FAIRHOPE, Ala. — The Fairhope Museum of History will display Fairhope’s old, wooden Christmas cards throughout the holiday season.

The decorations were once used to decorate the streets of downtown, but were replaced in 2002 with smaller versions of the decorations. The cards are on the plaza located just behind the museum on Bancroft Street.

According to Museum Director Donnie Barrett, the tradition began in the 1940s with small, cut-out decorations mounted on power poles with pine limbs. In 1962, the Eastern Shore Art Association had members paint larger decorations on plywood and hung them from the power poles.

Some of the participating artist included Martha Nichols, Mabel Emmons, Emilie Laraway, Laura Woolley, Connie Mathis, Deda Rowe and Elizabeth Box.

Two of the decorations on currently on display came from this era. Another generation of decorations were created in 1980 under the direction of artist and local merchant Robbie Wolfe and then more decoration were created in 1990.

For more information about the museum or the display, call (251) 929-1474.