Abraham Lincoln called him our best recruiting sergeant. During Reconstruction, Nasts cartoons portrayed Pres. In Germany, where the Reformation led by the monk Martin Luther banned saint worship, Nicholas was replaced by ChristKindl (Christ Child). What are the four main categories used to develop a narrative? His image of Santa Claus was the inspiration for the Coca Cola companys modern Santa Claus. His cult began in Northern Europe at the time of the Crusades, particularly in Lorraine, of which he became the patron saint in the Middle Ages. Historians review some myths and misconceptions about the Reconstruction era. Nasts cartoons were among the first to portray Santa Claus as a plump, jolly old man with a white beard and a red suit, and his illustration of the Republican elephant and the Democratic donkey are still used today. The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network. Why did Nast draw Santa? Nast makes it clear that Santa supports the Union, not the Confederacy. By the end of the 18th century, at the time of the 1776 Revolution, Santa Claus became the symbol of American resistance against the British occupying forces! In 1902, he . Even as Saint Nicholas was chased away from the Lutheran Protestant regions, he was welcomed in the Netherlands, despite its Calvinist majority. Filled to the brim with inviting warmth and vivid detail, its really no wonder that Thomas Nasts Christmas illustrations have been so influential and enduring. In those decades, a familiar Santa Claus emerges round-bellied, ruddy-nosed, and pipe-smoking, with white hair, beard, and iconic suit. The clever Coke advertisers hired American artistHaddon Sundblom (1899-1976) to create a Santa Claus who would appear as an actual person, not a myth, magician, or an impersonator wearing a fake beard and a padded suit. It is because of Nast that we have the donkey and the elephants as symbols for the two major political parties in the United States, it is because of Nast that we have a goateed Uncle Sam, and it is because of Nast that we have the modern Santa Claus. (Image by Alamy) Santa Claus, as drawn by Thomas Nast and, increasingly, by many others, became the standard bearer of the newly defined secular part of Christmas. Actually, the original Santa was rather slim, but cartoonists and commercial ads artists gave him a makeover. Tweet. Nast made his living creating such images. Our modern image of Santa Claus is directly indebted to Nasts dozens of Christmas illustrations for Harpers Weekly magazine in the 1860s-80s. In 1859 he moved to the New York Illustrated Newsand in 1860 he was sentto Englandproviding coverage of a major prizefight and he also went to Italy to provide coverage of Garibaldis campaigns in Italy. ", September 5, 1868 Nast continued to draw Santa for 30 years, changing the color of his coat from tan to the red hes known for today. His most famous drawing of Santa Claus appeared in the January 1, 1881 issue ofHarpers Weekly. The name Santa Claus has his roots in the informal Dutch name for St. Nicholas, Sinterklaas (an abbreviation of Sint Nikolaas).St. Nasts Santa Claus clothes were neither red (as Coca-Colas Santa Claus would later be), nor green (as those of Saint Nicholas often were), but rather brown with short bristles, in accordance with the description contained in Clement Clark Moores poem A Visit from St. Nicholas (circa 1880), more commonly known as The Night Before Christmas: He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot; And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot. Historians describe the violent conditions that prevailed in the South. As a political cartoonist for Harpers, the strongly abolitionist Nast created a stream of pro-Union, anti-Confederacy images throughout the American Civil War. fbq('track', 'ViewContent'); "Merry Old Santa Claus" by Thomas Nast (1881). In the past Santa Claus was presented in various ways but Nast conceived and introduced our modern image of Santa Claus. In the days before quick and easy photography, periodicals of all stripes employed artists to sketch current events. The current depiction of Santa Claus is based on images drawn by cartoonist Thomas Nast for Harper's Weekly beginning in 1863. Although Nast did not use an image of Santa for his 1864 Christmas drawing, he brought St. Nick back in the December 30, 1865 issue of Harper's, which contains a drawing of . Nast's depiction of Santa brought home the loneliness of war, the sadness of soldiers on the front, and the worry and heartache suffered by those at home. Nasts caricature of the fleeing political boss led to Tweeds identification and arrest in Vigo, Spain, in 1876. Conozca a la influyente autora y figura clave del Renacimiento de Harlem. The poem was an instant success and played a key role in introducing a portly and larger-than-life Santa Claus to