A late-Victorian family gather for a charmingly awkward photo around their turkey feast. Women in glamorous fur coats stroke hosiery in a 1950s department store. A little boy opens a wooden rifle under a tree. There are some things about Christmas past that feel a world away. But there are others that aren't so different after all: lovers swap gifts, children build gingerbread houses and a family ends the day rosy-cheeked and full of cheer. This photographic celebration of Christmas from yesteryear is amusing, surprising but ultimately heartwarming, reminding us of what works best at this time of year: the timeless joy of being together