Though gifts were much simpler than modern-day presents, with many children receiving dolls, train sets, and stuffed animals, the joy of Christmas morning was clearer than ever.
Photography is one of the most remarkable inventions in human history. By the mid-20th century, camera technology had progressed to the point where detailed images could be captured with little hassle. And cameras were affordable enough that the average American family could have a camera in their own home. Unsurprisingly, photography became the de facto way to capture special moments — especially during Christmas.
But Christmas is a colorful holiday, and the black-and-white photography of decades gone by often doesn’t do past Yuletide celebrations justice. In the gallery below, you’ll find 66 colorized vintage Christmas photos that breathe new life — and cheer — into the holiday seasons of years past.
A smiling girl seated next to a decorated Christmas tree.ClassicStock/Alamy Stock Photo
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A group of men selling Christmas trees in Washington, D.C. in 1920.Hum Images/Alamy Stock Photo
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A young boy with Christmas presents and a wreath in the 1940s.ClassicStock/Alamy Stock Photo
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A young boy in the 1950s opening a present on Christmas morning.ClassicStock/Alamy Stock Photo
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A young boy seated next to his family's Christmas tree, decorated with candles. Circa 1915.Prestor Pictures LLC/Alamy Stock Photo
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A young boy in the 1950s dressed in an engineer outfit, playing with an electric train set. ClassicStock/Alamy Stock Photo
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Old Visuals/Alamy Stock Photo
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A father and son bringing in their family's Christmas tree.Wikimedia Commons
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A soldier coming home for Christmas in 1944.Everett Collection Inc/Alamy Stock Photo
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Children looking at gifts at a Christmas market.Sueddeutsche Zeitung Photo/Alamy Stock Photo
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Children practicing their Christmas carols. Smith Archive/Alamy Stock Photo
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A sister and brother decorating the family Christmas tree.Classic Picture Library/Alamy Stock Photo
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A group of children gathered around a Christmas tree, decorated with stars and popcorn.ClassicStock/Alamy Stock Photo
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A young boy and girl holding hands and looking at a Christmas window display.ClassicStock/Alamy Stock Photo
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Children looking at a Nativity scene.Classic Picture Library/Alamy Stock Photo
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A group of children taking a look at their Christmas gifts.Smith Archive/Alamy Stock Photo
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Children at the North Islington Nursery School in London putting on a Christmas play in 1966. Trinity Mirror/Mirrorpix/Alamy Stock Photo
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Children in Trelleborg, Sweden picking out a Christmas tree in the 1950s.Heritage Image Partnership Ltd/Alamy Stock Photo
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Two children in East Germany staring at Christmas candles in 1961.INTERFOTO/Alamy Stock Photo
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A group of children with their Christmas gifts.Wikimedia Commons
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Soldiers enjoying a Christmas meal in Naples, Italy in 1944.Wikimedia Commons
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A group of Christmas carolers in 1956.INTERFOTO/Alamy Stock Photo
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Drummers at a Christmas charity event in Philadelphia in 1976.Nicola Kota/Alamy Stock Photo
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Two children and their mother shopping for Christmas gifts.Wikimedia Commons
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A young boy with a newly born lamb in Otford, Kent, England in December 1953. Trinity Mirror/Mirrorpix/Alamy Stock Photo
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A Christmas party in 1950s New Orleans.Wikimedia Commons
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A Christmas post office truck in 1920.Science History Images/Alamy Stock Photo
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Christmas shoppers on Regent Street in London.Chronicle/Alamy Stock Photo
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Christmas shoppers walking underneath the lights on Regent Street in London. Trinity Mirror/Mirrorpix/Alamy Stock Photo
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Christmas shoppers at the Woolworth's department store in Washington, D.C.Library of Congress
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A couple shopping for Christmas presents in the snow in the 1930s.ClassicStock/Alamy Stock Photo
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A dog named Sally wearing a Daily Mirror hat at a dog Christmas party held in Bristol, England on December 8, 1958.Trinity Mirror/Mirrorpix/Alamy Stock Photo
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A group dragging a heavy Christmas tree through the snow. mauritius images GmbH/Alamy Stock Photo
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A group of children making a snowman in Northampton, England in the 1950s.2ebill/Alamy Stock Photo
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A family together on Christmas in 1951.Kirn Vintage Stock/Alamy Stock Photo
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A fireman helping to arrange the lights on a Christmas tree.Trinity Mirror/Mirrorpix/Alamy Stock Photo
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A girl playing with a large teddy bear in the toy department of Lewis Ltd. in Leeds, England. 1953.Trinity Mirror/Mirrorpix/Alamy Stock Photo
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A group of young children making Christmas pudding in Beckenham, Kent, England in 1959.Picture Kitchen/Alamy Stock Photo
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A child visiting a grave of a lost loved one and laying down flowers during Christmastime.Wikimedia Commons
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Grandparents reading a Christmas card.From Original Negative/Alamy Stock Photo
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Pedestrians walking down a city street decorated with Christmas lights.ClassicStock/Alamy Stock Photo
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A worker hanging Christmas decorations.Library of Congress
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A young woman smiling as she stacks presents by the Christmas tree.ClassicStock/Alamy Stock Photo
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ClassicStock/Alamy Stock Photo
