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By Alison Kay on

Christmas shopping humour from 1935

How did railways help deliver Christmas on time?

Only 20 shopping days until Christmas, so here’s a cartoon from the December 1935 issue of the Great Western Railway (GWR) staff magazine. The GWR and other railway companies operated a door-to-door transport service, which people could use to transport their belongings around the country. This cartoon suggests it might be a “solution” for men going Christmas shopping with their wives – demonstrating some rather outdated attitudes in the process.

Great Western Railway Eastern Region staff magazine (page 666) (library shelf mark 1.0270)

Railway staff magazines frequently contained articles and cartoons in addition to the usual information for railway staff. They’re a great resource for family history: you can come and see them in our archive and library centre.

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