Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Guide to the Christina Patoski Holiday Photoprints

Summary

Collection ID:
NMAH.AC.0508
Creators:
Patoski, Christina
Dates:
circa 1973-1992
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
1 Cubic foot
2 boxes
16" x 20"
Repository:
Fourteen color photographic prints by Christina Patoski, depicting front-lawn and front-porch holiday displays (primarily Christmas) in various U.S. cities.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The fourteen photographs in this group are Cibachrome prints from 35mm. Kodachrome slides, documenting front-lawn and front-porch holiday displays (primarily Christmas) in various U.S. cities, including a variety of economic, ethnic, and regional groups, architectural genres, and decorating styles, documenting a "unique seasonal custom found only in America." Several images suggest attempts to broaden the cultural/religious basis of the celebration, combining Jewish traditions with the Christmas decorating tradition. Cities documented are Denver, Fort Worth, Minneapolis, Sun Valley (Idaho), Manhattan and Brooklyn, N.Y., Corpus Christi, Dallas, Ft. Lauderdale, New Orleans, and Santa Fe.
The Cibachrome prints are horizontal on 16" x 20" paper, with 22" x 28" mats, except for "Holiday Spectacular," which was used on an introductory panel in ta national Museum of American History exhibition, without a mat.

Arrangement

Arrangement
Collection is unarranged.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Photographer, documentary producer, and journalist, Christina Patoski began photographing front-lawn and front-porch Christmas displays in 1973, in Fort Worth, Texas, beginning with a house on Diaz Street in the Como neighborhood. She called the photograph "Red Extravaganza," and it inspired her to photograph other houses. Driving up and down Fort Worth Streets at Christmastime with her saxophonist husband Johnny Reno, she worked exclusively at night. Concentrating at first on the most elaborate displays, she later sought simpler, more personal decorations, and became more discriminating. She repeated in many areas of the country as part of an ongoing project spread over many years. She is interested in documenting "unusual" elements of popular culture within a variety of topical fields.
She told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, "I've seen so much, that for me to stop and take a photo now, it has to be something special… I've noticed, though, that there are a lot of houses decorated this year. And to me, that indicates a sense of optimism… when people decorate, there's a sense of good feeling."
Her photographic technique is simple, employing two fifteen-year-old 35mm cameras and low-speed Kodachrome film, using commercial processing. She has been photographing since she was a child, when her father encouraged her. Graduating from the University of Minnesota School of Journalism, she spent several years in Minneapolis as a dancer, choreographer, and television editor. She returned to Fort Worth in 1976 to work in television news, but since 1979 has been a free-lance writer, radio reporter (contributing to National Public Radio's "All Things Considered), and a producer and writer.
She is interested in documenting unusual elements of popular culture (what she calls "weirdness"), such as her Texas Monthly story, illustrated with her portraits, on Texas women with "big" hair. She maintains files on longhorn steer, pyromaniacs, tornadoes, and cheerleading, and considers herself a "Margaret Mead of popular culture."
Sources Jackie Koszczuk and Janet Tyson, "A Sense of the festive: Photographer captures home-grown Christmas Art," Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Section E, December 25, 1993, pp. 1, 4.

Administration

Author
David Haberstich
Custodial History
These photographs were selected by the Archives Center curator of photography from the National Museum of American History's exhibition, "A Front Yard View of the Holidays," December 11, 1993 to January 2, 1994. The exhibition was curated by Eleanor Boyne of the NMAH staff. The photographer agreed to donate fourteen prints to the Archives Center, and the remaining photographs were returned to the photographer.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Collection donated by Christina Patoski, December 14, 1994.
Processing Information
Collection processed by NMAH Staff, 1996.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Use
Christina Patoski retains copyright. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Preferred Citation
[Photograph title], Christina Patoski Holiday Photoprints, 1973-1992, Archives Center, National Museum of American History. Copyright Christina Patoski. Gift of the artist.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Photographs -- Color photoprints -- 1950-2000 Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Santa Fe (N.M.) -- Holiday decorations Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Brooklyn (N.Y.) -- Holiday decorations Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Dye destruction process Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Cibachrome (TM) Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Minneapolis (Minn.) -- Holiday decorations Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sun Valley (Idaho) -- Holiday decorations Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
New York (N.Y.) -- Holiday decorations Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Corpus Christi (Texas) -- Holiday decorations Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Christianity and other religions -- Judaism -- Holiday decorations -- 1970-2000 Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Judaism -- Customs and practices Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Denver (Colo.) -- Holiday decorations Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Fort Worth (Tex.) -- Holiday decorations Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Christmas decorations -- 1970-2000 Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hanukkah decorations -- 1970-2000 Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Housing -- 1950-2000 -- U.S. Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Decorations -- Holiday -- 1950-2000 -- U.S. Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
New Orleans (La.) -- Holiday decorations Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Dye destruction photoprints Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Dallas (Tex.) Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) -- Holiday decorations Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Holiday decorations -- 1970-2000 Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

Archives Center, National Museum of American History
P.O. Box 37012
Suite 1100, MRC 601
Washington, D.C. 20013-7012
Business Number: Phone: 202-633-3270
Fax Number: Fax: 202-786-2453
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