The Reagan Library’s “An American Christmas” Trees Through the Decades Display
[ Click above to embiggen...the annual display of Christmas trees decorated with ornaments representing different decades of American history at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, California ]
Here’s a little Christmas cheer for you to enjoy on this very special day: images of the Reagan Library’s Christmas trees, decorated for each decade of our country’s history.
I think it’s especially fun once the trees hit the 20th Century and pop culture zooms to the forefront. My favorite tree is the 1920s with all the jazz baby silver and sparkle…but am partial to the 80s and 90s trees since those are the decades I grew up in. I was born in the decade of the 70s tree (though I’m a Ford, not a Carter, baby) but have more pity than emotional attachment to it. My boyfriend Justin’s a Reagan baby but is part of the Millennial generation, so he relates most to the 2000s tree.
Wouldn’t it be a fun hobby to start collecting ornaments that represented YOU or YOUR own decade and begin adding them to your family’s tree?
I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I do — please be sure to chime in below if you have any favorites from the trees.
[ Click below to see the Christmas trees ]
[ Click above to embiggen: the 1770s tree ]
[ Detail of the 1770s tree ]
[ Detail of the 1770s tree ]
[ Click above to embiggen: the 1780s tree at the Reagan Library. Note the large eagle where a star or angel is on most trees ]
[ Detail of the 1780s tree, with rocking chair and tricorner hat and General Washington ornament ]
[ Click to embiggen: Reagan Library's 1790s tree ]
[ Detail of 1790s tree: I love the tall mast ships ]
[ Click to embiggen: the 1800s tree at the Ronald Reagan Library's Christmas tree decorations display ]
[ Detail of the 1800s tree: what ornaments can you find that tell you about life in the American 1800s? ]
[ Click above to embiggen: 1810s decorations at the Reagan Library ]
[ Detail of the 1810s decorations: I'm reminded of the bravery, determination, and patriotism of Dolley Madison during the siege of Washington when she personally rescued the portrait of President Washington and saved other priceless American treasures so they would not be burned with the White House when the British troops advanced on the capital. Would that we had such a First Lady representing the forces of good in the White House today. ]
[ Click above to embiggen: 1820s Christmas tree in the Reagan Library's "An American Christmas" display ]
[ Detail of 1820s tree: what ornaments remind you of the American 1820s? ]
[ Click above to embiggen: the Reagan Library's 1830s-decorated Christmas tree ]
[ Detail of the 1830s decorated tree: note the beginnings of technical innovation (the firearms) and the Alamo ornament ]
[ Click above to embiggen: the Reagan Library's 1840s Christmas ornaments ]
[ Detail of the 1840s Christmas tree at the Reagan Library. Note the covered wagons and the American wildlife. Whenever I see these wagons, I think of how many entertainment writers on site like EW.com insert references to the antique computer game "Oregon Trail" whenever anything wagon-related pops up. Sometimes I see "You have died of dysentary" printed on tee shirts (it's a line from the game apparently). It's amazing, but my boyfriend Justin and I both never played "Oregon Trail" when we were in school, and he had never even heard of it. It was all about Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego where I grew up in Cleveland, apparently. ]
[ Click to embiggen: the 1850s decorations at the Reagan Library in California ]
[ Detail of the 1850s decorations: how long do you think it will be before a kid would say, "What's the US Mail?", in much the same way that Justin asks "What was the 'Oregon Trail' game?"? ]
[ Click to embiggen the 1860s tree at the "An American Christmas" display at the Reagan Library ]
[ Detail of the 1860s tree at the Regan Library: I think they found a very respectful and interesting way to depict this turbulent decade in our history ]
[ Click to embiggen the 1870s tree at the Reagan Library's "An American Christmas" display ]
[ Detail of the 1870s tree at the Reagan Library: my friend Robby's dad is obsessed with model trains, so I had to include this shot specifically as a shoutout to him. It also made me think of Barack Obama's stupidity in calling it the "intercontinental railroad" in a speech earlier this year -- something you would still be hearing about, on a daily basis, if George W. Bush or Sarah Palin had said that ]
[ Click to embiggen: the 1880s tree in the "An American Christmas" display at the Reagan Library ]
[ Detail of the 1880s tree: notice the Victorian elements that are appearing. Justin's very into the "steampunk" style of art, comics, cosplay, and other "Jules Verne" design so this was one of his favorite trees ]
[ Click to embiggen: the 1890s tree at the Reagan Library's "An American Christmas" display ]
[ Detail of the 1890s tree at the "An American Christmas" display. What ornaments do you like best? ]
[ Click to embiggen: the "An American Christmas" 1900s tree ]
[ Detail of the Reagan Library's 1900s tree. Note the "teddy" bear as homage to President Theodore Roosevelt ]
[ Click above to embiggen: the 1910s tree at the Reagan Library's "An American Christmas" display ]
[ Detail of the 1910s tree at the Reagan Library's "An American Christmas" display ]
[ Click to embiggen above: the 1920s tree in the "An American Christmas" display at the Reagan Library. There are a bunch of detail shots for the 1920s below, because this tree had so many interesting things in it. The bathtub gin, the stock market crashing, Al Capone and Babe Ruth, etc. ]
