Candle lantern
Date: between 1875 and 1925
This turn-of-the-century candle lantern was designed to hang from the branches of a Christmas tree and prevent wax from dripping on the tree.

Children with a Christmas tree in Topeka, Kansas
Creator: Steen, G. B.
Date: 1904
This is a photograph made from a glass plate negative showing a young boy and girl with a Christmas tree in Topeka, Kansas. The young girl is riding a rocking horse and the boy is decorating the tree.

Christmas 1964 at the Karl Menninger residence in Topeka, Kansas
Date: December 25, 1964
Dr. Karl and Jean Menninger with Babar at Christmas. Dr. Karl wrote fifteen books and many articles on psychiatry and mental health.

Christmas card from the Menninger School of Psychiatric Nursing in Topeka, Kansas
Date: 1941
This Christmas card is a formal portrait of the Menninger School of Psychiatric Nursing staff and students in Topeka, Kansas, in 1941.

Christmas decorations at a home in Topeka, Kansas
Creator: King, Orin C.
Date: 1961
This is a photograph showing three women posed with Christmas decorations. The women in the photograph are Ruth E. Linder, who lived at 415 Harrison; Ruth Worsley, who lived at 426 Topeka Avenue; and Ethel E. Linder, widow of Clarence Linder, who lived at 523 Harrison and managed Linder Furnished Rooms at 408 Harrison in Topeka, Kansas.

Christmas in Silkville
Date: 1889
This photograph was taken of Silkville, Kansas residents at Christmastime. From left to right are Mrs. Lockhart, Mrs. Bitts, and son, Frank Bitts, Mr. Ernest V. de Boissiere, C. Sears, Mrs. A.V. Cobb, Laura Bitts, and Mary Cobb.

Christmas in the 1870s
Creator: Adams, Harriet Elizabeth, 1867-1938
Date: June 20, 1928
Harriet E. Adams wrote this reminiscence in 1928 about her childhood memories of Christmas. The story describes the family's preparations for Christmas, the activities of her older sister Zu Adams in creating an atmosphere appealing to her younger siblings, and their typical Christmas morning. Though the family lived in Topeka, Kansas at the time this reminiscence was written, they were living near Marysville in Marshall County when Harriet was seven. The story was written as part of the efforts of Lilla Day Monroe to collect reminiscences concerning the women's perspective in settling Kansas. Zu Adams was a long time employee of the Kansas State Historical Society and her father Franklin Adams was the first secretary (executive director) of the Society.

Christmas overseas gifts
Date: Between 1939 and 1945
World War II era poster of a drawing of Santa Claus wearing a military helmet. The subtitle reads "Mail between Sept. 15 - Oct. 15."

Christmas party for children from the Menninger Child Care Center in Topeka, Kansas
Date: December 1993
A child care facility was built on the Menninger west campus in Topeka, Kansas, for children of employees. These five photographs show a group of the children and their parents enjoying a Christmas Party at Thornlea Dining Room with Santa Claus.

Christmas postcard
Creator: H. Wessler
Date: 1910
Christmas postcard. Greeting on obverse reads "Wishing You A Jolly Merry Christmas" below an image of Santa Claus. Sent to Miss Iva Capps of Buffalo, Kansas from her Cousin Ed W. Green one cent stamp postmarked December 23, 1910 from Fredonia, Kansas. Card copyrighted 1910 by H. Wessler.

Christmas scene
Date: Between 1930s and 1940s
This photograph shows children gathered around a Christmas tree with their toys.

Christmas scene
Date: 1959
This black and white photograph shows a Christmas tree adorned with lights and decorations. In the foreground a woman is kneeling before the tree.

Christmas scene
Date: 1959
This black and white photograph shows a Christmas tree adorned with lights and decorations.

Christmas scenes at the Menninger Clinic in Topeka, Kansas
Date: December 1985
These three photographs show some of the Christmas celebrations at Menninger Clinic, Topeka, Kansas, on the West Campus. In 1982, the "West Campus", a much larger area than the first Menninger Clinic on the "East Campus", was developed west of Topeka. It was a residential scale community of 28 structures on a 350 acre hilltop campus. In 2003, the Menninger Foundation moved to Houston, Texas.

Christmas tree, L.C. Walbridge Ranch, Russell County, Kansas
Date: Between 1870s and 1890s
This black and white photograph shows a Christmas tree adorned with dolls and popcorn at the L.C. Walbridge Ranch in Russell County, Kansas.

