Kitschmasland!: Christmas Decor from the 1950s through the 1970s

by Travis Smith

Welcome to Kitschmasland in a fun and nostalgic look at our infatuation with Christmas holiday decor from the 1950s and through the 1970s. This beautiful new book covers the gamut of decorations some whimsical, some beautiful ? and a treasure trove of campy kitsch that the author calls "Kitschmas!" Join a magical tour of retro homes decked out for the holidays, and enjoy a variety of festive holiday decorations from our not-too-distant past. Featuring vintage Christmas ornaments, trees, ceramics, and more, over 400 color photos and vintage magazine images are used to illustrate this whimsical journey through some of our favorite decades. This book is a delight for Kitschmas fans, decorators, and the thousands of people devoted to mid-century decor and design.

Genres: Christmas, Nonfiction

160 pages, Paperback

First published December 8, 2005

Reviews

[Sarah W Bowers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I needed a little kitschmas right this very minute. This book sleighed it.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a fun walk down memory lane. Anyone who grew up in the 50's. 60's and 70's will recognize many of the holiday decorations mentioned or pictured in the book as it discusses all the trends and interests from these past decades. Who knew Spudnik would influence our holidays as much as it did? Lots of good pictures, price quotes and text give you plenty of information if you are a collector or interested in becoming one. I really enjoyed seeing some decorations that I had forgotten all about, and who doesn't like seeing the shiny aluminum trees, or know someone who had one? A fun book to enjoy.

[Marty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Schiffer has published the best collectors’ books for years, hands down, no competition. Kitschmasland!! lives up to their reputation. This book is primarily captioned pictures of Christmas kitsch in wonderful MCM (Mid Century Modern) homes. Oh, the architecture and style! And updated prices of the kitsch are included. If MCM, kitsch and Christmas are your thing, this book is a must have!

[Angie Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of photos and, while I'm not ready to start collecting, I appreciate the approximate date of manufacture and estimates of flea market pricing. This book did have some printer's typos, though, which I find to be distracting.

[Book Club of One · Rating 2 out of 5]

A quick read, that is more of a browse. The book is short and predominately made up of photos of Christmas decorations with information about the item names as well as estimated value. The items are presented chronologically with each section including full room (or house) details from collectors who have created completely vintage spaces.
Even though of short length it gets repetitive. Also, whoever photographed the items did not go to the effort of making sure they did not show up in the reflections and some of their set up is visible with the more reflective ornaments.