On Monday, Dec. 8, 10 a.m., historian Jim Turner presents a nostalgic tribute to Christmas in the 1950s! The American 1950s were a decade of prosperity, optimism, and transformation. The postwar economic boom brought rising incomes, suburban homes, and a surge in consumer spending that reshaped the country’s social fabric. Advertising and television turned holiday shopping into a national pastime, promoting an image of cheerful domestic life centered around family and children.
Movies, radio, and the magic of television reinforced the decade’s wholesome values with sparkling Christmas specials from Perry Como, Ed Sullivan, Kate Smith, and Liberace. Jingles advertised electric shavers, cigarettes, and Coca Cola and new songs like Silver Bells, Santa Baby, Jingle Bell Rock became timeless classics. Dad loaded a stack of Christmas albums on record player and we’d spend our holidays singing along with Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, and Frank Sinatra.
From department stores’ wonderland displays to the latest toys under the tree the 1950s Christmas blended modern consumerism with nostalgic traditions creating the warm, glittering holiday ideal that still shapes our celebrations today.
Jim Turner received his master's degree in U.S. History at the University of Arizona in 1999. He served as Historian for the Arizona Historical Society from 2001-2009, then was an author/editor for Rio Nuevo Publishers, 2009-2020 where he wrote, co-authored, or edited more than a dozen books about the Southwest.
New Hearing Assist System in Renaissance Theater: The new system uses a small battery pack and a neck loop which will work with T-Coil enabled hearing aids. You can check out a battery pack and neck loop for each Speaker Series from a LifeLong Learning volunteer in the Lobby. A personal identification card is required. The battery pack and neck loop must be returned to a volunteer after each performance. Speak to a Lobby volunteer for assistance.