Celebrating the American Christmas

(PRLEAP.COM) A young attorney leaves the practice of law and a prestigious downtown Manhattan firm to start Bridge Biography, a company dedicated to American history. To commemorate the release of "The American Christmas," a collection of original Christmas greeting cards from the 1930s-1950s, Bridge Biography is sponsoring a short-essay contest that asks: which figure from American history would you like to invite to your family’s holiday dinner, and why?

Matthew Litt has always demonstrated an extraordinary interest in American history. After his first day of kindergarten twenty-five years ago, Litt complained to his parents that his teacher was unable to recite the U.S. Presidents chronologically, as he could, from Washington to Reagan.

Litt had the same passion for law during his career as an attorney, zealously battling the perpetrators of no-fault insurance fraud in city, state and federal courts throughout New York for nearly five years. But dealing with crime on a daily basis wore on Litt: “I was eager to leave the adversarial world of litigation and the dark underworld of insurance fraud for a more gratifying pursuit. I wanted to devote myself to the best in human nature rather than continuing to dedicate my career to exposing the very worst.” Armed with a love of American history and a belief in its importance, Litt left his job at a downtown law firm, and a six-figure salary, to start Bridge Biography American History Company.

The company’s latest project is a short essay contest that asks: if you could invite any figure from American history to your family’s Christmas dinner, who would you invite and why? The winner of the contest will receive the American Christmas dinner of their dreams in the form of a $250.00 gift certificate to the food store or restaurant of their choice.

The contest is being run in conjunction with the release of The American Christmas, a collection of original holiday greeting cards from the 1930s through the 1950s; each is framed and matted for functionality, making every one a unique work of art. The cards each represent an American holiday season frozen in time, giving viewers the opportunity to be transported to a bygone era in our nation’s history. “The holidays of the 1930s-1950s were especially meaningful; the challenges of the era made Americans appreciate peace, freedom and each other in a distinctively powerful way.”

Litt explains that the mission of Bridge Biography is “the preservation of underappreciated American history and the promotion of its beauty and importance.” There is an emphasis on underappreciated history at Bridge Biography; the focal point of the pioneering company’s work is to preserve and reveal the beauty of more banal aspects of the nation’s heritage. Litt elucidates, “Our goal is to capture the values, spirit and attitudes throughout American history, with a decreased emphasis on nuts and bolts facts and figures.”

Litt had started with Bridge Biography Family Historians, a service devoted to eliciting and preserving the stories of America’s eldest generations. They next hosted the first semi-annual Share Our Stories breakfasts, where seniors were invited to enjoy a free breakfast and share their remembrances of April 12, 1945, the day President Franklin Roosevelt died.
The next event, scheduled for February, 2008 asks New Yorkers to discuss their recollections of December, 1955 - what they knew and what they were thinking as Rosa Parks made history in Montgomery, Alabama.

The holiday short essay contest is intended to serve as a catalyst for reflection on the topic of American heroes. Children are encouraged to participate with the permission of a parent or guardian. All entries are due by December 18, 2007. To enter, or for more information regarding the essay contest or The American Christmas vintage card collection, log onto TheAmericanChristmas.com, or call Matthew Litt at (908)770-7533.

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