christmas Photo Archives - LIFE

“For Here Was Born Hope”: Christmas and Easter in Bethlehem, 1955

Bill Syken — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 14:49:59 +0000

In 1955 LIFE magazine devoted its entire Dec. 26 issue to the topic of Christianity. The first section was focused to the heritage of the religion. Then came a series of stories about contemporary Christianity in the United States. And the final section had an international flair, concluding with a photo-driven piece on how Christmas and Easter were celebrated in Bethlehem, renowned as the site of the Nativity of Jesus.

Here’s how LIFE described the importance of Bethlehem:

In Bethlehem priests speak many languages, for this is a place sacred to Christians of all lands and groupings—Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant. Through the ages pilgrims have come here in reverence and love, for here was born hope.

The photo essay by Dmitri Kessel, who was born in Russia and handled many international assignments for LIFE, covered the celebrations of both Christmas and Easter. In addition to taking photos of the rituals of those holidays, he also captured images of young shepherds at work in the nearby hills. Those photos are particularly evocative because—setting aside the technological impossibility of it—the images look as if they could have been taken in the time of Jesus, imparting the feel of a history that is still very much alive. `

An aerial view of the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem, 1955.

Dmitri Kessel/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock

A Christmas celebration in Bethlehem, 1955.

Dmitri Kessel/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock

The Church of the Nativity (center) in Bethlehem, 1955.

Dmitri Kessel/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock

In the Grotto of the Nativity, the sacred site of Christ’s birth was marked by a silver star on the floor, with a hole in the middle for pilgrims to peer through, 1955.

Dmitri Kessel/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock

People looked through a hole in the Grotto of the Nativity during Christmas in Bethlehem, 1955.

Dmitri Kessel/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock

A Franciscan friar placed a figure in the manger during a celebration of Christmas in Bethlehem, 1955.

Dmitri Kessel/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock

A Christmas celebration in Bethlehem, 1955.

Dmitri Kessel/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock

A shepherd stood in his field in Bethlehem, 1955.

Dmitri Kessel/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock

Shepherds in Bethlehem, 1955.

Dmitri Kessel/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock

A shepherd stood in his field in Bethlehem, 1955.

Dmitri Kessel/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock

A camel near Bethlehem, 1955.

Dmitri Kessel/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock

Easter in Bethlehem, 1955.

Dmitri Kessel/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock

A scene from Good Friday in Bethlehem, 1955.

Dmitri Kessel/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock

The post “For Here Was Born Hope”: Christmas and Easter in Bethlehem, 1955 appeared first on LIFE.

Seeking Warmth During an Iceland Deployment

Bill Syken — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 13:32:03 +0000

In the run-up to World War II, Iceland became a hot property. Britain first occupied the country in 1940, getting there before German soldiers and gaining a strategic base for air and naval forces. But Britain soon needed its troops elsewhere, and eventually America took over the occupation beginning in July 1941. This was months before the U.S. had officially entered the war.

The American presence in Iceland was a regular source of fasciation to LIFE magazine. Photographer Ralph Morse repeatedly documented life in this cold and remote outpost.

One of Morse’s shoots was a general study of life in Iceland. Another documented a visit from a theater troupe performing a show called The Drunkard. Yet another shoot showed the U.S. soldiers celebrating Christmas.

For all the wintry outdoor shots, the particular challenges of Iceland life come through most starkly in the indoor photos. The ceilings of the huts many soldiers stayed in were low and curved, and all the rooms look a little smaller than they should be—a side effect of designing buildings to keep the snow off and the heat in. Much of America knows about the experience of winter, but in Iceland it was so ingrained that it changed the shape of the architecture.

In its Nov. 15, 1943 issue LIFE described the troops’ winter experience.

In Iceland these days it is dark by four in the afternoon and by nine in the morning the daylight still has not come. In long winter nights the American troops are comfortable in their tunnel-shaped iron Nissen huts, warmed my old-fashioned pot-bellied stoves. To keep themselves busy they read their ancient magazines, look at 16 mm motion pictures or make shelves and cupboards out of old packing boxes.

Morse’s photos of the Christmas celebration ran in the Jan. 24, 1944 issue (The story noted that the previous year, Morse had spent Christmas with U.S. soldiers in a very different location, Guadalcanal). In writing about the Iceland Christmas, LIFE noted that the locals, who at first had been slow to embrace the presence of occupying troops, had over the course of three years warmed to the American presence. “An Icelandic choir toured American hospitals and soldiers gave parties for Icelandic children,” wrote LIFE. “At a dance in one Red Cross center there was an attendance of 68 Icelandic girls, where before there had never been more than six.”

