Victorian Cottage Christmas Tour
Back Porch
thomas nast drawing of santa claus published in the december 29, 1866 edition of harper’s weekly (inspired by the 1822 clement clark moore poem “a visit from st. nicholas”)
Christkind, or Kris Kringle, was believed to deliver presents to well-behaved Swiss and German children. Christkind, meaning “Christ child,” is an angel-like figure often accompanied by St. Nicholas on his holiday missions. In Scandinavia, a jolly elf named Jultomten was thought to deliver gifts in a sleigh drawn by goats. English legend explains that Father Christmas visits each home on Christmas Eve to fill children’s stockings with holiday treats.
Santa Claus—otherwise known as Saint Nicholas or Kris Kringle— has a long history steeped in Christmas traditions. Today, he is thought of mainly as the white bearded man with “a little round belly that shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly” who brings toys to good little girls and boys on Christmas Eve. But his story stretches all the way back to the 3rd century, when Saint Nicholas walked the earth and became the patron saint of children.
Gift-giving, mainly centered around children, has been an important part of the Christmas celebration since the holiday’s growth in the early 19th century. Stores began to advertise Christmas shopping in 1820, and by the 1840s, newspapers were creating separate sections for holiday advertisements, which often featured images of the newly-popular Santa Claus. In 1841, thousands of children visited a Philadelphia shop to see a life-size Santa Claus model. It was only a matter of time before stores began to attract children, and their parents, with the lure of a peek at a “live” Santa Claus.
santa claus on market street, san francisco, Nov. 7, 1964; Photo: Joe Rosenthal, The Chronicle
The Macy’s Santa has appeared at every Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade for 160 years and fans of all ages still line up to meet the Macy’s Santa in New York City and at stores around the country, where children can take pictures on Santa’s lap and tell him what they want for Christmas
The Red Walking Dress
As with hostesses of any era, the Victorian woman would have wanted to look her very best for her holiday guests, and this beautiful red dress would fit the bill nicely. A very trim, petite figure would be required to fit into this particular outfit.
In some societies, the privilege of wearing red was reserved exclusively for the upper class. Yet many commoners wore red undergarments beneath their clothes. Some Japanese non-nobles lined the insides of their kimonos with the forbidden color; Textile Museum, George Washington University
Notice the intricate detailing and needlework around the neck and the bustle.
1882 –Two-Piece Silk Taffeta Dress - Burgundy with side panels embroidered with tiny flowers. The fitted top extends into the peplum and the center panel is constructed of embroidered satin. The skirt has a built-In whale bone bustle. Notice the white ruching around the neck and cuffs. Both pieces are cambric lined. Lombard Historical Society Collection
Exaggeration of the feminine posterior has been a periodic theme in Western fashion for several hundred years with ever changing shapes as styles evolved from the 1700s to the 1880s, and even through to modern couture designers.
Bustles disappeared in the 1870s for two to three years, only to return to fashion in a more exaggerated form from the early 1880s. They then grew in size to large horizontal protrusions. Some, such as the chimney bustle, were designed to collapse as the wearer sat down. All bustles required women to sit sideways on chairs, and they also caused a wobble effect when walking.
Christian Dior (French). Couture Fashion Show, Fall 2014. Source: Vogue
The Bustle
Ladies of the Victorian era wore many layers of clothing; slips, corsets, as well as a small cushion, or cage, known as a bustle, specifically to adorn and enhance her backside.
Original c.1886 colour lithographic print showing a woman in a deep red dress with bustle and matching hat. She holds an album and a small brown box-bag and is wearing grey gloves; source: wikimedia
