The Mills Brothers Holiday Village at the Museum of Natural History
Tis the season for eggnog, tree decorating and toasts around the warmth of the fireplace. Or perhaps more realistically, shoveling snow off the doorstep and frantically running to the post office with your handwritten cards before the business day’s end. Regardless of the stresses that gift shopping and cooking can bring, this time of year is generally filled with delightful decorations and the excitement of holidays that are just around the corner.
If you’re like me, when you think of holiday decorations, you think of driving by lavishly decked out houses in Halifax’s South End or walking down the city’s streets to look at the amazingly lit up tree in the Grand Parade square.
If I’m being honest, the thought of visiting a museum to see any Christmas festivities never crossed my mind. Not until I saw that the Nova Scotia Museum had acquired the Mills Brothers’ Holiday Village in 2015.
A Brief History of Mills Brothers
Mills Brothers was a destination department store on the corner of Spring Garden Road and Queen Street in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Open for over ninety years, the store became a landmark. Run by siblings Hugh and Willet, Mills Brothers Limited opened it’s doors in 1919. Hugh specifically was a local celebrity, know for his radio show personnel “Uncle Mel” and his role in running the Halifax Concert Party during the Second World War. While Hugh worked on big picture ideas and community relations, Willet was an account and took care of much of the business’s behind the scenes paperwork.
Not only was the store noteworthy, but its beige tutor styled building, lined with brown trimmings, was a unique piece of architecture in Halifax. This building replaced the previous Mills Bros. building, which burnt down in 1966.
Despite its initial successes, the age of department store glory was coming to an end. By the 21st century, the business was struggling. The land and business was bought by a developer named Mickey McDonald. Mills Brothers was sold and moved locations in 2012, with the business breathing its last breath in 2015. McDonald kept the land and slowly pushed tenants to move elsewhere. In November of 2020, the demolition of the Mills Brothers block was underway, with the building completely destroyed just the week before Christmas.
With many horrified over the eerily empty lot or still in disbelief, we hold onto what memories we can. Whether this is oddly coincidental timing or not, there is still at least one piece of Mills Brothers available to visit: its Christmas window display.
The Holiday Village at the Museum of Natural History
Days before Christmas, I headed down to the Museum of Natural History to take a peak at the Holiday Village. I didn’t frequent downtown Halifax while growing up, so this visit to the museum would be my first seeing the Christmas scene.
The Museum of Natural History is located on Summer Street in Halifax, Nova Scotia. There is plenty of parking available in the paid lot beside the building as well as on the street. Multiple bus routes stop close by. The museum is fully accessible and easy to navigate.
If you’re planning on seeing just the Holiday Village, your visit will be free! As Egyptian Mummies & Eternal Life is still at the museum (until Feb 7th 2021, check the museum’s website for updates), this space unfortunately could not be used for the whole array of holiday items to be put on display. However, the Mills Brothers display has made its home in the museum gift shop this year, meaning that no admission is required to see the display! If you haven’t visited Egyptian Mummies & Eternal Life yet, this is a great chance to stop by and see both at the same time!
The Museum of Natural History’s gift shop is limited to one bubble during the COVID-19 pandemic. This means that only one individual or group is allowed in the space at a time. When I arrived, a family was exploring the space. I waited in a small line to get in, elevating the excitement for the display.
It didn’t take long before I had my chance to look. I’ll tell you, this lovely scene was WAY more fantastical than I had expected. Mills Brothers clearly did not skip on the details when it came to Christmas.
The Mills Brothers Holiday Village
The scene depicts Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. If you are familiar with the fairy tale, you’ll know that Snow White enters a deep sleep after eating a poisoned apple from her evil stepmother who was disguised as an old woman. Dwarfs, who have grown fond of Snow White since she showed up on the doorstep in the middle of the woods, surround the scene. Known for being able to communicate with wildlife, animals such as deer come to her side. Snow White lies asleep outside in the forest. And of course, she is surrounded by snow. The story turns to hope when a Prince arrives on a horse to kiss Snow White (which so happens to be the only way she can awaken from her sleep).
