Figure 1.--Here we see a Christmas scene at home. The photograph is not dated, but the car styles on the box suggest the early 60s to us. We are not sure if the boy is wearing long stockings (which were made quite long at the time) or tights. A Reader writes, "It is rather difficult to tell, but I suspect the boy is wearing stockings rather than tights. Tights were becoming commercially available in West Germany during the late-50s/early-60s. Our writings from German readers inform us that most mothers preferred to stick with long stockings for boys because tights were much more expensive and because stockings could more easily be replaced if one stocking got damaged. This boy seems to be wearing informal clothes--play clothes or perhaps school clothes (he seems to be about 6 years old). The light tan color also suggests stockings--the dominant color for boys' hosiery in the 1950s and early 1960s. The tights I have seen from the 1960s tend to be dark brown or black, or perhaps white. Still, it is difficult to be certain."

Here we see a German Christmas scene at home. The photograph is not dated, but the car styles on the box suggest the early 1960s to us. We are not sure if the boy is wearing long stockings (which were made quite long at the time) or tights. We would say this is West Germany, primarily because of the gift box. I don't think the East Germans would have had Western cars like that. I doubt if any toy in East Germany depicted a Mercedes. Christmas could have been a clue too, but this is a home celebration. I don't think the East Germans prohibited home celebrations, but it would have been looked on supiciously if the parents had jobs of any status. We have no identity for the boy here. The home scene is rather spartan. All we can see are the chairs/sofa. So there are not a lot of cluses about the affluence of the family. The furtniture looks modern. We would guess he is about 7 years old. The boy wear wear a warm sweater with short pants and long stockings or tights. We might guess he is wearing tights. Germans have Father Christmas rather than Santa Clause. Father Christmas was an important par of a German Christmas. Notice the mask used for the Father Christmas costume.

Chronology

The home snapshot here is undated. It is clear it was taken about 1960, however, based on the style of the cars on the toy box. Certainly it was taken in the late 1950s or early 60s. A German reader writes, "I asked in a car-collector forum when this toy car race set was produced. There I leaned that it was produced during 1963-67."

Location

A reader asks if this is a West or East German scene. We would say this is West Germany, primarily because of the gift box. I don't think the East Germans would have had Western cars like that. I doubt if any toy in East Germany depicted a Mercedes. The toy maker is Faller which should also help locate the family. Perhaps German readers will recognize the company. Christmas could have been a clue too, but this is a home celebration. I don't think the East Germans prohibited home celebrations, but it would have been looked on supiciously if the parents had jobs of any status.

Boy

We have no identity for the boy here. The home scene is rather spartan. All we can see are the chairs/sofa. So there are not a lot of cluses about the affluence of the family. The furtniture looks modern. We would guess he is about 7 years old.

Clothing

The boy wear wear a warm sweater with short pants and long stockings or tights. Two HBC readers including and the reader's mother believes th boy is wearing long stockings. HBC might guess he is wearing tights. Here the fit suggests tights to us. Also the factvthat the photograph was taken in the early or mid-60s suggests that he is wearing tighrs which rapidy were replaced by tights in the late-50s. I believe that long stockings disappeared very quickly one tights became available. A Reader writes, "It is rather difficult to tell, but I suspect the boy is wearing stockings rather than tights. Tights were becoming commercially available in West Germany during the late-50s/early-60s. Our writings from German readers inform us that most mothers preferred to stick with long stockings for boys because tights were much more expensive and because stockings could more easily be replaced if one stocking got damaged. This boy seems to be wearing informal clothes--play clothes or perhaps school clothes (he seems to be about 6 years old). The light tan color also suggests stockings--the dominant color for boys' hosiery in the 1950s and early 1960s. The tights I have seen from the 1960s tend to be dark brown or black, or perhaps white. Still, it is difficult to be certain." Notice the house slippers--very common in a German home.

Father Christmas

Germans have Father Christmas rather than Santa Clause. Father Christmas was an important part of a German Christmas. Notice the mask used for the Father Christmas costume. This apparently was quite common. This was a major difference with American Santa Clause. The American costumes never used masks.

Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Introduction] [Activities] [Biographies] [Chronology] [Clothing styles] [Countries]
[Bibliographies] [Contributions] [FAQs] [German glossary] [Images] [Links] [Registration] [Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]

Created: 3:17 PM 9/9/2007
Last updated: 8:28 PM 9/14/2007