Christmas cheer

Well that time of year is nearly upon us and what better way to celebrate than to look back at Christmases past, through the heritage collections at Auckland Libraries. The clothes and hairstyles and locations might have changed a bit but we are still enjoying the same things at Christmas such as picnics at the beach and taking family photographs.

Heritage et AL will be taking a break over the festive period but will be back on 20th January with more heritage stories and taonga (treasures) from the Auckland Libraries collections. Enjoy your Christmas an New Year holiday!

Christmas cards:

Ref: Footprints 05550, 'The Season's Greetings', Otahuhu, 1906, Photograph reproduced courtesy of Otahuhu Historical Society, South Auckland Research Centre

You can see more heritage Christmas cards in the online exhibition from the Sir George Grey Special Collections.

Getting ready for the holidays:

Ref: AWNS-19140101-40-3, the Christmas rush at Auckland Station, 1914, Sir George Grey Special Collections

 Charity at Christmas:

Ref: AWNS-19140101-44-4, Christmas toys collected for children, 1914, Sir George Grey Special Collections

Christmas lights:

Ref: Footprints 05335, Christmas lights, Manurewa, c. 1950, photograph reproduced courtesy of Manurewa Historical Society (from Ken Brewer), South Auckland Research Centre

You can find out about Manurewa's Christmas tree (Norkfolk Pine) on Manukau's Journey - this resource is an online chronology of significant and representative events from the history of Manukau City and adjoining areas.

Pets like Christmas too:

Ref: AWNS-19021218-3-1, dog holding a copy of the Christmas issue of the Auckland Weekly News, 1902, Sir George Grey Special Collections

NZ style Christmas:

Ref: AWNS-19021225-1-2, families picnicking by a beach at Christmas, 1902, Sir George Grey Special Collections

Ref: AWNS-19140108-47-1, how thousands of Aucklanders spent the Christmas and New Year holiday, 1914, Sir George Grey Special Collections

Ref: JTD-11K-05718, Christmas party at Perry family farm, New Lynn, c. 1920s, West Auckland Research Centre

Ref: JTD-04K-04134, Children on beach, published in the Weekly News, Christmas 1935, West Auckland Research Centre

Family portraits:

Ref: EF0726, the Brown family Christmas, 1906, North Auckland Research Centre