Christmas in Birmingham, 1920: The Dueling Santa Clauses of Loveman’s and Pizitz

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2015/12/vintage-santa.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:1116;s:6:"height";i:718;s:4:"file";s:25:"2015/12/vintage-santa.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:12:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"vintage-santa-336x216.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:216;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"vintage-santa-771x496.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:496;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"vintage-santa-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:12:"medium_large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"vintage-santa-768x494.jpg";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:494;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:23:"vintage-santa-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"vintage-santa-600x338.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"vintage-santa-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"vintage-santa-483x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:483;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"vintage-santa-412x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:412;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:28:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"vintage-santa-600x400.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"ab-block-post-grid-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"vintage-santa-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"vintage-santa-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:295907;s:14:"optimized_size";i:224171;s:7:"percent";d:24.239999999999998;}s:5:"sizes";a:9:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:53:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/12/vintage-santa.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:295907;s:14:"optimized_size";i:224171;s:7:"percent";d:24.239999999999998;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:6:"medium";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:5:"large";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

)
1652112388 
1450945913

During the Christmas season, Santa Claus is everywhere. And, if he’s not, a Santa suit can be had for a mere $40. But it didn’t used to be that way. This Christmas Eve, local pop culture historian Tim Hollis tells WBHM of a Birmingham Christmas past, when the city’s two largest department stores, Loveman’s and Pizitz, fought for the title of Santa’s official Magic City headquarters. A word of caution for those of you listening with young children: this story touches on some Christmas secrets.

Want to hear more holiday radio? Check out WBHM’s full Holiday Programming Schedule.

 

Former Supreme Court Justice David Souter dies at 85

Souter was appointed to the Supreme Court by President George H. W. Bush in 1990. He retired in 2009.

Trump calls the U.S.-Canada border an ‘artificial line.’ That’s not entirely true

President Trump has repeatedly described the U.S.-Canada border as an "artificially drawn line." But experts say just because it was man-made doesn't mean it's not legitimate.

An Insider’s View of the Texas Measles Outbreak

Katherine Wells, the public health director in Lubbock, Texas, describes her fight to stop the largest measles outbreak since 2000, despite a chaotic reorganization of federal health agencies.

Russia marks 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany

Celebrations included a massive military parade in Moscow's Red Square, where Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted several foreign leaders, including the presidents of China and Brazil.

Read Pope Leo XIV’s first homily as pope

During his homily, delivered in Italian, Leo XIV said that Christians must serve a world that is often hostile to their beliefs.

What it was like inside St. Peter’s Square when the new pope was announced

As Cardinal Robert Prevost's name was announced, a sound of shock rose up. It was something few people had anticipated — the new pope is from the United States.

More Arts and Culture Coverage