The yearly occurrence of Christmas invites celebrations to maintain a sense of tradition and nostalgia. Steeped in the Colonial Revival atmosphere of Williamsburg in the 1930s with the reconstruction of historic buildings on campus and Duke of Gloucester Street, the Yuletide season featured events with traditional inspirations. Illustrators filled various editions of The Night Before Christmas printed during the era with interior scenes of fireplaces, Colonial Revival furnishings, and old-fashioned clothing. W&M President John S. Bryan hosted a series of elaborate costumed Christmas dinners and parties following the annual Yule Log ceremony to restore student, faculty, and staff morale in the midst of the Great Depression.
Images of the exhibit are available from Special Collections on Flickr.
Curator: Jennie Davy, Burger Archives Specialist: Exhibit design and installation: Jennie Davy, Burger Archives Specialist; with installation assistance from Priscilla Wood, Special Collections Volunteer, Lauren Wallace, Graduate Assistant, and Rachel Thomas, Graduate Assistant.