It was the greatest thing. Your mother put you on the monorail and then did her shopping. I was into science fiction and, as a kid, it was like being in your own private spaceship.
—Joel Spivak, Philadelphia historian
Wanamaker’s was always about pageantry and Christmastime was a magical time at the store. As far back as 1896, the stores were draped with elaborate garland and decorated with wax figures of Santa Claus. In the 1920s, Wanamakers began its Christmas Carol sing-along tradition, held on Christmas Eve. Employees and customers gathered in the Grand Court and sang along with the famous Wanamaker organ. At the same time, Santa Claus took up residence in both the Philadelphia and New York stores. But there were two special traditions that made Wanamaker’s a Philadelphia Christmas destination that lasted for generations.
By the end of the 1940s, space travel was a fascination for many young people. In 1948, Wanamaker’s installed a monorail in the toy departments at both stores.59 In Philadelphia, the monorail ran along rails suspended on the ceiling of the store’s large eighth-floor toy department. The cars were designed for children eleven years old and younger and first operated as the Rocket Express. Every few years, the name of the monorail was changed to reflect what was popular at the time. Names included the Solar Express, the Skyliner, Santa’s Express and the Satellite Express. One year the monorail was decorated as a caterpillar, complete with antennas on its front car.
Santa announcing an early Christmas sale on November 8, 1954. Courtesy of Temple University Libraries, Urban Archives, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The cost of the ride was nominal and it became a popular attraction at the store. When the New York store closed, the monorail cars were moved to the Philadelphia store. When the new cars arrived, Philadelphia children’s personality Sally Starr was there for the new addition. “I was the first person to ride the ‘choo choo train’ and it was such a thrill. After all, I’m a kid at heart,” says Sally.60 The Wanamaker’s stores were not the only department stores to have a monorail at Christmastime. Portland’s Meier & Frank, Newark’s Bamberger’s and Grand Rapids’s Herpolsheimers stores were other businesses that featured a similar attraction. The Wanamaker’s monorail was perfect, luring children and their parents past the Eagle and Light Show. A special express elevator took the parents and children right up to the store’s eighth floor toy department. The monorail didn’t even interfere with the buying space of the Biggest Toy Department on Earth.
An early ticket for the Wanamaker’s monorail. Courtesy of Joel Spivak.
Children crowd into the Rocket Express in the store’s eighth-floor toy department. Courtesy of Temple University Libraries, Urban Archives, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
In 1963, the monorail changed its name to the AMF Monorail Jr., referencing the upcoming World’s Fair where the futuristic AMF Monorail was prominently featured. The monorail cars were painted in World’s Fair pink, blue and white. Officials from AMF remarked on the similar appearance of the two monorails.
It was a tradition for the Toy Buyer to ride the monorail on Christmas Eve before the store closed for the day. Christopher Kellogg served as the Toy Buyer in the early 1970s. Speaking of his first monorail ride, Kellogg says, “I was terrified. The damn thing went over the stock rooms and all I saw was dirt and dust. I would have done something about it had I known.” When Kellogg first began to work in the toy department he was told to watch where he stood whenever the monorail was near. “Kids would bring straws and hit you with a spit ball, if you weren’t careful.”61
The Satellite Express is featured in this Wanamaker’s advertisement from the late 1950s. Courtesy of the author.
During the off months, the rails remained on the ceiling but the cars were hidden behind a wall. The monorail continued to operate until 1984. It was last called the Rudi Express, named after the Wanamaker’s Christmastime bear. By then, the cars were filthy and rusting. They appeared to have crashed into each other over and over. Historian Joel Spivak put together a plan to restore the monorail and celebrate its history with celebrity appearances and displays. The store seemed interested but the plan was later shelved. Eventually Spivak got a call from a woman at Wanamaker’s who remembered meeting him a few years earlier. She told him, “I’d like you to know that the monorail is about to be demolished and the store is going to have to chop it up in order to get it out of the building.”62 Spivak called Philadelphia’s Please Touch Museum and organized a restoration campaign that included carrying the heavy cars down eight flights of stairs and removing the forty to fifty coats of paint that were on the cars. The restored cars are now permanently on display at the museum.
