SANTA PHOTO'S

[David Sechrest]

If you have saved your picture of you and Santa after all these years, let's put them here. Please advise when & where the photo was taken! If you wish to identify yourself, please feel free...

[David Sechrest]

For a lesson in posting pictures to this Thread (or this Message Board, for that matter), be sure to check out How To Use This Message Board in the Historic Columbus Indiana Message Board News & Updates Board

[nancs]

Okay, I will be brave here, and post the 'only' photo that I have run across of me with Santa.

Circumstances of the photo: Each year the Columbus Lions Club had a Christmas party for the families. In this photo, dated 1950, I would have been about an 8th grader. I can surely remember not really wanting to go up and sit on Santa's lap. However, recall being 'chided' into taking my turn.

Of course, for the entertainment of all present, Santa had a microphone so that all would know of your 'heart's desire' as your 'bestest' present from Santa on the 25th.

Really and truly, the only thing that I wanted was---------a Black Angus bull to have for a 4-H project. And exactly what I asked for! AND the rest of the story............I didn't get that Black Angus, that Christmas, or any Christmas thereafter, for that matter.



Now somebody else had best post a photo, too.

Nanc

[Babs]

Hi Nanc,
I can see why you would not have wanted to go sit on Santa's lap; you were not a little girl anymore but rather a young lady. Now why wouldn't your folks get you a black angus bull? :-)

Don't think we ever had any pictures taken with Santa Claus but sure did for our kids. Once when we lived in Idaho, you could hire Santa to come visit so we did one year as our daughter's birthday is on the 18th, just before Christmas. You never saw such big eyes on children! It was "priceless" and something I'm sure neither of our kids will ever forget.

You are sure a sweet young thing in the picture Nanc!

[RER]

Speaking of Santa I rented a Santa suit many years for my kids and grandkids as they grew up. I would go up to our second floor and dress of course and when ready (and sweating like a bull) I would start down the stairs. The family would be sitting around our den and Christmas tree and I would alert all, by jumping up and down a couple of times on the 2nd floor.

The adults awaiting would tell the kids: " Did you hear that, it must be Santa landing with his deer on the roof." Well, I would then proceed down the winding stairs and enter the den with the voice of ho, ho, ho and Merry Christmas. I always had a sack of presents for the kids and adults.

The kids would sit on my lap and we would talking about wishes and what they would leave ole Santa for a snack. Lots of cookies and milk was the kids menu.

I haven't played Santa for awhile but it was joy to watch the expression of the young and old as Santa arrived and departed on his journey.


Bob

[richard]

Santa Claus at Westermeier’s Hardware Store 1956.

Linda four years of age and Mike Brown seven years old.

Photo Courtesy of Linda Brown

[richard]

Santa Claus at Westermeier’s Hardware Store 1957.

Linda five years of age and Mike Brown eight years old.

Photo Courtesy of Linda Brown

[richard]

Linda Brown with Santa Claus. Photo by Rathsman Studio Columbus, Indiana. Location and date are unknown.




Photo Courtesy of Linda Brown

[Gregg]

Richard,
The photos from Westermeier's were probably taken by my dad. For quite a few years he did the Santa photos from there. For several weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas he and Mom would both work evenings and nights taking the pictures and getting the ,ames and addresses, and then spend hours at the studio getting the pics developed and packaged. It was a big part of our Christmas season. I don't recognize the Santa in your photos, but later he was replaced by Arnold "Smokey Joe" Miller.

[richard]

In 1969, Santa Claus would come to your home in the weeks before Christmas Eve. In retrospect I must have known who to call! Tommy Warner was known to spend some time drinking coffee with the firefighters of the City of Columbus!

Perhaps a donation to the Fireman’s Christmas Cheer Fund would result in an evening visit by a car from the fire department. The time would be known by the shift chief and daddy or mommy and they would just happen to be outside with the names of the young ones living at that address.

In just a short time Santa would come through the door with bells ringing, and talk to each child. As this picture shows, Santa had candy to give the youngsters!

[richard]

gregg said:

Richard,
The photos from Westermeier's were probably taken by my dad. For quite a few years he did the Santa photos from there. For several weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas he and Mom would both work evenings and nights taking the pictures and getting the names and addresses, and then spend hours at the studio getting the pics developed and packaged. It was a big part of our Christmas season. I don't recognize the Santa in your photos, but later he was replaced by Arnold "Smokey Joe" Miller.

Hello Gregg! I returned Linda’s photos today. We checked the Westermeier pictures and as you were thinking, stamped on the photo was Smith Studio 409 Fifth Street Columbus, Indiana.

Richard

[Babs]

Nanc,
I don't remember ever having a "stocking" when we were kids but my husband and I have always hung Christmas stockings for all the years we have been married (coming up in December, it will be 49 years).

To this day, both our kids love the Christmas stockings and our tradition was that these were not filled till Christmas eve after the kids went to bed, so first thing on Christmas morning they ran to their stockings. I still buy loads of small stocking stuffers, but we also used fruit in ours. It might be an orange, a tangelo, an appple but always some fruit and sometimes all of the above.

One thing we always did as kids, even though we didn't have stockings...that I recall anyhow.....was to lay out a little snack for Santa. Usually milk and cookies was what we put out for him.
One year when our daughter and her family was here in Columbus with us Austin insisted he had to write a note to Santa and he "expected" Santa to write him a reply as well. It was very funny watching all the adults trying to figure out who should write the reply, how to word it so a little one could understand, etc. Another year we got creative and said in the note that now Santa carried a laptop along so he was able to reply to notes from children on that....making it much easier for all of us.

Christmas traditions are surely lots of fun, even the putting together of toys on Christmas eve when hubby is not very mechanical and the handlebars get put on backwards, etc. :-)
Lots of unusual noises always resounded from our front hallway on Christmas eve as my hubby attempted to assemble toys without reading the instructions! :-)

I think this is fitting right where you placed it Nanc, in the photo subject, even though it is not about photos unless you call memories a mental photograph! I really think they are just that! :-)

[David Sechrest]

I promised a friend of mine that I would post his Santa picture. It was taken in the late 1940's at Blocks on the circle in downtown Indy.

Blocks was a favorite place for Columbus families to shop at Christmas time. They also had a restaurant inside the store so if and when you got tired, you could grab something to eat or a cup of coffee. Their Christmas window displays were always the best.