Snow White is portrayed beautifully. A golden moon looks over the whimsical forest. The seven dwarfs weep over Snow White, deep in her sleep. A prince on a white horse towers above them. The trees and ground are covered with a cotton candy like snow. The deer are carved and painted, while other animals such as rabbits hide by little log homes. Behind the props is a wall that looks like an open story book, continuing the imagery of the forest.
Besides the remarkable detail that went into the creation of these dolls, something else quite special stand out. The dwarfs move! As one watches the display, you can see the dwarfs wiping the tears away from their eyes.
The set up was bought by Hugh Mills and his wife Jean Mills in Germany shortly after the Second World War. These may have been purchased on their trip through Europe with the Halifax Concert Party. The Halifax Concert Party entertainers performed for military personnel in Halifax and other parts of the province to uplift their morale during the war. The Party was chosen by the Canadian government to continue their entertainment of the troops after the war ended in 1945. A small group of artists were sent across Europe to perform for Canadian soldiers, putting on at least a 100 shows in mere months.
The original version of Snow White was told in Grimm’s Fairy Tales, first published in 1812. Due to the prominence of the story in pop culture, different versions have developed. Disney produced their animated film in 1937. The movie was based on the German tale. Though Disney popularized the story and added new elements, the display the Mills purchased was anchored in the original telling.
According to the interpretative plaque in front of the holiday scene, Christmas window displays became popularized in the 1870’s. Advancements in glass productions made it possible to create large, clear windows.
The Mills Brothers holiday display became a community symbol. It meant that Christmas was just around the corner. Other shops, small and large participated in this common tradition.
Children gazed at windows. Besides beautiful dolls, products such as toys were featured in arrangements. People would walk down streets such as Spring Garden Road, searching the shopping district for loved ones’ gifts.
Merchants often provided sheet music for carolers. Some travelled door to door, or shop to shop. These Christmas scenes and traditions were a way to attract customers.
Ghosts of Christmases Past
Living in the age of online shopping, I can’t help but feel the tiniest envy over those who truly had the opportunity to “window shop”. I try to imagine meeting up with friends simply to walk down streets to shop. Perhaps in the late 1940’s, when this Christmas display was a new attraction in the city. I picture us in charming curls, sleek wrap-around jackets, suave leather gloves and savvily matched berets. Perhaps in a more modern version, carrying coffees to keep ourselves cozy. Fabricating dreams of walking by the Halifax Public Gardens to then make our way down Spring Garden Road, and perchance even lay our heeled boots in the doors of Mills Brothers. With carolers singing and dolls dancing, I’m sure it certainly would have sparked some Christmas spirit.
Few stores participate in this tradition now. At least to this extent. Instead of streets filled with songs, we now have inboxes spammed with last minute sales. And even if we wanted to stroll by Mills Brothers to remember years past, we can’t. It’s gone.
Photo taken December 22nd, 2020.
As much as the Holiday Village display is a celebration of Christmas, it also serves as a memorial to Mills Brothers.
I’m thankful that we have pieces of this history. That there are those in heritage who have worked hard to keep this legacy alive, such as the staff of the Nova Scotia Museum (with its affiliate provincial museums like the Museum of Natural History) as well as the Nova Scotia Archives.
A huge thanks goes out to Dr. Martin Hubley for writing an informative post about the Mills Brothers and its Holiday Village (and I assume the interpretative plaque for the display).
Even though the Mills Brothers block and its beautiful buildings are gone, it does not mean that the cherished icon’s historical impact is any smaller.
I hope you’ll have the chance to visit the Holiday Village this Christmas season. The display is available for a limited time at the museum, usually heading back to storage in early January. Annually available for viewing, I hope next year the Museum of Natural History will have the space to host their whole holiday exhibition.
Until next time, I wish you all happiness and health in the new year.
Do you have any memories of visiting Mills Brothers?
What about window shopping?
You may also be interested in:
Mills Brothers Building Meets Wrecking Ball
“Egyptian Mummies & Eternal Life” at the Museum of Natural History
Sources:
A visit to the Museum of Natural History in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
https://museum.novascotia.ca/blog/storefront-memories
https://naturalhistory.novascotia.ca/egypt
https://naturalhistory.novascotia.ca/event/holiday-village
https://naturalhistory.novascotia.ca/event/holiday-village-lego
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