Like a like of things, the Icelandic winters were easier when people got through them together.

U.S. soldiers in Iceland, 1944.

Ralph Morse/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock

Men playing basketball in Iceland, 1944.

Ralph Morse/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock

Life in Iceland for U.S. soldiers during World War II, 1944.

Ralph Morse/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock

Wall decorations helped pass the time in Iceland, 1944.

Ralph Morse/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock

The United States Armed Force barracks during Christmas in Iceland, December 1943.

Ralph Morse/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock

Soldiers gathered for a Christmas service in Iceland, December 1943.

Ralph Morse/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock

Performers visited a hospital for United States soldiers during a Christmas celebration in Iceland, December 1943.

Ralph Morse/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock

A member of the U.S. military danced with a woman during a Christmas celebration in Iceland, December 1943.

Ralph Morse/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock

A child carried his sled in Iceland, 1944.

Ralph Morse/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock

Shopping in Iceland, 1944.

Ralph Morse/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock

An artist at work in Iceland, 1944.

Ralph Morse/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock

Iceland, 1944.

Ralph Morse/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock

A fishing ship off the coast of Iceland, 1944.

Ralph Morse/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock

Man picking flowers, Iceland, 1944.

Ralph Morse/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock

A gymnastics demonstration in Iceland, 1944.

Ralph Morse/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock

A boxing match in Iceland, 1944.

Ralph Morse/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock

A visiting troupe performed The Drunkard in Iceland, 1944.

Ralph Morse/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock

The play ‘The Drunkard’ was performed at the Herskola Theater, Iceland, 1944.

Ralph Morse/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock

U.S. soldiers watched the play ‘The Drunkard’ being performed at the Herskola Theater, Iceland, 1944.

Ralph Morse/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock

A view of a monument dedicated to explorer Leif Erikson, Iceland, 1944.

Ralph Morse/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock

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A Holiday Icon: The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

Taylor Gilkison — Mon, 28 Nov 2022 17:38:41 +0000

The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in Manhattan is the epitome of New York’s holiday season. With humble beginnings, the tree is considered an international symbol of Christmas and is ceremoniously lit every year on the Wednesday after Thanksgiving. Let’s dive deeper into the history behind this iconic holiday symbol and view photos of the famous tree from LIFE’s vast archive.

In December 1931, at the height of the Great Depression, construction workers building the Rockefeller Center complex pooled their money together to buy a 20-foot balsam fir Christmas tree to put up outside of the center. Two years later, in 1933, Rockefeller Center made the tree an annual tradition, and the first Christmas tree-lighting ceremony took place.

The size of the tree and its decorations grew more elaborate over the years; and, in 1951, the first televised tree lighting ceremony aired. Other traditions also began to take shape, including the now infamous collection of herald angels in the Channel Gardens and the larger-than-life Swarovski star that adorns the top of the tree.

Between 70-100 feet, the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is usually a Norway spruce, and it remains on display through the start of the New Year. After the holiday season, the famous tree is taken down, turned into lumber, donated to Habitat for Humanity, and used to build homes for those in need.

The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree will be lit for the 2023 holiday season during a special ceremony on Wednesday, November 29th. Watch the world’s most famous Christmas tree come to life during the Christmas at Rockefeller Center special airing on NBC.

You can also find a historical anecdote about the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree from an original 1972 issue of LIFE magazine by clicking here.

Rockefeller Center Christmas tree at night, 1952.

Alfred Eisenstaedt / LIFE Picture Collection

People walking near the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree during a snowstorm, New York City, New York, 1948.

Al Fenn / LIFE Picture Collection Al Fenn / LIFE Picture Collection

Christmas decorations at Rockefeller Plaza, New York City, New York, 1949.

Andreas Feininger / LIFE Picture Collection

Aerial wide-angle view of Rockefeller Center skating rink and Christmas tree, 1956.

Yale Joel / LIFE Picture Collection

Christmas tree being set-up in Rockefeller Center.

Bill Ray / LIFE Picture Collection

Christmas Tree being removed from Rockefeller Center.

Bill Ray / LIFE Picture Collection

Christmas tree being removed from Rockefeller Center.

Bill Ray / LIFE Picture Collection

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree turned into mulch.

Bill Ray / LIFE Picture Collection

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree turned into mulch.

Bill Ray / LIFE Picture Collection

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree turned into mulch.

Bill Ray / LIFE Picture Collection

Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, 1940.

Nina Leen / LIFE Picture Collection

People gathering near Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, New York City, New York, 1940.

Nina Leen / LIFE Picture Collection

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree at night, 1952.

Alfred Eisenstaedt / LIFE Picture Collection

Rockefeller Center Christmas tree at night.

