[Archived] Christmas Letter Lecture-December 3

Sure Beats The Annual “Christmas Letter”

Lecture at the Lyceum, Wednesday, December 3 7:30 PM 

Contact:  Jim Mackay, (703) 746-4994, jim.mackay@alexandriava.gov

“Where has another year gone?”

 We all get deluged with holiday wishes toward the end of the year, and some of these printed Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or other “Season’s Greetings” occasionally make their way into craft projects, such as placemats and ornaments.  But when did it all start, and where do some of these stock images come from that we all recognize, year after year?

Dan Gifford knows, and he’s sharing his research in a presentation titled Tidings of Comfort and Joy: Christmas Postcards and their Surprising Contexts at The Lyceum --- Alexandria’s History Museum on Wednesday, December 3, 2014 at 7:30 PM.  Dan is an adjunct faculty member of the history department at George Mason University, specializing in American popular and visual culture, holidays, and leisure activities.  When he’s not teaching, he works at the Smithsonian Institution and serves on the Steering Committee of the Smithsonian’s Material Culture Forum.

There is a $5 charge for the program, which benefits the conservation of collections at The Lyceum.  People are welcome to pay at the door or, to make sure you get a seat, register online in advance through the Historic Alexandria Museum Store --- https://shop.alexandriava.gov/Events.aspx  For more information or to register over the phone, call (703) 746-4994.  Happy Holidays!!