Christmas 1930s style

[LauraChant]

I am in possession of a falling-apart book published in 1932, called The Perfect Christmas (by the author of The Perfect Hostess, apparently.)

It has handy sections on what gifts are appropriate for the domestic staff, how to cope when your "nice but inpecunious country cousin comes to stay (give herbthe money for a permanent wave among other things) and what gifts to send to a "come down in the world" in the workhouse.

Here are the suggested gifts for the lady of the house, in case anyone is looking for inspiration:

Linen table mats
Silk stockings
Large glass flower bowls
A brass toasting fork
A blue Morocco suitcase, costing about a pound
A set of address books marked Friends- Tradesmen- Hotels etc
A set of scissors
Fantasie bath salts - be careful of the brand
A year's subscription to "Vogue" or "The Times' Literary Supplement" - or both
A box of large assorted envelopes, together with a sealing set
A cover for her Telephone Book

Seen anything you fancy? If anyone wants 1930s inspiration for "the head of the house", the domestic staff, schoolgirls, schoolboys, or stockings, or advice onvwhat to do in advance, how to cope if you are short of cash, or what to do when all the servants ate out on Boxing Day, let me know.

[georgettemagritte]

(I was joking about peeling them by hand being terrible table manners....combination is a bit silly - though amusing - I can't imagine anyone would seriously care about the knife and fork business, it's a bit of a game for some older fellows to look scandalised because someone's passed the port the wrong way or whatever....)

[Herisson]

Sorry, I was half-joking, too. I was probably committing a faux pas, but who cares, it's only a real faux pas if someone is scandalised by it!

[TheYamiOfYawn]

I'm a pretty impressed ny how generally fun and thoughtful all the suggestions are. And I'm loving the rather garish decorations.

I think a long legged doll might be one of those of those gangly rag dolls.

[LauraChant]

Yes, there is a lot of stuff about charity at Christmas as well, I will dig out a nice bit.

There is also some gob-smacking racism.

[TEErickOrTEEreat]

The peat might have to do with making whiskey, actually.

[Chottie]

I went to a convent school in the 60s / 70s and it is one of my accomplishments that I can eat an orange with a knife and fork :)

I'm loving this thread, I always put holly around the pictures too, my parents and grandparents did this, so childhood memories. I have some Christmas decorations which date pre WWII, I love using them each year and thinking about all the Christmases they have been a part of.

[Chottie]

p.s. in those days Christmas trees used to have real candles on them which were lit on Christmas Eve. I have some artificial Christmas trees from the 30s with candle holders on them.