Episode 56: The 2009 Genealogy Gems Christmas Podcast

GEM: Name That Tune

I'll See You In My Dreams was a big hit for Cliff Edwards who also performed it on the ukuele.  In fact he was known as "Uulele Ike."

If you think you know the name of today's mystery song, please email me call and leave the answer on the voice mail line at 925-272-4021.

  

Dec. 24, 1968  

In 1968 the three man crew of Apollo 8 became the first humans in history to orbit the moon.  Their hastily-planned mission saw them enter lunar orbit on Christmas Eve after a three day voyage from earth.  In one of a number of scheduled live TV broadcasts from the spacecrafts, the crew pointed their black and white camera at the lunar horizon and read the first ten verses of the Bible's book of Genesis.
 

 

History of British Christmas Traditions

I thought it would be fun to ask my friend James Mowatt of the Historyzine Podcast to tell us alittle bit about the history of Christmas in Britain, and describe how our British ancestors might have celebrated the holiday.

 

 

From 1940: Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret’s Christmas Speech
(Below: Princess Elizabeth along with her younger sister Margaret sending Christmas Greetings over the radio airwaves.)

   

 

From 1917:  Christmas, Christmas, Blessed Blessed Day   

 

From 1916:  Christmas Eve  Music Box  
A solo performed by Robert Gayler on the Celesta - Fantasie on old German Christmas Carols.     A celesta is  a struck idiophone operated by a keyboard.   It looks very much like a miniature upright piano or a large wooden music box.

 

 

From 1913: The Bells of Christmas
a collection of Christmas carols performed by the Edison Band (below) 

 

From 1911: A Christmas Classic – The Awakening of Scrooge  
Music Hall Performer Bransby Williams (b. 1870 - d.1961) recorded this for Edison Records.