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6 Holiday Gift Guide Supplement of The Canadian Statesman, Wednesday, November 21,1990 Christmas Shopping Since 1908 Even near the begin- editions, we learn that of this century, you boys' overcoats were $5. Bedrooms suites could be purchased for $12 and up. A subscription to the Bowmanville News was $1 for a year. And, if you were contemplating contemplating a trip abroad, ning ( could find Christmas shoppers and possibly even a Santa Claus in downtown Bowmanville. We may sometimes think that our ancestors kept Christmas in ways which are far different from our own. ng you could book second class passage on a ship to If you come with us on Liverpool England for|- a Christmas shopping ex- $42.50. ' pedition through various Conspicuous by their decades of Bowmanville absence are the children's in the 20th Century, toys. You will find them you'll discover many simi- in the early editions of larities between Christmas Christmas then and now. Through the advertisements advertisements and news items contained in back copies of The Bowmanville News and The Canadian The Statesman published in this century. But not in the variety that we know today. And they tended to be items such books, skates, and as f dr dolls radier than our Statesman, you can sense plastic playthings of the the expectation and ex- 1990's, citement which accompa- Barbie and Ken had mied Christmas. You can not been invented yet. also feel the color and And the phrasé "Batter- good cheer and maybe . ies not Included" had yet even imagine the down- to be coined, town main street under a Dolls, blanket of snow as shop- blocks, pers make their Christmas Christmas preparations. But the differences are perhaps of greatest interest interest as we look back on Christmases past. Christmas in 1908. Our first stop in this imaginary Christmas shopping expedition to the early years of our century century will find us in downtown downtown Bowmanville in December December of 1908. You might notice that although modern shoppers shoppers and merchants start their pre-Yuletide efforts shortly after Halloween, the stores of Bowmanville really didn't come alive with the Christmas spirit until early December. They didn't rush thé seasons back then. Or, so it would appéar. The novelty of a photo graphic Christmas present was one suggestion. suggestion. "Can you think of anything at the price that could be more appreciated appreciated than a dozen photographs," photographs," asked a photographer photographer . in an advertisement appearing in The Bowmanville News. As usual, the newspaper newspaper carried its customary patent medicine advertis- ments -- evidence, perhaps, perhaps, of the fact that medical knowledge was ames, building rawing slates, nng toss and fish pond are listed as gift ideas by one merchant. Season's tickets for the public skating rink were another another gift idea Even in 1908, however, you will see Santa Claus much as we know him today. today. In his fur-trimmed suit, he drives his reindeer reindeer across one of the advertisements advertisements found in The Bowmanville News in 1908. Electrical Appliances As we move forward to 1919, we will find a new consumer item as a potential potential Christmas present. We are' referring to those items which are powered by electricity. An advertisement from The Bowmanville News of 1919 states that "carrying "carrying six pcrnnd irons back a hot is some thing no sensible woman still relativel in an era wit! i sparse and out antibio tics, folks tended to treat themselves. If you fell victim victim to some pre- Christmas malady, you might rely on Dr. spark's vegetable ointment, Mil- burn's Heart and Nerve Pills or Beecham's Pills. But, we're straying somewhat from the Christmas shopping theme of this trip through time. Let's look at some possible Christmas Christmas presents and Christmas Christmas treats for the table. Couch, Johnston and Cryderman were advertising advertising a "lovely lot of new and forth from stove for hours g i should put up with." One solution might have been to let a sensible man do the ironing. But the advertisement advertisement suggests, instead, instead, that the consumer purchase "The new Canadian Canadian Beauty electric iron." Toasters were also available. If you had something less exotic in mind for a 1919 Christmas present, you might have chosen a shirt which ranged in price from $1.25 to $2.50. New shipments of records are another thoughtful gift idea and they were on sale for 75 cents rather than the usual 90 cents each. A merchant known as F.O. Mason proclaimed that his motto was "not how much I can get but how much I can give for the money." He advertised, advertised, for children, gifts such as mechanical toys, skàtes, rocking horses, games, and hand sleighs. And, in this particular year, Santa appears in not only the pre-Yuletide goods suitable for Christ- advertising, but also one mas presents such as handkerchiefs, plain and embroidered." Tnere were also fancy collars, neckties, neckties, gloves (lined and un- lined), toques, gaiters, and golf jackets. And what of the prices? prices? Well, not all of the advertised advertised goods included a price. But from advertisements advertisements in the December of the downtown stores. Santa was billed as guest of honor at Stickle and Sons' store. He promised promised a bag of candies to every child during a visit on Monday afternoon, December December 22. What did things cost in 1919? Well, to get some idea of prices, consider this news item which ap peared in the December 5 issue of The Bowmanville News. In it, the editor advocated advocated better salaries for teachers. He noted "any young man or woman who was fully qualified to direct and teach at a public public school should not receive receive a salary less than $1,000 per year." Christmas in *38 Radios priced as low as bargain fare of $1.10. $74.50 were advertised Eight Christmas cards for the Christmas shop- sold for 14 cents, per in 1938. And, if you were con- If you were shopping sidering a newfangled for the kids, you might electrical appliance, you something for the Christmas Christmas table, you might have purchased round steak roast at 16 cents a pound or prime rib at 19 cents per pound. Should you happen to have travel plans for the holidays, you could have Booked a round-trip ticket ticket to Toronto on a Canadian Canadian Pacific train for the ble for $4.40. Santa Claus made a special appearance in Bowmanville, complete with a parade that included included the fire truck, the Legion Band, and the town's Cubs and Scouts. Christmas in *55 Take a walk down the main street during Christmas of 1955 and the impact of the postwar postwar boom can be seen in the number of consumer oods • available to the consider a tricycle at $5.95 or dolls anc stuffed animals at 10 cents and up. Story books were listed listed at 15 cents apiece. If you were considering hristmas shopper. If you were thinking of might want to purchase a taking the big step to new streamlined toaster matrimony, you could at $8.95 from The Hydro purchase an engagement Shop. (Phone num- ring, complete with three ber:471.) They also had diamonds, for $125. In standard toasters availa- the category of more mod estly-priced gifts, ladies' blouses were selling for $2.98 to $4.98. Bulova watches had a price range from $39.75 to $95 and a box of chocolates cost 89 cents. For the festive tables, turkeys were priced 1 at 53 cents per pound. And, if you wanted to buy the family a new TV set for the holiday, you were looking at a price of between $159.95 and 339.95. Refrigerators went for $210 and chesterfield chesterfield suites were advertised advertised at $99 and up. An added novelty was the extension telephone which was advertised in pre-Christmas editions of Please Turn to Page 18 $ The Friendly Staff at Guardian Drugs invite you to visit andftfce advantage of this Christmas Cash Coupon SAVE $100 ON ANY PURCHASE (except prescriptions, tobacco and sale items) with this coupon only until Dec. 1,1990 Cannot be used in conjunction with Free Stamp offer Dec. 13 - 24/90 50 Mill St N. at King St. Newcastle Village 987-3435