by DAVID HAMILTON

NATCHEZ — Natchez resident Burnley Cook is taking the city’s broken and dingy Christmas displays and bringing them back to life.

Cook is in the process of restoring and recreating decades-old pieces that originate from the International Paper Company’s annual Natchez Christmas display, which began in the 1950s.

The once vibrant decorations were in dire need of restoration, and locals have lamented the display’s deteriorated state.

“A lot of them say, ‘It just broke my heart when I saw them when I was in town this past Christmas … that they were so beat up and run down,” Cook said.

Cook has dedicated a great portion of his life to this project. In fact, Cook said he “quit counting” how many hours he has spent on the displays.

Cook said restoring and recreating the decorations would be “extremely difficult without a complete workshop.” Luckily, Cook’s workshop, located in the backyard of his house, contains a bevy of tools for the job — and he used every one in his arsenal.

“There’s not a tool that I have out there in my possession that I have not used. Cook said. “You’re talking about a table saw; you’re talking about a chop saw; a jigsaw; a scroll saw; drill press; lathe, soldering irons — everything that I have out there, literally, has been used.”

Most of the new displays are recreations of the originals, which presented Cook with a unique challenge.

“It’s really more difficult to recreate something than to make it from scratch because you have something that you need to stay true to,” Cook said.

When placing an old decoration side-by-side with one of Cook’s recreations, the latter appears to be an almost high-definition version of the original.

Cook has put painstaking effort into his recreations because of his admiration for the display’s original creator, the late Lanus Hammack.

Hammack worked at the IP in Natchez for 32 years. He designed the annual display, earning the nickname “Mr. Santa Claus.”

“I want people that knew Lanus to be able to look at it and say, ‘That looks just like Lanus’ painting style.’” Cook said. “It was a different style that he had.”

But while “95 percent” of the displays remain true to the original works, he did take the liberty of making changes. Some are subtle, like giving Santa green gloves instead of white.

One alteration, however, is more noticeable. When recreating displays of the Three Wise Men that bore gifts to the baby Jesus, Cook decided to darken the skin tone.

“I tried to paint those to reflect varying types of a Mediterranean or Asian look to be a little more reflective of what I’m pretty sure they were.”

Originally, the Wise Men appeared to be of European descent. Cook said he made the decision to try and achieve a more “representative” depiction rather than replicate the original display exactly in this case.

Cook said he has received a bit of “kickback” in that regard, but he hopes the community will understand his reasoning for the changes.

As someone who grew up loving the IP displays, Cook believes his displays will evoke nostalgia in Natchez residents.

“It’s funny how something that was so really simple, compared to the technology that we have today, what a part it played in so many people’s memories,” Burnley said. “I don’t know of a soul who grew up in this surrounding area from that time period that doesn’t remember this. They all remember.”

The motivation for Cook is simple and noble: he wants to create something both reminiscent and novel so families can relive old memories and form new ones.

“That’s one thing that I think has been lost from society in general is the fact that you don’t spend enough time with your family around the holidays,” Cook said.

Cook proposed relocating the display this year from the bluff to the visitor’s center, where there will be less “foot traffic.” That is one measure Cook thinks will help sustain the condition of the decorations.

“I want these to last,” he said.

But it costs to make something that lasts. Cook estimated a total cost of between $5,500 and $6,000 to build this year’s display.

The project is funded in part by the Christmas in Natchez Committee, which is affiliated with the Natchez-Adams Chamber of Commerce. A large portion of funds, however, has come from “ordinary people,” as Cook put it.

Cook has raised just under $1,400 through the fundraiser “Restoring the Old IP Displays” on the crowdsourcing site GoFundMe.

Cook’s ambitions for the project are high. He believes with the proper funding, the Natchez display could be comparable to the popular holiday light show held in Natchitoches, La.

While Cook said he will have 13 pieces ready for this year’s display, he wants to expand next year.

“There’s no reason that can’t be doubled and really made into a show-stopping sort of a thing,” he said.

Those wanting to help can reach Cook at 601-807-0578.