Songbook: Christmas Carols, First National Bank St. Louis, Christmas Club Corp., Carolers Cover, Missouri, Vintage 1955

In 1921, First National Bank in St. Louis was the largest national bank west of the Mississippi; in 1955, it handed out this cheerful little carol book.

• Music & Lyrics: Various traditional carols
• Publisher: Christmas Club a Corporation, New York
• Promotional Sponsor: First National Bank in St. Louis, MO (1919–1996)
• Era: Vintage, 1955
• Format: Softcover, 10 songs
• Dimensions: Approx. 4" x 6"
• Condition: Excellent — new old stock; no tears, folded pages, writing, or stains; colors remain vibrant. Please review photos closely before purchasing, as all sales are final.

Published by Christmas Club a Corporation of New York, this little book was the bank's annual holiday gesture to its savings club customers. The cover features a group of carolers, and the book is in pristine condition: 10 songs, no wear, no writing, colors as bright as the day it was printed.

A perfect small gift for the ephemera collector, the St. Louis history enthusiast, or anyone who loves American banking's lost holiday traditions.

Founded in 1919 at Broadway and Locust in St. Louis, the First National Bank grew into a regional powerhouse before eventually being acquired by NationsBank in 1996, which merged with BankAmerica in 1999 to become Bank of America. The Christmas Club idea dates to 1909, when Merkel Landis, treasurer of the Carlisle Trust Company in Pennsylvania, opened the first Christmas savings fund for about 350 local savers. Christmas Club a Corporation of New York, which published these carol booklets, was the company behind the system banks used to run their own clubs, and by 1927 some 8,000 banks were distributing more than $500 million to over 8.6 million club members.

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