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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.


15c Santa Claus Ornament

Recession's Greetings

Ralph Fabri Christmas card with Santa Claus as "The thinker"

"Wishing you a MERRY CHRISTMAS." Santa Claus and two small children in a balloon

29c Santa Claus and Stars booklet single

37c Santa Claus with Drum single

Burdines: Christmas (no date)

Stamp with a child's drawing of Santa holding a yellow sack on a blue background

20c Child's Crayon Drawing of Santa Claus single

Undenom. (25c) Santa Claus Checking List booklet single

Effortless! / Lloyd Center

Neiman-Marcus: Christmas 1987

Plate

Coca-Cola Advertisement

32c Dreaming of Santa Claus booklet single

The Chimney is too Small

(a) Package for "Hanes Seamless Stockings", with (b) cover

Poster

Santa Claus Spoon

Coca-Cola Advertisement

Santa Claus

Santa Claus and His presents/Christmas Out of Doors, from Harper's Weekly, December 25, 1858, p. 821

34c Santa Holding Toys single

Santa Clause Group Portrait

Coca-Cola Advertisement

Untitled, from the Appalshop Photographic Survey

Coca-Cola Advertisement

Santa Claus Chocolate Mold

Santa Claus 3-D Cake Pan, Back

Santa Claus Soap / made only by / the N.K. Fairbank Company / New York, Chicago / gifts for Santa Claus wrappers. [Trade card.]

37c Holiday Cookies: Santa Claus single

Merry Christmas, Santa Claus Is Coming Christmas Cookies

tumbler

20c Santa Claus Holding Package single

decoration, holiday

Boys on Santa's Lap


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