In remembrance of Christmases past, the Woonsocket Historical and Preservation Society held their annual open house on Sunday with a display of old Christmas toys and decorations.

"These are things that children played with in the 1800s," said Woonsocket Historical and Preservation Society Director Phyllis Thomas, who has been with the organization for longer than she can recall.

While most historical organizations depend on donations of antiques to comprise their collection, the Woonsocket Historical Society’s assortment of historical Christmas items came solely from Thomas herself.

"These were all my things that I kept and saved," explains Thomas. "Some of them were my mother’s, some were mine, and I keep them (in the Historical Society)."

A Felix the Cat doll from the 1920s, a Christmas stocking circa-1800 covered in images that depict an elfin Santa Claus, and many other toys and decorations from the 1800s through the 1930s lined the shelves to provide visitors with a vivid image of what Christmas was like two centuries ago.

"It was very gratifying to see the people that came in," said Thomas. "So many people were able to identify and remember (the items)."

According to Thomas, many of the adults that visited recognized some of the items from their childhood or their relatives, while the children that visited stood in astonishment at the extreme contrast in the items in comparison to today’s novelties.

Ultimately, the Woonsocket Historical Society aimed to bring some Christmas history to the members of the community while allowing some folks to reminisce and introducing others to the joys of past generations.

"I think people really enjoyed being able to compare things from the past to things from today," Thomas said. "They can certainly see that some years ago, toys weren’t like they are now."