Christmas tree candleholder
Date: between 1870 and 1900
This counter-weighted Christmas tree candleholder was originally owned by Katherine and Albert Stehwir, who emigrated from Germany in 1879 to a farm near Midland, Kansas. The wire beneath the candle hooked over a tree branch and held the candle straight by means of the counterbalancing weight below. The weights were often clay (like this example) and painted in festive colors.

Christmas tree in the Tower Building Menninger West Campus in Topeka
Date: December 17, 1962
Two photographs of staff decorating a Christmas tree in the Tower Building, the administrative building on the west campus. Menninger is a leading psychiatric hospital dedicated to treating individuals with mood, personality, anxiety and addictive disorders, teaching mental health professionals and advancing mental healthcare through research. It was located in Topeka, Kansas, from 1925 to 2003 and is now in Houston, Texas.

Give war bonds, the present with a future
Date: Between 1939 and 1945
World War II era poster showing a drawing of a Christmas tree with war bonds hanging from it.

Governor Alfred Mossman Landon's family at Christmas
Creator: International News Photos, Inc
Date: December 26, 1935
This photograph represents Theo Cobb Landon (1898-1996), wife of Kansas Governor Alfred Mossman Landon, with two of their children, Nancy and John opening Christmas presents at the governor's mansion in Topeka, Kansas.

Group Family X-mas
Creator: Hughes, James Clark, 1888-1964
Date: Christmas 1919
This picture of Captain James Hughes' children was taken during the Christmas holidays, 1919. Although the picture is very poor, the oldest son, James Renwick is on the left. His two sisters Betty and Peggy are behind the black portion of the picture, and the youngest child, Bill, is on the right. James C. Hughes, as part of the 35th Division, left Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and traveled to Hoboken, New Jersey, where he boarded the troop ship "Ceramic" on May 18, 1918. Hughes arrived in Liverpool, England, on June 1, 1918 and then landed at Le Havre, France, on June 9, 1918. Hughes fought in the battles of St. Michael and the Meuse-Argonne. He was at Verdun on Armistice Day, November 11, 1918. He took no photos of the actual fighting. He did take many photographs after the war as part of the Army of Occupation until he left France on July 18, 1919. A full biography of James Clark Hughes is available at the link below to Kansapedia.

Group Family X-mas
Creator: Hughes, James Clark, 1888-1964
Date: Christmas 1919
Captain James C. Hughes took this picture of the Hughes family gathered together on Christmas Day, 1919. His children are in the front, from left to right, James Renwick born in 1911, Betty born in 1914, Peggy born in 1916. Bill, the infant born in 1918, while Hughes was in Europe participating in World War I is not in the picture. Mabel, Hughes' wife is the second from the left on the second row behind the children. Hughes' father, Col. James W. F. Hughes is standing with his wife, Mary on the far right. James C. Hughes, as part of the 35th Division, left Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and traveled to Hoboken, New Jersey, where he boarded the troop ship "Ceramic" on May 18, 1918. Hughes arrived in Liverpool, England, on June 1, 1918 and then landed at Le Havre, France, on June 9, 1918. Hughes fought in the battles of St. Michael and the Meuse-Argonne. He was at Verdun on Armistice Day, November 11, 1918. He took no photos of the actual fighting. He did take many photographs after the war as part of the Army of Occupation until he left France on July 18, 1919. A full biography of James Clark Hughes is available at the link below to Kansapedia.

Harry Walter Colmery's children
Date: between 1935 and 1939
This is a photograph of Harry W. Colmery's children (l to r) Mary, Harry W. Jr., and Sarah Elizabeth.

Joseph Thomas Westermann's family
Date: December 25, 1949
This is a photograph showing Joseph Thomas Westermann's family at Margaret Westermann Nick's house at Christmas. People in the photograph are standing (left to right) John A., Margaret Nick, Richard, Francis, Josephine Vogrin, Josephine Vogrin and seated Josephine Thomas Westermann.

L.C. Walbridge Ranch, Russell County, Kansas
Date: Between 1870s and 1890s
This black and white photograph shows two girls reading in front of a Christmas tree, adorned with dolls and popcorn, at the L.C. Walbridge Ranch in Russell County, Kansas.

L.C. Walbridge Ranch, Russell County, Kansas
Date: Between 1870s and 1890s
This black and white photograph shows a Christmas tree adorn with dolls, baskets and popcorn at the L. C. Walbridge Ranch in Russell County, Kansas. A number of toys have been arranged around the tree as well.