LIFE Picture Collection

The post A Holiday Icon: The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree appeared first on LIFE.

20 of the Most Joyful Christmas Photos of All Time

Mon, 21 Dec 2015 09:00:37 +0000

The holiday season is all about tidings of joy: a crackle in the fireplace, the twinkle of lights, perhaps one too many glasses of eggnog. And no matter the gravity of the stories in the news, LIFE captured that joy year in and year out. Most frequently, that process involved photographing some combination of children and Santa Claus, whether they tugged on his cotton-white beard or gaped in disbelief at some long-coveted doll. Here, as this year’s Christmas rolls around, are LIFE’s most joyful images of Christmases past.

Liz Ronk edited this gallery. Follow her on Twitter @lizabethronk.

Christmas 1946

Children talking to Santa Claus, 1946. (Frank Scherschel / The LIFE Picture Collection)

Christmas 1947

A young girl talking to Santa Claus on the telephone, 1947. (Martha Holmes / The LIFE Picture Collection)

Christmas 1947

“Santa and Mrs. Claus” answering telephone calls in their workshop at F. A. O. Schwartz, 1947. (Martha Holmes / The LIFE Picture Collection)

Christmas 1948

Santa Claus with a young girl, 1948. (Martha Holmes / The LIFE Picture Collection)

Christmas 1948

Santa Claus Convention and training course at Waldorf Astoria, 1948. (Martha Holmes / The LIFE Picture Collection)

Christmas 1948

Man showing Christmas decorations to children, 1948. (Hank Walker / The LIFE Images Collection)

Christmas 1951

Tana Centero sitting in front of a Christmas tree, Vermont, 1951. (Esther Bubley / The LIFE Images Collection)

Christmas 1953

A family celebrates Christmas, 1953. (Robert W. Kelley / The LIFE Picture Collection)

Christmas 1954

Baby tasting a piece of metallic tinsel dangling from a Christmas tree, 1954. (Verner Reed / The LIFE Images Collection)

Christmas 1955

A little girl looking at doll through a window at Christmas time, 1955. (Ralph Morse / The LIFE Picture Collection)

Christmas 1956

Mrs. George Sutton and her family decorating their Christmas tree at home, 1956. (Ralph Crane / The LIFE Picture Collection)

Christmas 1956

Preparations for Christmas pageant at Bryn Mawr Community Church, 1956. (Francis Miller / The LIFE Picture Collection)

Christmas 1957

Scene from the “Trail to Christmas” adaptation of Charles Dicken’s “Christmas Carol,” 1957. (Allan Grant / The LIFE Picture Collection)

Christmas 1958

Children’s Christmas play, 1958. (Nina Leen / The LIFE Picture Collection)

Christmas 1958

Young Santa Claus in a Christmas program at Elizabeth Morrow School, 1958. (Nina Leen / The LIFE Picture Collection)

Christmas 1961

Ken Berends and Bill Burslem practice a soft-shoe with faculty member Joy Merkel in Santa Claus training class at Santa Claus School, 1961. (Alfred Eisenstaedt / The LIFE Picture Collection)

Christmas 1962

Tina Smith decorating a Christmas tree at Guantanamo Naval Base, where her dad, Lt. Commander Joe Smith is stationed, 1962. (John Dominis / The LIFE Picture Collection)

Christmas 1962

Little girl giving Santa Claus a kiss, 1962. (Donald Uhrbrock / The LIFE Images Collection)

Christmas 1970

Young child visiting Santa Claus at a department store, 1970. (Ralph Morse / The LIFE Picture Collection)

Christmas 1972

Raymond and Susie McFarland looking raptly at their new Airedale puppy, who’s leaning towards them out of Christmas gift box, 1972. (Ralph Crane / The LIFE Picture Collection)

The post 20 of the Most Joyful Christmas Photos of All Time appeared first on LIFE.

Holiday Jeer: Good-for-Nothing Gifts From Back in the Day

Fri, 05 Dec 2014 09:31:38 +0000

In 1953 LIFE featured a number of gifts that, the magazine assured its readers, were far “better to give than to receive.” For our part, after spending a little time with these photos by Yale Joel, we’ve come to the reluctant conclusion that, with one or two exceptions (those velvet glasses acting as a hairnet are kind of cool), these items are preposterous whether one is giving or receiving.

As LIFE noted in its December 7, 1953 issue:

When a sequined $7.50 fly swatter turned out to be one of the best-selling gifts last Christmas (a time of year when flies are rare), department stores were quick to turn its success into a trend. This year the country’s gift counters abound in homely household objects which have been gilded, bedecked with pearls and rhinestones and upped in price. Holiday shoppers whose main object is to pamper the recipient may now choose jeweled back-scratchers which are almost too pretty to use, velvet eyeglasses which are designed to be worn instead of a hat, time-pieces for pets who can not tell time. Here is a selection of this year’s silly Christmas gifts.

