Early 1930's Thanksgiving Day Parade - Hudson's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit

Hudson's Department Store began it's first Thanksgiving Day parade in Detroit, Michigan in 1924, the same year Macy's began it's parade in New York City. Macy's and Hudson began the long tradition in America of Thanksgiving Day parades. Unfortunately, the original Hudson's building in downtown Detroit was imploded in the late 1990's, and there are no longer any other Hudson's stores around. 

This old film of the Thanksgiving Day Parade was shot in 1931. It's great to see the old Detroit streetcar, 1930's parade floats, vintage clown costumes, the Christmas tree, the 30's Christmas float (darling house) with the original, old Santa Claus. I was fascinated with the costumes with large heads in the parade. They were inspired by a trip that Charles F. Wendel, the display manager, took to Italy (because of the papier mache heads in Venice and Viareggio). I didn't know the history about the heads, until I found this article, thanks to Laura Sternberg: http://detroit.about.com/od/halloweenattractions/a/parade_history.htm She provides more interesting information about the history of the Detroit Thanksgiving Day Parade. 

Thank you to grumkin for uploading a 1930's home movie to YouTube (that has such extraordinary quality for it's age!). 

To see what the J. L. Hudson Thanksgiving Day Parade in Detroit, Michigan looked like 40 years later, in the 1970's, see this home movie of the parade, filmed in 1973: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFjTUzAXWtc