Forrestall Family's Life in Art: The art of the New York City holiday windows

I love New York in December (how about you?) The seemingly endless amount of extraordinary sights and experiences one can "take in" for free gets ramped way up for the entertainment of the millions of visitors who come to shop and sightsee this time of year. Every day one can take in displays, performances and gallery exhibits that people have worked on for months (or years) and spent anywhere from thousands up to millions of dollars creating, for the price of a subway ride uptown. I've always loved looking at the exceptionally creative holiday window displays in stores around the city. In December, the big department stores all go, all out: Saks, Lord and Taylor, Barney's, Bergdorf's, Van Cleef and Arpel: the big stores have the best window display artists create one-of-a-kind seasonal fantasy treats for the eyes.

I was reminded by how amazing the windows are by a video NYT style reporter Bill Cunningham did, highlighting some of the best of the best, http://video.nytimes.com/video/2010/12/23/style/1248069481727/on-the-street-holiday-windows.html?scp=4&sq=store%20windows&st=cse

Inspired by his roundup and highlights of what was out there to see, I set out with my son Max to check some out.
Here's what we found:
At Lord & Taylor, they've always favored fanciful, classic scenes of traditional Christmas. Their windows were complex spectacles with moving figures and sets, showing the same scenes, from different eras-1911, 1950, 1960 and the present. This year's windows were inspired by letters from customers who submitted their "happiest holiday memories" last Spring.

Lord & Taylor, one of the vignettes: a fire-engine red modern kitchen scene of holiday gingerbread house making. The spin-up seat stools are ones I wrote about in a story I did on architect

Richard Meier's kitchen in Food & Wine magazine years ago.

Lord and Taylor: A off-to-go sledding and ice skating Brownstone doorstep scene from the 1960's.

At Lord and Taylor: This 1911-era scene of a photographer taking a photo of some children decked out in their holiday finest. The customer's memory that inspired this window scene was of her mother's amazing sewing skills, and the wonderful clothes she made for her and her siblings for the holidays.

Lord and Taylor's a miniature 1960's Christmas day at home scene.

At Lord & Taylor: a 1960's era scene of hanging holiday garlands, rotates to reveal

the same scene circa 1918.

Lord & Taylor: A 1950's era scene depicts a customer's memory of trying to catch Santa Claus by tying a bell to the dish of cookies left for him as a snack.

At Lord & Taylor: The smaller display windows on the uptown side of Fifth Avenue, had more traditional holiday cooking scenes.

At Saks: A one-of-a-kind Calvin Klein (designed by Francisco Costa) dress made for Lady Gaga to wear to a Rainforest Benefit event is displayed in an underwater travel themed window.

Saks: Detail of the white lace booties Lady Gaga wore with her ethereal white cobweb-looking dress.

At Saks: A tow-headed child hangs onto an octopus tent-topper.

Saks Fifth Avenue: Detail of shoes on a mannequin (left of octopus tent).

At Saks: A submerged child playfully hangs onto a tentacle of a big blue octopus, while a silver-clad and bubble festooned lady reaches for the water surface.

At Saks Fifth Avenue: An underwater ship scene features an old-timey steering wheel and a mannequin wearing a star-fish embellished dress.

At Saks: Every mannequins shapely gams were outfitted in a pair

of outrageously beautiful sky-high heels.

At Saks: Sea saw of tow-headed child and flapper-like lady.

At Saks Fifth Avenue: Is it a bird? No, it's a Jason Wu feather dress perched amidst Fall trees.

Saks Fifth Avenue: Champagne and chandeliers, shiny and slinky dresses and of course crazy-stylish heels are de rigueur for New Year's eve Manhattan-style.

Saks Fifth Avenue: Same party, same glam.

At Saks Fifth Avenue: A child's fantasy circus adventures in every window,

with mannequins decked out in drop-dead gorgeous garb.

Saks Fifth Ave: Elephant's internal workings includes an aquarium natch.

At Saks Fifth Avenue: A blond girl catches a ride on a big balloon filled with water bubbles.

Saks Fifth Avenue: Ship scene with a child catching a ride on the back of a flying fish.

Max's favorite window at Bergdorf on Fifth Avenue was the under the sea themed one, with sequin and stone encrusted octopus, crocodiles and dragonflies.

Bergdorf: Detail of the octopus.

Bergdorf: Detail of the simple twisted wire and faux gems dragonfly.

Bergdorf Goodman: A global explorer themed window features a mannequin wearing vintage Marchesa cape and dress with sculpted brass soled boots. The floor is creatively papered with vintage maps.

Bergdorf: Booties with metal sculpted heels and soles.

Bergdorf Goodman (below): The old-world travel theme continues in the next window, with Prada, Peter Som and Dries Van Noten clothes taking center stage. Maps, antique cameras and postacards as well as navigation tools lend glamorous travel atmosphere.

The mannequin's peacock feather embellished open toe sandals (below)