Pitcairn Christmas in the Upper Hall

In this picture there are two photographs that show Raymond and Mildred, and their family, celebrating Christmas in Glencairn. There is also a very large painting above the fireplace. This painting is a new version of an original painting that the Pitcairn's hung here. The original was done by an artist named Frank Snyder. The new one that hangs above the fireplace today was done by an artist named Edwin Herder. Both versions of the painting were based on an illustration in a children's book called The Christ Child, by Maud and Miska Petersham, who were well known in the 1930s as illustrators of children’s books.

The Pitcairns had nine children and many grandchildren. Most of them lived close by, so the family’s Christmas day meal took place at a long table that stretched from this fireplace toward the other end of the hall. Adults sat at the main table while the children had their own smaller tables on either side. A menu from 1960 included 4 turkeys, potatoes, gravy, 5 pounds of chestnuts, and 5 pounds of cranberries. The meal was served by 7 waitstaff, with a staff of 5 in the kitchen.