Thank goodness we’ve evolved as a society and as individuals to the point where ridiculous and overpriced presents are no longer on anyone’s wish list. Right?

Absurd Christmas Gifts 1953

Caption from LIFE: “Sleep mask for light sleepers is satin-edged in gold braid, has gold eyelashes, brows and twinkling rhinestone stars.” (Yale Joel / The LIFE Picture Collection)

Absurd Christmas Gifts 1953

Caption from LIFE: “A back-scratcher encrusted with gilt, pearls and sea shells is an expensive adaptation of a standard 39-cent model.” (Yale Joel / The LIFE Picture Collection)

Absurd Christmas Gifts 1953

Caption from LIFE: “Work gloves with red felt fingernails and a big ring on the wedding finger.” (Yale Joel / The LIFE Picture Collection)

Absurd Christmas Gifts 1953

Caption from LIFE: “Velvet glasses with net lenses, based on the theory that there are women who wear spectacles to hold their hair back.” (Yale Joel / The LIFE Picture Collection)

Absurd Christmas Gifts 1953

Caption from LIFE: “Spray gun is coated with gilt and trimmed with bee and flowers, might be used on household pests when company is around.” (Yale Joel / The LIFE Picture Collection)

Absurd Christmas Gifts 1953

Caption from LIFE: “Swiss watch adorning gold collar, maker says, prompts wearer to bark to go out. Compass in place of watch costs $22.” (Yale Joel / The LIFE Picture Collection)

Absurd Christmas Gifts 1953

Caption from LIFE: “Leopard print gives a frivolous look to knitted nylon pants and bra. This is a useful notion of the season, being an economical substitute for the expensive fancy lingerie many men like to give as presents. The spots, which make fabric opaque, do not change with washing.” (Yale Joel / The LIFE Picture Collection)

Absurd Christmas Gifts 1953

Caption from LIFE: “Glasses have no lenses, but feature what looks to be a costume jewelry tear-drop dangling from the frame.” (Yale Joel / The LIFE Picture Collection)

The post Holiday Jeer: Good-for-Nothing Gifts From Back in the Day appeared first on LIFE.

Hitler’s Christmas Party

Sun, 01 Dec 2013 16:42:50 +0000

The images are chilling, bordering on surreal: Surrounded by fellow Nazis, Adolf Hitler presides over a Christmas party. Swastika armbands jarringly offset the glint of ornaments and tinsel; candles illuminate the festive scene. Confronted with the scene, a viewer might reasonably ask: How could Nazi leaders reconcile an ideology of hatred, conquest and extermination with the joyous spirit of the holiday, much less its celebration of the birth of the Jewish Christ?

In 1937 Nazi propagandist Friedrich Rehm in 1937 actually argued that “real” Germans should remove any vestiges of “oriental” religion from the holiday by harking back to the pagan Yule, an ancient Northern European festival of the winter solstice. He said, “We cannot accept that a German Christmas tree has anything to do with a crib in a manger in Bethlehem. It is inconceivable for us that Christmas and all its deep soulful content is the product of an oriental religion.” An eye-opening 2009 exhibit at Cologne’s National Socialism Documentation Centre featured early Nazi propaganda attempts to make over the holiday: swastika-shaped cookie-cutters; sunburst tree-toppers to replace the traditional ornament Nazis feared looked too much like the Star of David; rewritten lyrics to carols that excised all references to Christ.

But by the time Hitler, Mussolini and the Japanese had dragged the Allies into the Second World War, the Reich’s focus had shifted to more practical matters. Rather than trying to dissuade millions of Germans from celebrating Christmas the way they had for generations, Hitler, Goebbels and the rest instead encouraged their compatriots to send cards and care packages to the troops.

As for the religious views of Hitler himself, the evidence is hardly conclusive: In public statements he sometimes praised Christianity (once calling it “the foundation of our national morality”), but in private conversations—including one recalled by the Third Reich’s official architect, Albert Speer—the Führer is said to have abhorred the faith for what he deemed its “meekness and flabbiness.”

Hitler did, of course, fervently worship one thing above all else: the so-called Aryan race. Looking at the utterly banal, ordinary faces and figures in these photographs, however, it’s hard to believe that anyone, no matter how fanatical or deluded, could believe that the men at that long-ago holiday party comprised anything more than a roomful of gangsters and common thugs.

Scene from a Christmas party attended by Adolf Hitler and other Nazis, date unknown.

Hugo Jaeger The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock

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