The monorail ended its run as the Rudi Express in 1984. By then, the cars were dirty and damaged. Courtesy of Joel Spivak.
After they were removed from the store, the monorail cars were painstakingly restored. Almost fifty coats of paint were stripped from the cars. Courtesy of Joel Spivak.
The restored monorail is displayed for the first time. It was moved to its permanent home at the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia. Courtesy of Joel Spivak.
In 1948, Frederick Yost joined the staff at the Philadelphia Wanamaker’s. He was a graduate of Yale University with a background in theater. In 1952, he was put in charge of sales promotion. Yost staged special events in the store and, in 1956, Wanamaker’s celebrated the Magic Land of Christmas in the Grand Court.
The Grand Court was the site of the Christmas Cathedral. The display “represented the sacred story and the brotherhood of Man.” The centerpiece was a large three-dimensional tableau of the Nativity, with the shepherds and the Magi at its side. Around the grand court, scenes of the Annunciation, Visitation, Revelation, Adoration, Presentation, and Flight into Egypt were displayed. Accompanying the Christmas Cathedral was Mary Vogt, playing carols on the famous Wanamaker organ. Next to the face of the large organ pipe was the Enchanted Fountains. Presented by Dancing Waters, Inc., the water display was inspired by the fountains at St. Peters in Rome. The waters would rise and fall under colorful lights as the music played.63
Crowds gather in the Grand Court in preparation for a light show presentation. Scenes of the Christmas Cathedral are on display above the merchandise. Courtesy of the author.
A 1957 image of the Christmas Cathedral and Dancing Waters display. The organ console can be seen in the upper left-hand corner. Courtesy of the author.
Santa is given a tour of the Dancing Waters display. Courtesy of the author.
Each year, Yost would add something different to the program. In 1959, the Magic Christmas Tree “of a million lights” made its debut. The March of the Toys was added in 1961 and Frosty the Snowman arrived in 1964. By 1968, Rudolph, Santa’s train and scenes from the Nutcracker had joined the show. In later years, Wanamaker’s added special touches to the show. When the Phillies won the World Series in 1980, the team made it into the show. E.T. made an appearance in 1983 and the Wanamaker’s Christmas mascot, Rudi Bear, began his dance in 1986.64
The Pageant of Lights was the official name but everybody simply called it the Wanamaker’s Light Show. The entire show featured approximately 80,000 lights, 20,000 alone on the Magic Christmas Tree. The fountain display utilized 2,300 gallons of water. During the grand finale, the show used 288,000 watts of energy. All of the lights could not be used at once as it would overpower the store’s electrical system. The power of the lights helped heat the store’s Grand Court.
By 1962, the Christmas Light Show becomes more elaborate. Courtesy of Temple University Libraries, Urban Archives, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
A close-up view of the Christmas Light Show from 1976. Courtesy of Temple University Libraries, Urban Archives, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
By 1966, approximately twenty thousand people a day watched the light show, totaling almost a half million customers each Christmas season.65 The thirteen-minute show featured the voice of legendary Philadelphia sportscaster John Facenda.
His distinctive voice greeted the audience with the following dialogue, interspersed with music:
John Wanamaker proudly presents our Annual Christmas Pageant of Lights. A brilliant holiday spectacular depicting the color, warmth, and joy of the Yuletide season.
Starring the breathtaking Magic Christmas Tree,
And introducing the story of the Nutcracker. With a wave of her wand, the Sugar Plum Fairy takes us to the fantastic clock shop.
And now, thrill to a sleigh ride in the sky,
And now, hop aboard the Santa Special for a train trip to a winter wonderland.
On we go to greet Frosty the Snowman; Goodbye Frosty, Goodbye.
Christmas, in the Grand Tradition. Our holiday greeting card unfolds before your eyes as John Wanamaker wishes you the Happiest Holiday Ever!