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Thomas Nast Santa Claus 1871 engraving...
Thomas Nast Santa Claus 1871 engraving...
Item # 709933
December 30, 1871
HARPER'S WEEKLY, New York, December 30, 1871
* Thomas Nast Santa Claus wood block engraving
The full front page is the famous Thomas Nast illustration of: "Santa Claus's Mail." which is very displayable.
Inside is a full pg. illus. of "Christmas in Virginia - A Present from the Great House." Full pg. illus. of "A Roman Catholic Mission from England to the 'Heathens' of America." Doublepage centerfold of "Witchcraft in 1871." Two 1/2 pg. illus. of "Chain Gang in the Cathedral Plaza, Havana" and "Innocence and Guilt." 1/2 pg. portrait of "The Prince of Whales." Two 2/3 pg. illus. of "Do You Love Me? He Whispered, with his Lips Close at her Ear" and "Remember What I Told You about Launcelot Linzie! He Whispered, Fiercely."
Sixteen pages and in uncommonly nice condition.
AI notes: The December 30, 1871 issue of Harper’s Weekly featured a cover illustration by Thomas Nast titled “Santa Claus’s Mail,” one of the artist’s early iconic depictions of Santa Claus. The engraving shows Santa, depicted as a jolly, bearded figure in his traditional fur-trimmed coat, seated at a desk reviewing letters from children, capturing the emerging American tradition of writing to Santa. Nast’s work in this issue exemplifies how he helped shape the modern image of Santa Claus in popular culture, portraying him as both benevolent and industrious, attentive to children’s wishes, and connected to the Christmas season through the ritual of letter writing. By 1871, Nast’s illustrations in Harper’s Weekly had already become widely recognized, blending festive imagery with the magazine’s broader cultural influence, and this issue reinforced Santa Claus as a central figure of American holiday tradition.
Category: 1870-1879
Available Now
$300.00
