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Arts & Entertainment

Video Flashback: The 1939 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade


By

Garth Johnston

Published Nov 25, 2011

Modified Nov 25, 2011


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At what point will retro parade balloons come back into style?

 


By

Garth Johnston

Published Nov 25, 2011

Modified Nov 25, 2011


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Not quite ready to stop musing on thanksgiving and the parade Macy's puts on each year to celebrate it? If pics and videos from yesterday's festivities aren't enough for you, how about a trip back in time? Earlier this week we brought you pictures and and a video from the parade back in 1940, but now take a look at this lovely, recently discovered, 8mm video of the parade in 1939! Everybody is there, from Donald Duck to the Tin Man to Uncle Sam.

The video was found by Tom Pappalardo, who explains he found the footage "at a junk shop in Northampton, Massachusetts (I think?) about a decade ago. It sat unwatched in a box of other random Super 8/8mm reels for quite awhile, until I decided I wanted to capture some of my family’s own home movies. Since I had the projector set up, I ended up sifting through all my other ‘mystery’ reels, and this was one of them."

We wonder, in 72 years will our parades look as quaint?

[h/t Laughing Squid]

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Garth Johnston

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