

Shoppers and onlookers alike flock from far and wide to bask in the spectacle of holiday displays and consumerism in New York City. The grand exhibitions that are holiday windows got their start with H.R. Macy's first animated display in 1883, reports Collectors Weekly; a mechanical sleigh glided (in the way mechanical things glided in the late 1800's) over a circular track with Santa in tow. It was, at the time, a Christmas miracle, attracting onlookers from across the city. In the years following, the displays became tradition not only at Macy's but throughout New York department stores and their America-wide brethren. But with their roots in New York, we'd argue holiday windows here are still the most enchanting. Look on for historic photos of window displays, department stores, and holiday glee.

· Christmas Shopping in New York 100 Years Ago [ENY]

· Losing Ourselves in Holiday Windows [Collectors Weekly]

· Holiday Windows [Victoriana Magazine]

· Museum of the City of New York [official]

· Library of Congress [official]