Santa Through History
To obtain the best understanding of how Santa and his fellow midwinter gift-givers developed, the most interesting approach and, I presume, the most accurate approach is to review historical illustrations. Santa Through History is a collection of historical illustrations dating back to 1750, some of which were included in Santa Claus Worldwide (The Book) and some of which were not.
L. Frank Baum, The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, 1902
Adventures of Santa Claus: published by L. Frank Baum
Visit of St. Nicholas: McLoughlin Bros 1901
A portrait of Santa drawn by Thomas Nast
The Night Before Christmas or a Visit of St. Nicholas: McLoughlin Bros circa 1896
The Night Before Christmas: McLoughlin Bros 1896
Ad for Tom Smith’s Christmas Crackers circa 1890s
Ad for Ayer’s Cherry Pictorial circa 1890
Ad for Santa Claus Sugar Plums 1869
Beginning in the 1860s, Santa Claus began to be used in advertising
Santa Claus, Louis Prang, cover, Fold-Out Card, A Visit from St. Nicholas 1864
Illustration from Prang’s “Visit” shows the size of Santa relative to the stockings and chair next to him
Santa Claus, Fisher & Bros.,Howell, Internal illustration, Visit from St. Nicholas 1863
Fisher and Brother’s version of “Visit”
Santa Claus, Fisher & Bros.,Howell, cover, Visit from St. Nicholas 1863
A version of “A Visit from St. Nicholas” published by Fisher & Brother of Philadelphia and illustrated by Howell
Santa Claus, F.O.C. Darley, cover, A Visit from St. Nicholas 1862
F.O.C. Darley’s book version of A Visit from St. Nicholas
Santa Claus, David Scattergood, cover, A Visit from St. Nicholas 1860
Illustration of one of the earliest versions of “The Night Before Christmas”
Santa Claus “Wonders of Santa Claus”, Harpers Weekly, cover, 12-24-1857
Illustration titled “Wonders of Santa Claus”
Santa Claus: F.O.C. Darley, “A Visit from St. Nicholas”, Harper’s New Monthly Magazine. Cover, December 1857
The earliest version of the gift-giver who looked like Santa Claus rather than the halfling Dutchmen who appeared between 1837 and 1848 was a drawing by artist F.O.C. Darley
Santeclaus in bedroom: Arthur Stansbury, The Children’s Friend, 1821
Children hanging their stockings at the foot of their bed in the expectation that Santeclaus would arrive during the night
Portrait of Santeclaus: Arthur Stansbury, The Children’s Friend, 1821
One of the earliest uses in print of a name that was in common use by 1821
Santeclaus in sleigh by Arthur Stansbury, The Children’s Friend, 1821
Arthur Stansbury created the most influential depiction of Santa that no one ever saw
Canadian Santa without beard: Canadian Illustrated News, cover, December 1885
One of the few versions of Santa that does not have a beard
Santa Claus by George Beard 1872
A well-intentioned effort by artist George Beard in 1872
Santa in tutu: Harper’s Weekly, cover, January 2, 1869
Santa Claus wearing what appears to be a long, wild beard modeled after the pagan god Odin