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A young boy carrying a Christmas tree on his back in 1950s Sweden.Classic Picture Library/Alamy Stock Photo
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Children sledding on a winter day.Keith Corrigan/Alamy Stock Photo
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A young girl surrounded by Christmas gifts.Wikimedia Commons
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Children pulling on Father Christmas' beard at a party put on by the Merchant Navy Club in London in the 1940s.Trinity Mirror/Mirrorpix/Alamy Stock Photo
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A young girl with Christmas illustrations.INTERFOTO/Alamy Stock Photo
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A laughing boy seated on the steps next to his family's Christmas tree.Camerique/Alamy Stock Photo
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Santa Claus poses with a model in a bathing suit in California. 1938. Underwood Archives, Inc/Alamy Stock Photo
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Workers setting up a Christmas tree in Madison Square Park in New York City. Imago History Collection/Alamy Stock Photo
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A family sitting around their Christmas tree, posing for a portrait.ClassicStock/Alamy Stock Photo
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A mother reading a Christmas storybook to her children by the fireplace. ClassicStock/Alamy Stock Photo
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A 56-foot Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square, gifted to Londoners by the people of Oslo. 1958.Trinity Mirror/Mirrorpix/Alamy Stock Photo
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Three young boys skating on the ice-covered Lake Placid in 1929.Underwood Archives, Inc/Alamy Stock Photo
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SuperStock/Alamy Stock Photo
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A crowd of onlookers admire a lit Christmas tree in Liverpool. December 1954.Trinity Mirror/Mirrorpix/Alamy Stock Photo
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Christmas lights on display along Church Street in Liverpool, England. 1968.Trinity Mirror/Mirrorpix/Alamy Stock Photo
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A woman from the Salvation Army collecting donations. Circa 1910-1915.Science History Images/Alamy Stock Photo
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Two young men enjoying a Christmas party.Allan Cash Picture Library/Alamy Stock Photo
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Passersby stopping to look at a decorated Christmas tree.Trinity Mirror/Mirrorpix/Alamy Stock Photo
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Soldiers enjoying a Christmas dinner in 1940. Smith Archive/Alamy Stock Photo
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A man chopping down a Christmas tree.Wikimedia Commons
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Children in Jefferson City, Missouri having a snowball fight. Circa 1950s.Science History Images/Alamy Stock Photo
66 Colorized Vintage Christmas Photos That Will Make You Feel Merry And Bright
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A Brief History Of Christmas Cards — And Why We Now Include Photos On Them
Sending Christmas cards is a beloved tradition that harkens back to 1843. Then, an Englishman named Sir Henry Cole commissioned the first commercial Christmas card. The card in question was designed by the painter John Callcott Horsley, and the initial print run was for 1,000 cards.
Since then, the idea of sending Christmas cards to friends and family each year has become a common way to send well wishes to loved ones, especially those who live far away, during the holiday season. However, the tradition of sending Christmas cards has evolved over the years. In the past, cards typically featured an artist's work, but now, they usually feature family photos — a trend that has, in some cases, caused quite a bit of stress.
As Patricia Shannon writes for Southern Living, there is a certain "pressure" to take a nice family photo every year for the holidays. "I find myself in the hamster wheel of trying to snap the perfect photo of my small children, which starts to feel more like a pressure cooker as the weeks from October through November ebb on," she writes. "And I know I'm not alone in that."
From a look around the internet, Shannon is right in saying that she isn't alone in her feelings. In fact, this tradition seems to be a mostly American one — and it has perplexed many Europeans on online forums. Especially in the age of social media, it seems a bit excessive to send out yet another photo of your family to loved ones, but in a time before Facebook, it may have served as a nice reminder of how much the kids have grown.
ClassicStock/Alamy Stock PhotoA family sitting around the Christmas tree, posing for a portrait.
In fact, in 2014, Time magazine described Christmas cards as "America's first social media." But there were also some societal reasons why Christmas cards with photos became such a massive phenomenon. In the early 20th century, as rural Americans saw their children flocking to cities, Christmas postcards featured idyllic country scenery, painting an idealized version of life in rural communities that were often struggling. In a sense, it painted "an alternative narrative — one that was beautiful, healthy, and prosperous. One could argue this instinct shares significant DNA with the practice of staging family photographs for Christmas cards, or for today's Facebook postings."
There was also a widespread reaction among Americans to the sudden wave of European immigration during this time period, and the term "Old Fashioned Christmas" was used quite often between 1900 and 1920, as a way for rural Americans to "emphasize their longstanding roots in the country, as if to say 'we came here generations ago, not yesterday.'"
In a sense, Christmas cards in America have always been meant to portray some sort of ideal, whether that is an idyllic country landscape or a polished family photograph. Including a family photo on a Christmas card portrays to other people that the family is just as happy and content in real life as they are in the picture. Of course, no family is perfect or without their squabbles, but at least on the yearly Christmas card, they can play the part.
A staff writer for All That's Interesting, Austin Harvey has also had work published with Discover Magazine, Giddy, and Lucid covering topics on mental health, sexual health, history, and sociology. He holds a Bachelor's degree from Point Park University.
Jaclyn is the senior managing editor at All That's Interesting. She holds a Master's degree in journalism from the City University of New York and a Bachelor's degree in English writing and history (double major) from DePauw University. She is interested in American history, true crime, modern history, pop culture, and science.
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Cite This Article
Harvey, Austin. "66 Colorized Vintage Christmas Photos That Will Make You Feel Merry And Bright." AllThatsInteresting.com, December 25, 2024, https://allthatsinteresting.com/colorized-vintage-christmas-photos. Accessed January 30, 2025.
