Art Gallery: Holiday Glamour

This holiday season, we bring you 33 portraits of women from the pages of the Post, from 1920s beauties to 1950s fashion plates, all wishing you season’s greetings and winter cheer!

Sneaking away while the house is asleep, this couple stashes away their Christmas gifts.

 

Lavish parties and formal garb say sophistication, but this couple whisks each other away to steal a kiss under the mistletoe.

 

The warm candlelight from the tree makes this Christmas beauty radiant.

 

They may be celebrating the holidays miles apart, he’s still the focal point of her celebration.

 

This woman hopes for kisses from Christmases future.

 

Arms overflowing with parcels and holly, she can’t remember if she bought the pipes for Grandpa Joe. 

 

This merry maid has boughs of holly to spare.

 

Cheeks chilled to rosy red, there is no better way to enjoy the snow than a stroll with your two best friends. 

 

This festive flapper is cozy indoors while the snow piles up outside.

 

This hostess awaits her guests on a wintry evening.

 

 

Late nights in the winter are perfect for ice-skating…and maybe something more.

 

This elegant lady puts the finishing touches on the mistletoe.

 

There’s no better way to get into the holiday spirit than hanging garland with the one you love.

 

There is no time like the holidays for romance.

 

This holiday lady is eyeing the next victim of a playful pelting.

 

For some, snuggling up next to hearth and enjoying the solitude is a far better way to spend the holidays.

 

With a microphone and her sultry voice, she performs a stunning rendition of “Christmas Time.”

 

Who said kids get to have all the fun?

 

She’s almost late to her own party!

 

Holiday romance takes the chill out of the coldest nights.

 

A quiet moment before the whirlwind.

 

She recounts her encounter with her admirer at the park.

 

When he asked his best friend to join him for dinner he never expected to be the third wheel on his own date.

 

With fresh snow covering the ground, sleigh rides make the perfect escape from the festivities.

 

Poinsettia pinned and hair curled, this winter wonder catches the eye of all the guys.

 

This winter-clad socialite prepares to thrash any who threaten her fashion.

 

She sails with grace across the ice.

 

Out of all of the gifts she received, her favorite was the rose.

 

The best way to enjoy a fresh snowfall is with someone who can hold you close.

 

Waiting for someone under the mistletoe.

 

She coaxes him over for a midnight dance.

 

The letter in her hand doesn’t stave off this mistletoe kiss.

 

This postwoman is delivering season’s greetings in spite of the snowfall.

Classic Covers: A Kiss Under the Mistletoe

“…the Yule log and Christmas candle were regularly burnt, and the mistletoe, with its white berries, hung up, to the imminent peril of all the pretty housemaids,” wrote Washington Irving (1783-1859). This Victorian couple under the mistletoe was on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post December 15, 1900. How many people have our cover artists caught under that infamous plant?

Couple Under the Mistletoe

“…the Yule log and Christmas candle were regularly burnt, and the mistletoe, with its white berries, hung up, to the imminent peril of all the pretty housemaids,” wrote Washington Irving (1783-1859). This Victorian couple under the mistletoe was on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post December 15, 1900. How many people have our cover artists caught under that infamous plant?

Stealing a Christmas Kiss by J.C. Leyendecker

Never mind those feisty Victorians – this medieval couple is downright frisky. J.C. Leyendecker did this colorful cover for Christmas of 1933. Since the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe is said to date back to ancient times, such a scene may have very well occurred. Beyond the custom’s authenticity, the artist simply loved elaborate costumes – as did his famous protégé, below.

Mistletoe Kiss by Norman Rockwell

Norman Rockwell channeled colonial times for this cover from 1936. A traveler stopping in at the friendly tavern found mistletoe and proceeded to get, well, friendly, with a serving girl. Mistletoe as a plant is actually a parasite, spread by birds in a very non-romantic manner (through feces). Rather a humble beginning for something that came to represent amorous feelings.

Cousin Reginald Under the Mistletoe by Norman Rockwell

Rockwell did several covers of city-slicker Cousin Reginald and his ornery country cousins for Country Gentleman magazine, a sister publication to the Post. Here Reginald’s cousin, Red, is coaxing a very embarrassed Reginald into his first kiss under the mistletoe. Well, the young lady is willing! This cover is from 1917. The plant has been considered sacred, and later, a fertility herb. Something to think about when you’re passing under doorways.

Woman Gazing Up at Mistletoe by Harrison Fisher

Back in 1908, we find another willing lady. Perhaps she’s wishing upon the mistletoe for a particular suitor to find her. This parasitic plant possibly became revered because it was rare to encounter it, and when one did find it in the dead of winter, it was green and thriving, unlike the tree on which it fed. The kissing under the mistletoe tradition is said to date back to Norse times. It is hard to picture marauding Vikings getting mushy over a plant, but there you are. Hagar the Horrible smooching Helga under the mistletoe? Hey, it could happen.

Girl Under Mistletoe by J.C. Leyendecker

This cute cover is also from 1908. The young boy seems to want to fill out his dance card, but the girl appears to have more than a mere dance in mind. She isn’t budging until she gets a kiss! We agree – if you have mistletoe, don’t waste it – get your Christmas smooches. And have a happy holiday!