[ Click above for details of the 1920s tree. I hate saying this aloud because I don't want to depress anyone on Christmas Day, but I really feel like we're living like it's 1928 or 1929 right now. We're in a Depression already, but the "big thinkers" in the media aren't admitting it. Barack Obama is most definitely worse than Herbert Hoover and everything the Democrats are doing today is worse than what the fools in Congress did in the last years of the 1920s, when financial ruin could have been avoided if wiser minds had prevailed. We have so much glitter, so much frivolty, so much of everything in flux right now...just like the 20s. It all reminds me of a big party at Jay Gatsby's where everyone's been pigging down the champagne and canapes and no one realizes there's a big bill to pay come sunup. So this is a bittersweet tree for me, because I not only know that the big party of the 20s ended, but I know how it ended...and how the big party right now's going to end too and it makes me sad. ]
[ Click above to embiggen: the 1930s trees in the "An American Chrstmas" display at the Reagan Library in California. From here on out, there are going to be a lot of detail shots in every decade, since pop culture and commercial brands became a bigger and bigger deal. There's lots of movie and TV related ornaments and a lot more homages and tributes to various important people in the decade. Because of TV and movies, we have much more information about every decade from here on out in our every day consciousness than most of us do of the 1920s and earlier. It's really interesting for me to see that in each of these trees ]
[ Details of the 1930s tree at the Reagan Library. I particularly love the zeppelins, because I will always have a wish that giant airships would come back into vogue and be used again in this country, the way they are in the alternate universe in books like "The Two Georges" and on the TV show "Fringe". I also love the Grant Wood painting being included, since that hangs here in Chicago. The Empire State and Chrysler buildings are favorite contributions to architecture created in the 30s as well. ]
[ Click above to embiggen: the 1940s tree in the "An American Christmas" display at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California ]
[ Details of the 1940s "An American Christmas" tree. I love all the models of the military ships and planes. When I was a kid, I had a lot of relatives who would get me model kits for Christmas and birthdays. I used to love to build them, but add jet engines to the ships from the plane models, and attach balloons to the destroyers too and create amalgam ships from a retro-future alternate time stream. That was totally my way of covering the fact that I was terrible at making the models and could never get them to look the way they were supposed to on the box, so I'd go with "I was using my creativity and making something new and original instead". That trick has worked incredibly well in almost anything I have done in life, actually. ]
[ Click above to embiggen the 1950s tree at the "An American Christmas" display ]
[ Details of the 1950s tree at the "An American Christmas" display at the Reagan Library. Note: in the tree, you can spot small pictures of men and women in uniform. These aren't famous people, they are the staff of the Reagan Library who served in the military. Keep a look out for them in the 1950s trees and beyond. I believe everyone who served that is on staff has a picture somewhere in one of the trees. I don't think there are any WWII vets on staff there, but there are Korean War vets. If you haven't already this Christmas, please take a moment to thank everyone who has ever worn the uniform to serve this country...I admire these people every day and forever wish I could have had the opportunity to be one of them and do something to serve this country. ]
[ Click above to embiggen: the 1960s tree in the "An American Christmas" display at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California ]
[ Details above are from the 1960s tree at the "An American Christmas" display. Note the campaign material from Ronald Reagan's bid for California Governor on the tree. This is the decade that Reagan made the transition from movie star to politician. ]
[ In case you were wondering how these trees are arranged, the Library has them right next to one another in order of the decades they represent. It takes about four large galleries to display all the trees, beginning with the 1770s and ending in the 2010s. Justin has that look on his face that means "Haven't you taken enough pictures yet?". You can't see it, but I have the familiar-to-Justin look of, "No, Justin, there can never be enough pictures, ever." ]
[ Click to embiggen: 1970s Christmas ornaments at the Reagan Library ]
[ Details of the 1970s tree. My favorite part? The hidden tribute to the beginning of Oprah Winfrey's broadcasting career, which started in the late 1970s. Hint: look for the TIE Fighter ]
[ Click above to embiggen: the 1980s Christmas ornaments at the Ronald Reagan Library ]
[ Detail of 1980s ornaments in the "An American Christmas" display at the Reagan Library. I could easily go on for pages about every item I spot on this tree -- and the trees for the 90s, 2000s, and the 2010s -- but I won't. I just have to say though, how nice "A Fresh Start" sounds right about now and how "The Ordeal Ends" still rings true. Isn't it amazing just how much Barack Obama has channeled the malaise of Jimmy Carter. It breaks my heart that Sarah Palin chose not to run for President; she could have been a new Ronald Reagan if only she had answered America's call to duty. I'm disappointed every day she didn't run, because we need a Reagan-esque patriot in 2012 more than we've ever needed "a fresh start" ever before. ]
