Christmas on State Street, Illinois: 1940s and Beyond (Images of America Series) »

A lifelong Chicago resident, as well as a Chicago nostalgia buff, Robert P. Ledermann has written many articles on Christmas in Chicago, is the local authority on Uncle Mistletoe, and, along with his wife Annette, has an extensive collection of Christmas memorabilia.

State Street, that Great Street. The name itself stands the test of time, remembered by anyone who lived in or visited Chicago. It is the main artery of the heart of the city. It is where memories were made and kept. This book vividly recreates, for the first time, a Christmas holiday trip down State Street. You will visit many of the major shops and stores that existed during the 1940s and beyond, viewing old display windows and getting reacquainted with famous Christmas characters such as Weiboldts's Cinnamon Bear, Montgomery Wards's Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and the crown jewel of State Street, Marshall Fields's Uncle Mistletoe. Through these historic photographs, many never before published, you will relive the excitement of State Street's Christmas parade, the charm of holiday dining in State Street's fine restaurants, and the magical wonder of a child's first holiday trip to State Street, complete with a visit to Santa.