In times of hardship and in times of wealth, Maine and her people have always put the value of Christmas in time shared with family and friends, connections with the natural world, rich traditions, and warm wood stoves. In a collection featuring essays, stories, and poetry, All Is Calm is a look at the lives of Mainers during the holidays from the mid-1800s, to the Great Depression, to modern day. Spanning nearly 200 years, these stories show that while Christmas traditions and trends may be changing, the warmth, gratitude, and humility of the Maine spirit is evergreen. As a finalist in Anthology for the 2020 Maine Literary Award and one of Islandport Press' most popular titles, All Is Calm has been revised to include even more content for even more holiday cheer!
The image below is an unseen full spread headlined "Christmas shopping headquarters for Portland and all Maine", parts of which are featured in All Is Calm. Illustrations from a 1926 ad in the Portland Press Herald show what the Porteous, Mitchell
& Braun storefront looked like decorated for the holidays, as well as selection of gifts featuring ladies and men's colored gift umbrellas, gift watches, gloves and more. Electric appliances were still a novelty in 1926 and were on the pricier side. Waffle irons were $10, which adjusted for inflation would be over $150!
Click on the image to expand and take a closer look at Christmas life in 1926.
תגובות