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Must Be Santa

Santa Claus in the 1910s and 1920s had largely come into focus as the jolly, bearded, happy soul we would recognize today, but artists still occasionally tweaked the color of Santa's robes or the amount of girth they added around the middle. By the 1860s, famous cartoonist Thomas Nast had turned Santa Claus into a fully human-sized character and given him a home at the North Pole. Explore images of Santa and learn about his role in advertising history from our National Museum of American History.


Arturo Rodríguez Christmas card to Helen L. Kohen

Unknown: Santa Claus by Thomas Nast

Santa Claus 3-D Cake Pan, Front

Carson Pirie Scott: Santa Claus

Stamp with illustration of Santa coming out of a chimney waving with a bag of presents behind him

29c Santa Claus In Chimney single

Coca-Cola Advertisement

Batman No. 27

Glass Christmas Ornament

Plate

Santa Claus

Advertising poster for perfumery trade

Santa Claus Christmas Ornament

Ho Ho Ho

"X-Mas Greetings." Santa Claus in airship over North America [note the number of ships at the Panama Canal]

Santa Claus

Compliments of Blossburg Tea Store [Santa Claus image on card.]

New York Times Magazine Advertisement for ShurEdge Knives (Robeson Cutlery,Co. Inc.): Triangular Santa Claus with Knives in his Belt

"A Merry Christmas." Santa Claus up in a balloon

8c Santa Claus single

This Holiday Season

Merry Christmas Greetings [picture postcard]

Advertising poster

Santa Claus Christmas Ornament

Santa Claus Marionette

Stamp with photo of Santa nutcracker holding a lantern on his right and a snowflake staff in left

42c Holiday Nutcrackers: Santa Claus Nutcracker single

St. Nicholas

37c Santa Claus with Trumpet single

Stamp with illustration of Santa looking at us with one leg in the chimney and a sack of toys

32c Santa Claus Entering Chimney single

32c Dreaming of Santa Claus single

Stamp illustrated with Santa riding his sleigh across the night sky, holding the reigns and waving

Forever Santa and Sleigh: Santa Claus and Sleigh single

Advertising Design for ShurEdge Knives: Santa Toy

32c Santa Claus Working on Sled single

Belsnickel Figure

Festival Merry Christmas Yo-Yo

Santa Claus Christmas Ornament


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