
Christmas Shopping

In 1907, the Christmas shopping scene was no different. In the collection of Rouse Hill House & Farm is a David Jones Christmas catalogue that assures shoppers “The Puzzling Christmas Question…Answered by David Jones Ltd’.
The cover depicts a jolly Santa complete with hat and abundant gift sack. Inside, 32 pages offer up all manner of items such as silver mounted toilet ware for the dressing table, handbags, picnic baskets, stands for hat pins, toys and games, delicate lace collars and scarves. The men are not forgotten with silver shaving equipment, leather cigar cases and grooming sets. There is also elegant table ware including a sterling silver sweet tray and a silver plated dinner gong.
The catalogue may well have been the inspiration for many purchases, as held in the collection of Rouse Hill House is a lace scarf that one imagines was purchased after being admired within its pages.
It is easy to picture the children of the Rouse and Terry household pouring over the catalogue, imaging the gifts they may receive, just as children do today.
Merry Christmas and happy shopping!
You can see a selection of our digitised Trade Catalogues collection on the Internet Archive.

Shaving stand
Illustration from Christmas catalogue: “The Puzzling Christmas Question…Answered by David Jones Ltd’.

Oriental lace plastron
Illustration from Christmas catalogue: “The Puzzling Christmas Question…Answered by David Jones Ltd’.

Fitted tea basket and luncheon basket
Illustration from Christmas catalogue: “The Puzzling Christmas Question…Answered by David Jones Ltd’.

Tandem auto cars
Illustration from Christmas catalogue: “The Puzzling Christmas Question…Answered by David Jones Ltd’.

Sterling silver sweet tray
Illustration from Christmas catalogue: “The Puzzling Christmas Question…Answered by David Jones Ltd’.

Sterling silver ring stand and pincushion
Illustration from Christmas catalogue: “The Puzzling Christmas Question…Answered by David Jones Ltd’.

Sterling silver hat-pin stands
Illustration from Christmas catalogue: “The Puzzling Christmas Question…Answered by David Jones Ltd’.

Silver-mounted toiletware
Illustration from Christmas catalogue: “The Puzzling Christmas Question…Answered by David Jones Ltd’.

Silver toilet set
Illustration from Christmas catalogue: “The Puzzling Christmas Question…Answered by David Jones Ltd’.
Culture Up LateFriday 11 December 2020
This summer Sydney Living Museums will join other major arts and cultural institutions for Culture Up Late, a NSW Government initiative aimed at revitalizing Sydney’s cultural life.
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Rouse Hill Estate
Play along with us: House Music at Your HouseMonday 17 August 2020
We invite you to join us in a new musical experiment, bringing the music of the 19th century into the 21st century. We’ve delved into the hundreds of popular songs that survive in the collection at Rouse Hill Estate and we’ve also asked some brilliant musicians to help you explore these pieces of music from their homes and in our historic houses.
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