the collective American imagination. Christmas Bonanza: Everything You Need To Know About Christmas, The Surprising Truth: Christians Once Banned Christmas, Can Tech Help Santa Deliver the Goods? Our Sites: WetCanvas | Southwest Art | Collector's Guide. The poem was A Visit from Saint Nicholas which began, "Twas the night before Christmas.". In 1931, Coca-Cola decided to broaden its market to children. By 1885 Nasts disagreements with the editors of Harpers Weekly were becoming increasingly frequent; his last Harpers cartoon appeared in 1886. After the war, Nast continued to draw often-scathing political commentary. A few years later, in December 1823, Clement Clark Moore, a professor at New Yorks Episcopalian seminary, published a poem intended for his own children called Twas the Night Before Christmas in The Sentinel, a New York state newspaper. Happy Birthday General Robert E. Lee Confederate General Robert Edward Lee was born on this day in 1807. Santa Claus represents one of the Christmas seasons most iconic images. In 1823, the second artist, a professor by the name of Doctor Clement Clarke Moore, presented his family with a poem about Santa to amuse his grandchildren and that Santa took over. In fact, when Civil War cartoonist Thomas Nast drew Santa Claus for Harper's Weekly in 1862, Santa was a small elflike figure who supported the Union. In 1875, Louis Prang, the father of the American Christmas card, printed a series of postcards with a Santa Claus in a red costume. Remy Melina was a staff writer for Live Science from 2010 to 2012. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Thomas Nast drew this image of Jolly Old Santa Claus in 1881. Du Bois in Paris. Nasts work gave Santa Claus a life and personality, rather than just using him as a symbol. Other artists, including Haddon Sundblom and J.C. Leyendecker, also contributed to the development of the Santa Claus character. Thomas H. Nast, Photograped by Sarony, Union Square, N.Y. In 1860 he went to England for the New York Illustrated News and in the same year went to Italy to cover Giuseppe Garibaldis revolt for The Illustrated London News and American publications. The British tradition of Father Christmas, a jolly old man who brings gifts to children at Christmas time, also influenced the modern image of Santa Claus. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you. Known as The President Maker, Nasts persuasive, and sometimes scathing, cartoons proved crucial in influencing the nations vote and affecting the outcomes of six presidential elections between 1864 and 1884. Nast first drew him for the January 3, 1863, edition of Harper's Weekly. Nast first drew Santa Claus for the 1862 Christmas season Harpers Weekly cover and center-fold illustration to memorialize the family sacrifices of the Union during the early and, for the north, darkest days of the Civil War. For inspiration Sundblom turned to Clement Clark Moores 1822 poemA Visit From St. Nicholas, commonly known asTwas the Night Before Christmas. It is believed that the story about Santa Claus living at the North Pole may also have been a Nast creation. Publishing regularly in Harper's. Did Thomas Nast have a wife and children? If you disgrace your race in this way you had better take back seats.". Every December 24th millions of people are visited by a short, fat guy in a red suit. 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Pre Janvier, Father Christmas, Christkindl, Santa Claus Whatever name you happen to give him, Santa and his origins still spur controversy. (History & Facts). Thomas Nast did not invent the American Christmas, but the German immigrant did develop the iconic image of its central celebratory figure, Santa Claus. It was the 1930s, in the middle of the depression, and not a happy time for many people. (Enter your ZIP code for information on American Experience events and screening in your area.). Before long, countless American artists were inspired by the character. Also a trained anthropologist, Hurston collected folklore throughout the South and Caribbean reclaiming, honoring and celebrating Black life on its own terms. His drawings appeared for the first time in Harpers Weekly on March 19, 1859, when he illustrated a report exposing police corruption; Nast was 18 years old at that point. Sinterklaas, also known as St. Nicholas, was a historical figure who was known for his generosity and kindness, and he is the source of many of the modern Santa Clauss attributes, such as his love of children and his association with Christmas. But even after the war ended, Nast continued to use Santa Claus to make certain pointed political statements. It was he who created the symbol of the Republican elephant and the Democratic donkey, and who popularized the figure of Uncle Sam. Many of Nasts most effective cartoons, such as his Tammany Tiger Loose