
See more about the 100th anniversary of the World War One Christmas Truce, 1914-2014 at: WWI Christmas Truce
Imaginary recreation of WWI doughboy Christmas decorations in the trenches using materials that might have been available in the trenches or nearby.
Special thanks to the St. Louis County Library system and Oak Bend Library in particular for creating the community spaces in their libraries for area residents and organizations to put on special displays.
Photos of the display are below. Some photos are with the Christmas greens. The photos without the greens show off the items on display more clearly.
Antique toys
Dolls, rocking horse and tin soldier
The collection of active bears
The collection of Santa Clauses and the gingerbread house
The display case with Christmas greens and without
Contributors:
SCHS board member and former archivist, Ross Wagner – the rocking horse, collections of bears and snowmen made by his late friend, Robert Keil
SCHS archivist, Karen Hurych – antique doll
SCHS board member, Rose Marie Karius – Santa Clause collection and antique post cards
SCHS members, Kenny and Ginny Schmidt – antique toy collection including kitchen stove set, tractor trailer truck, cart pulled by zebra, school lunch box
SCHS member, Charlotte Hanpeter – antique toy soldier, tea table chair, replica of antique doll, porcelain tea set
SCHS board member, Diane Heath – antique toy fire engine and Amish buggy pulling family
Description of some of the items in the display case by Rose Marie Karius:
This most interesting group of bears was loaned to us to display by Ross Wagner. The smallest was two inches and the largest was two feet and all the rest in between. What is amazing is that not two bears are identical. These bears were made by the late Robert Keil and given to his friend, Ross Wagner, who told us the wood was from a number of different countries. Mr. Kyle also made all the snowmen and gave them to Ross. You can tell they were friends, because a lot of time and artistry went into his work.
Rose Marie said of her contributions, “I collect Santa Clauses and my cousin, Sylvester Dietrch, Jr., carved the wooden Santa. The rest of my collection is from another relative who lived in Jeff City. The post cards are from an uncle in Kirkwood. My father was the executor of his estate, so he was able to bring them home. The post cards are from the first decade of the 1900’s.”
See more about the 100th anniversary of the World War One Christmas Truce, 1914-2014 at: WWI Christmas Truce and take the Christmas Truce quiz.
Imaginary recreation of WWI doughboy Christmas decorations in the trenches using materials that might have been available in the trenches or nearby.
See photos of other SCHS display cases.
