Keeper of the attic
About this site
A scrapbook of Christmases past, kept with care and labeled honestly.
Who's behind it
Christmas Memory Lane is curated by A.J. Stehling, a lifelong collector of Christmas nostalgia. It started as a way to gather the stories, songs, recipes and pictures that make December feel like December, and to keep the magic going for the next generation.
More of the curator's own story is coming soon.
How to read the labels
Every item on the site carries a small tag so you can tell real artifacts from recreations at a glance.
- Historic recording
Real early recordings, with performer, year and archive source (for example the Library of Congress National Jukebox).
- Historic scan
Pages scanned from real period material, such as the 1911 F.A.O. Schwarz catalog, linked to the original archive.
- Original story
Short fireside stories written for this site in the spirit of each era. They are not documented family history.
- Recipe adaptation
Period recipes rewritten with modern quantities and steps. Each one says whether it has been tested in our kitchen yet.
- Illustrated recreation
Postcards and broadcast notes recreated from typical period designs, not copies of specific surviving items.
- AI-assisted illustration
Newly made pictures in a vintage style. A date in a title means the period that inspired it, not when it was made.
Spotted a mistake?
History is easy to get almost right. If a date, credit or detail looks off, or you have a family memory or real postcard to share, we'd love to hear from you. A contact form is on the way.
Back to the stories →