and Group of Vultures Waiting for the Storm to Blow Over (both 1871), were virulent attacks on New Yorks Tammany Hall political machine led by Boss Tweed. One of the first artists to define Santa Clauss modern image was Thomas Nast, an American cartoonist of the 19th century who immortalized Santa Claus with an illustration for the 3 January 1863 issue of Harpers Weekly in which Santa was dressed in an American flag, and had a puppet with the name Jeff written on it. Thomas Nast drew this image of Jolly Old Santa Claus in 1881. Thomas Nast did not invent the American Christmas, but the German immigrant did develop the iconic image of its central celebratory figure, Santa Claus. Instead, it would be illustrations by an immigrant living in New York City in the coming years that would take the St. Nicholas portrayed in the poem and turn him into modern-day Santa Claus. Get the latest on new films and digital content, learn about events in your area, and get your weekly fix of American history. Discover the fascinating story of this iconic American garment. By Alexandra KielyBA Art History (with honors)Alexandra is an art historian and writer from New Jersey. Harper's weekly, 1872). His portrayals of Santa Claus helped to create the enduring image of a jolly, white-bearded man in a red suit who brings gifts to children on Christmas Eve. Nast's Santa appeared as a kindly figure representing Christmas, the holiday celebrating the birth of Christ. From then until 1886, Nast contributed yearly illustrations of Santa to the magazineand in the process, did a great deal to cement many aspects of the Santa legend in the popular. Nast didn't invent fat Santa out of whole cloth, though, and may have modeled his depiction after the titular character of "A Visit from St. Nicholas" ("Twas the Night Before Christmas . Actually, the original Santa was rather slim, but cartoonists and commercial ads artists gave him a makeover. The Tammany Society emerged as the center for Democratic-Republican Party politics in the city in the early 19th century. Over the years, he portrayed Santa making toys, separating the naughty children from the nice, stealthily delivering presents, and more. In the 19th century, British and American culture transformed Christmas into the wholesome holiday celebrated today. Nast was the first person to draw Santa Claus as a fat, bearded elf. A political cartoonist who originated the familar symbols of the Republican elephant and Democratic donkey [above from a post-war edition of Harper's Weekly showing a rampaging elephant heading blindly over a cliff while the donkey becomes the proverbial *** in a lion's skin], Nast is thought to have been the first artist . } If so, he certainly got his wish. Coca-Cola may have claimed ownership of the symbol and widely circulated the image of a bearded and smiling Santa Claus, yet the brand didnt actually invent anything. It did so well that Coca-Cola continued to use Sundblom's Santa illustrations for decades, and his wholesome representation of Santa that is both realistic and symbolic can still be glimpsed in current ads. Despite his political activism, Thomas Nast is better known for something else changing Christmas forever by creating the modern-day image of Santa Claus. He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf., In this poem inspired by the folk legends of the German, Dutch and Norwegian communities settled in the United States, one no longer recognizes the austere Bishop of Myra! New York, The plump Santa Claus whom children all over the world will be keeping an eye out for on Christmas Eve is actually a pretty modern creation. He published his initial illustration of Santa Claus in his first year with the magazine. You can find him in the department stores of Tokyo and Singapore as well as New York and London. "Thomas Nast has been our best recruiting sergeant," he said. Learn how the familiar image of Santa Claus came to be, through the work of German-American illustrator Thomas Nast. In President Lincolns words, Santa Claus became his best recruiting agent! The magazine cover showed Santa Claus looking sad as he watched the young soldiers part with their families, and handed out gifts to Unionist men. The jovial version of St. Nick popular in the U.S. wasn . Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). When asked to paint some of his works, Nast chose the iconic red and white colours we . This is a cool infographic on the Civil War from the Civil War Trust, Your email address will not be published. [Got a question? Four good reasons to indulge in cryptocurrency! The stylistic representation of Santa that is so widely recognized in the U.S. today with a fluffy white beard, giant belt buckle and bright red cheeks was further molded by none other than the Coca-Cola Co. 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