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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.


Young children on Santa's lap

Christmas card with illustration by LeRoy Neiman

Christmas Designs

[Santa on his sleigh with two reindeer, in color : greeting card.]

Jameson & Co. / Fine Shoes / Bruckton, Mass."

Maurice Chevalier christmas card to Kathleen Blackshear

Galleria at Crocker Center

Forever Christmas Carols: "Jolly Old St. Nicholas" single

Santa 1980

Forever Sparkling Holidays: Santa Claus and Card single

Forever A Visit From St. Nick: Santa Claus on Roof single

Merry Xmas

Janet LaSalle Christmas card to Kathleen Blackshear and Ethel Spears

Cardboard Castanets

"X-Mas Greetings - Success, Prosperity, Good Will." Santa Claus launching series of paper balloons


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