Christmas display marks business' 60th anniversary

Five-year-old Brody Forester's face was lit up by the Christmas window display at Hutson's Fine Furniture. He strolled along the sidewalk in front of display Wednesday evening, his eyes lingering on a mechanical Rudolph almost as tall he was. The reindeer's head nodded up and down as its nose blinked red.

"He's going to remember this year," said his father, Robert Forester, 35, who has continued his parents' tradition by taking his son every year to see the window. "This is the first year he's really got the concept of it."

Scattered throughout the display are numerous decorations, some antique relics, others replicas of city landmarks. Three dwarf-like men attempt to whack a mouse with a mallet. Perched upon an upright piano, a tubby bear swivels its hips as it balances presents in its hands. Dressed in a red and white coat, an Asian girl waves.

The common theme is a year posted in front of each decoration -- the year the decoration was in a previous window displays. The dwarves were initially displayed in 1958, while a model of the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge was unveiled in 2001.

The selections were based largely on personal favorites, said co-owner Chris Hutson. His was the swiveling bear, which debuted in 1959.

The store's 60th anniversary was this year's inspiration for the window display, he said. Ever since his grandfather started the display in 1958, the family has continued the tradition.

jmetelski@semissourian.com