Baby boomers at Christmas - 1948


Although technically I qualify as a "Baby Boomer" (or "Boomer" as they're just called nowadays), to me true Baby Boomers were born right after World War II. And it must have been an amazing time.

This ad, which I found on the Duke University site, is advertising the Pennsylvania Railroad, has a little girl being visited by Santa Claus, and the train conductor. Presumably visions of sugarplums are dancing in her head! I'm no expert on guessing the age of kids - maybe two? or three? Anyway, born right after the end of the war, and the beginning of a huge boom of babies.

The war is over, and the past four years are something that people are anxious to put behind them. The future is bright, and the decade of the fifties is about to begin. The "can do" attitude of the United States which helped to win the war still thrives, and the economy is booming (along with the babies!).


Of course, not everyone could afford to ride in such luxury, but for people who could, they did, no longer ashamed of it, no longer feeling that they would get in the way of the war effort. It was a magical time, and a time of generosity. It was the time of Santa Claus. Merry Christmas!

Images from the Duke University Library Digital Collections.

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