Christmas From Around the World – All In One Window


Posted on by Dr. James McMahon

A Seasonal Storefront Window

Storefront hearth window display with hearth in center
Armstrong product window display, Chandler & McBrearty, Sacramento, CA, undated. LancasterHistory, Armstrong Archive.

Seasonal holiday window displays offer businesses and organizations unique opportunities to not only sell their products but to do so in an entertaining and sometimes informative way. Such is the case in this undated negative of a window display created by retailers Chandler & McBrearty in Sacramento, California discovered in the Armstrong Archive, as managed by the staff of LancasterHistory. Unfortunately, no print exists of the original image and the negative has been damaged by the passage of time. What appears to be snow is actually imperfections in the negative and the wording in the center of the image is now difficult to read. Despite these challenges, a close examination of the image clearly reveals the spirit of the season conveyed in a succinct and thoughtful manner.

A Christmas Message in Eight Different Languages

Superimposed over the hearth in the center of this Chandler & McBrearty window display are the words “MERRY CHRISTMAS” and the biblical phrase “Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men.” Beginning in the lower left corner and continuing in a clockwise direction around the hearth, seven versions of a Christmas greeting in seven different languages (in addition to English) appear on the window. Special thanks to Google Translate for identifying both the language and the text!

  • French: Noel Noel (Christmas Christmas)
  • Spanish: Noche de Navidad (Christmas Eve)
  • Bosnian: Cestitorm Porodenje Isuovo (Congratulations on the Birth of Jesus)
  • Italian: Buone Festa Natalizie (Happy Christmas Holidays)
  • Greek: Eftihimena Christougena (Merry Christmas)
  • Norwegian: Gladelig Jul (Merry Christmas)
  • German: Frohliche Weinacht (Merry Christmas)

Chandler & McBrearty

Advertisement for a flooring distributor.
Advertisement for Chandler & McBrearty, Sacramento, California City Directory, 1943.

Macy’s in New York City created what is considered to be the first themed holiday window display in 1874. Designed to delight shoppers and entice them into the store, the idea quickly spread to other cities, states, and countries. The possibilities of advertising and promotion did not escape the keen eye of Armstrong employees or their network of distributors, contractors and retailers spread across the country.

Although we have no idea when H.D. Chandler and W.L. McBrearty brought together their respective talents to form their household furnishings company, the date of this image, or how successful this display might have been, the effort is of interest for both the number of messages and the variety of languages and cultures represented in those messages. Indeed, one wonders what prompted Chandler and McBrearty to select these particular phrases. Were they indicative of their clientele or the ethnic makeup of the city or neighborhood of the time? Perhaps they reflect an effort to reach out to new audiences or maybe even the ethnicities of their own employees.

While we may never know for certain the answer to some of our questions, one thing we do know for certain is that the creativity and ingenuity of firms like Chandler & McBrearty in creating seasonal holiday window displays like this coupled with Armstrong’s own deserved reputation for quality, creativity and efficiency helped what was then Armstrong Cork Company (now Armstrong World Industries) become the leader in the resilient flooring industry.

From Object Lessons