Smyrna times., 1954-12-23
DELAWARE STATE MUSEUM
Opened Saturday For Its Special
Exhibits for Holiday Season

Opened Saturday For Its Special
Exhibits for Holiday Season
CARRIED in all its Christmas
splendor the Delaware State Mu-
scum in Dover announced the op-
ening of its special exhibit for the
Holiday Season. Theme of the
display this year is an old fash
ioned Christmas centered about a
long needed pine Christmas tree
and the hearth of a home. 1t por-
trays Christmas as it was in Del
aware several generations ago.
Dressed in a maroon velvet gown
the lady of the house stands be-
side the mantel surveying the tree
and the toys beneath it. The tree
is trimmed with garlands of gaily
colored paper chains, strings of
pink and white popcorn, walnuts
wrapped in tin foil, and paper
cutout snowfiakes. And in addi-
tion to these homemade decora-
tions. the tree bears a number of
hand-blown glass ornaments which
were SO highly priced. Surmount-
ing all of this is gold paper
star.
Among the toys around the
tree are a wicker doll carriage
and a stuffed doll with china head
which was made in Smyrna c.
1858; two pairs of wooden soled
ice skates, a small wooden cart,
a teddy bear, and a quaint hand
painted sled.
Attached to the mantel adjac-
ent to the tree are three stock
ings of various sizes, filled with
such goodies as nuts and oranges,
as we'll as small present in
each. In one a small doll is peep
ing out of the top while in an
other a brightly colored lead
soldier may be seen.
Over the mantel a wreath of
holly, typical of the choice of
evergreens for garnitures in Del
aware, contributed to the Christ
mas setting depicted in the ex-
hibit, and carries out as well the
decorative scheme adopt e d
throughout the Museum this year.
Also part of this years
Christmas display is an exhibit of
Christmas Seals, shown as part of
the observance of the fiftieth an
niversary Of the founding of this
movement. Exhibited are blocks
of Seals dating from 1907, the
first Christmas Seal having been
designed in 1904 by Miss Emily
| P. Bissel of Wilmington, where
they were first printed on a small
scale. Tracing the growth and
development of the Christmas
Seals movement from 1907-1954
the Seals show that it was the
Red Cross that first sponsored
their nationwide sale in 1908 and
1909. In the following year, 1910,
the National tuberculosis Associ-
alton was invited to join forces
with the Red Cross in sponsoring
and managing the sale. Since
1920 this organization has taken
over the complete responsibility
of the Seals, the proceeds being
used to combat tuberculosis. The
Seals exhibited at the Museum
among which is included photo
graph of Miss Bissel, were lent by
the Delaware Chapter of the
Anti-Tuberculosis Society through
the courtesy of Mr. Taggart
Evans, Executive Secretary.
The windows of No. l Building
will be lighted by a small electric
candle every evening from now
until January 6, TWelfth-night
) when the Christmas exhibit vii
be discontinued. A large ever
green wreath on the front door
and an arrangement on the tower
; stairway window sill are among
other seasonal decorations in tn,
building.
The toys and other articles
shown in the exhibit were almos
all received by the Museum a
gifts. The dress displayed on tn
mannequin was formerly ownet
by Mrs. Edmund c. Buckner 0
Wilmington, and presented to tn
Museum by Mrs. Walter Laird Q
that city. The doll carriage wa
gift of the State Department o
Continued on Page Eight)