[ Click above to embiggen the 1990s Christmas ornaments at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California ]
[ Details of the 1990s Christmas ornaments in the Reagan Library's "An American Christmas" display. I was in high school in the 90s, so the first thing that always comes to mind when I think of the decade is a random weekday in my junior year Chemistry class when my lab partner Brett told me he wasn't going to be in school the next day to finish our experiment because he was going to camp out at Radio Shack to buy windows. I was horrified for him, thinking his parents were making him do this -- but then I wondered why Radio Shack was selling windows. Why not camp out at Home Depot? Were windows in short supply all of a sudden? Then he told me it was an "operating system", and I pictured the Milton Bradley board game. I had no idea what Microsoft Windows was at the time, since I was still using a 1930s Underwood pound-the-keys style typewriter at home (that still works just fine to this day, and weighs approximately 200 pounds) and the only computer in my high school was the one in the chem lab, which ran on an amber and black-screen DOS prompt system. I wouldn't see the "Windows" Brett talked about until I sat in front of Windows 95 in college a few years later. ]
[ Click above to embiggen the 2000s ornaments at the "An American Christmas" display in the Reagan Library ]
[ Details of the 2000s Christmas tree ornaments at the Reagan Library. It's still emotionally raw for me to see the Twin Towers, even in model form. All I can think about is my friend Jane who died the day Muslims destroyed those buildings in the name of Islam. I get so angry just seeing this ornament and thinking of all the lives stolen by "the religion of peace". I'm also struck by the 180 this put me through regarding those buildings. For years, I thought they were the ugliest things in the world and I wished they'd be remodeled in some way because they were so 70s-blah on the Manhattan skyline. I'd also associate them with the game "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?", since two of her henchmen (named "Double Trouble") would frequently try to steal the Twin Towers in one of their number-two-based crimes (as in, things that come in pairs, not as in feces). In the late 90s, I started going to New York a few times a year because I had a lot of friends from college who lived there and were just starting out in their careers in the financial companies in Manhattan. So I started to see the Twin Towers a lot in the background, when visiting these friends in the City. Then, when Jane got a job in one of the Towers, I started meeting her for breakfast at Windows of the World, which was a super convenient commute from her office. I get sick to my stomach thinking about the buildings now, and all the amazing people Islam murdered that day. I don't care how many trees get added to this Reagan Library exhibit in the future or how many thousands of ornaments get hung in the future, it is never going to get any easier for me to think of 9/11. Never forget, remember the Jane. ]
[ Click above to embiggen the 2010 decorations at the Reagan Library ]
[ Detail of the 2010s decorations at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California. Apparently, this decade is going to be all about the Riddler. Which is fitting, seeing as how Barack Obama is such a Joker and a rogues' gallery of other assorted fools and villains have currently taken over the country. Where's Batman-or-woman when we need them? ]
I hope you enjoyed these photos. I took them when Justin and I were in California doing an Operation Gratitude care-package drive in November, and my good friend Penny was kind enough to drive us all the way out to Simi Valley to see the Reagan Library.
If you liked seeing these shots and would like to see more of the Library, let me know and I’ll put the rest of the pictures up for you to see as well. I never know whether people enjoy these sorts of things or not — and it takes so long for me to load images on this old computer, so I don’t know if it’s worth the time to do this. If you enjoy it and get something out of it, I am happy to spend this time though. Just let me know.
I just had to share the Christmas trees from the “An American Christmas” display though, because they were just so gorgeous.
© 2011, Kevin DuJan. All rights reserved.
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Wow. Those are UNBELIEVABLY cool trees! Thanks Kevin!
beautiful.
I was fortunate to see this at the Reagan Library. You did a great job with the pictures; the trees are too large to fit an entire tree in one shot. The trees are stunning, and they have all sorts of lovely, touching, and quirky details. For example, Al Capone is somewhat 'hidden' towards the back for the 1920s tree. I imagine many of you are too young to appreciate my favorite touch: a ticket book from Disneyland with an E Ticket remaining! Wow!
I REMEMBER 'E' TICKETS! In fact, I was just explaining that to Kevin and Justin when we went to Disneyland!
Loved the trees, loved the details, loved the explanations and asides…..My favorite is the 50's tree, I knew immediately what I was seeing when I saw Barbie and her black and white striped swimsuit. I was born in 1951 and I adored that decade even when I was a child, I knew it was a good time to be living. I thought it would go on, suspected something was wrong when the Beatles hit and knew I was screwed when my first day on a college campus I wasn't seeing so many guys in letterman sweaters as hippies.
Totally agree with the Sarah Palin comment.