1996 Original Wanamaker Light Show 1 of 2
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- Опубликовано: 8 сен 2024
- Part 2: • 1996 Original Wanamake...
For full history of the Wanamaker Light Show: www.wanamakeror...
June 21 1995, the Wanamaker franchise was acquired by the May Company after which the Wanamaker's name was removed from the Philadelphia store and replaced with Hecht's.
Like many in Philadelphia, my family had made it a tradition to go see the Wanamaker Light Show every year. Fearing that the new owners would discontinue the light show, my Dad brought our newly purchased VHS camcorder to the Grand Court, sat on the floor, and captured the light show in its full glory preserving it, at least, in our family forever. Fortunately, Macy's has realized the Philadelphia treasure that is the light show, and has ensured its survival with LED, installation, and computer system upgrades.
This video is from 1996 and presents the light show as many remember it; with the Dancing Water fountains, incandescent lights, the original Magic Christmas Tree, and the March of the Toys segment that is absent from the light show today (introduced in 1985 as a promotion for the Wanamaker Rudi Bears). The only portion missing from this video, unfortunately, is the narration of John Facenda. The original narration contained the Wanamaker name in the opening message, and was therefore re-recorded with a similar sounding male voice to align with the Hechts renaming. The Wanamaker Organ did not play during the finale, I suspect they did not play the organ for each finale as they do today.
Christmas in the Grand Tradition!
I worked at Hecht's that first Christmas in 95' for some part time work. I heard this many times each day and thought it was great. Thank for sharing.
Greatest Christmas Light Show Ever Now Macy’s Keep tradition Going
I worked there for 20 years and stood among the crown in the magnificense of the Grand Court awestruck like a kid for over 30 years. Still fills me up. I so wish I could get a copy of this video.
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for posting this. Whoever shot this did a terrific job! I haven't seen the show in a few years and I don't know if they still do this. I hope they do because I am going home to Philly for Christmas this year and I'd love to see it.
Thank you so much for sharing this!! Brings back wonderful memories!
Thank you for posting this! I have missed seeing the original show! It is just not the same without the fountains!
Agreed. I hope they bring them back someday.
thank you for doing this i also watched it in the 60's as a little girl, it was a special christmas tradition that i shared with my grandmother. brings tears to my eyes the wonderful memories it brings back. times were different then and memories are all we have of that special time we shared with loved ones who have passed away, thank you for bringing her back to me if only in a child hood memory
I'm chevybrs's Dad. I sat on the marble floor of the atrium for 30 minutes before the show to get the proper angle. My legs had fallen asleep, and it was quite a chore holding the old VHS camcorder (and my breath) on your shoulder for 7 minutes without moving (much). Thankfully, the children around us were not too noisy. I watched this show when I was a child, back in the early 60's , so I wanted to capture it just in case it was eliminated.
I wish they'd bring back the narration that John Faced did. His style and voice made it all so much better.
*SIGH* haven't seen this in decades!! loved it while growing up there. thanks for posting it!
I want to thankyou from the bottom of my heart for this Video!!!
Meet me at the eagle!
I remember seeing this in John Wanamakers when I was a kid. Unfortunately, that company went out of business. My favorite part is the Frosty the Snowman part. Now that I see it in Macy's, it looks just as great. You get a better view when you look at it on the 3rd floor.
ME TOO
@niksiz Thanks so much - I cannot WAIT to see it again. I will even drag my nieces to experience the quintessential Philadelphia Christmas tradition. In the meantime, Go Phils!!!! :)
I got video of this show which I shot in the mid 1980s, I have to dig it out, as I have the complete show, might even have video of the infamous monorail up on the fourth floor.
The Wanamaker Organ ACTUALLY Started Playing the Grand Finale In 2001 Before The GIANT American Flag Raised Up And Appeared After The Show In Rememberance Of 9/11/2001 Replacing The MAGIC Christmas Tree For A WHILE
@Bekishlyn I really hope you get a chance to put that up on here!
Why did they get rid of the fountain?
your heading says original light show. This is not the original even in 1996. The original is the one that had the grand Wanamaker pipe organ and the dancing Waters. that was my childhood and I have yet to find a video of it
Elizabeth Clarkson and John. Facenda narrating!!
One can see the water show here. Cannot tell for sure about the organ. I know these existed when I last went c. 1990.
To Chris Stanton- thank you, but this is NOT the original one that I saw as a child in the 1960's/1970's with the organ and the dancing waters.. and that's not the original Christmas tree in the center the original was taken down and discarded after 9:11 so as not to offend anyone and an American flag was put in its place. In 2008 a new Magic Christmas tree was built and put back into the show. The dancing waters were discontinued in 2000 as when the whole lighting and control system was replace the dancing waters would have been too costly to replace and also there had to be staff on hand at all times to monitor the water and it was also felt that when the organ was restored water might drip on and damage the organ. I was looking for someone who may have had an older video of the original 1960s light show. And to the oil line Rebel you said you can see the dancing waters here but you did not say where
The water fountains can be seen shooting up from the bottom in this film. Are you saying the original tree was there for 30+ years? This film is from '96 but you say 9/11 caused it to be taken down - that's 2001. So is the tree the same in '96?
theOlLineRebel yes that would probably be correct least that's the article I read and the article was Buy the guy one of the guys involved in replacing the whole system so he knew the history butt originally the dancing water fountains were on either side but now there's actually merchandise from the floors there if you looked in that video you see on the side those openings the organ if I remember correctly was on the left side and the dancing water was on both sides of the organ and then also along the entire wall on the right side and the tree was in the center that's why I was looking for someone that had may be videoed it in the sixties or early seventies because I wanted to check my memory cuz my mom and my grandma are both passed and my dad never took us so he would not remember. And during the time of 94299 I was having my children and I lived in Jersey and it wasn't until they were old enough to appreciate it it that I started going back to take them and noticed immediately that it was different and the first thing was that all the little dancing figurines the Snowman and such took up the whole wall in the center and there was no tree and that was in there early 2000s my one son was 3 or 4 and the other one six or seven years old so I did not see it during the time when the tree was first removed and the article said they actually had an American flag in the trees place for a while. I have been Googling however have not been able to find anyone who has the complete story from the time it first started until now the article I was looking at which I will try to find input for you what the actual most complete 1. I was never aware that the tree was removed because of 9/11 I mean I still remember watching Santa Claus climb through the window at Gimbels on Market Street after the Thanksgiving parade but it won't be long now before us old farts who remember these things won't be around so the only people alive will be those who never saw the way back when stuff. Oh well