The political cartoonist Thomas Nast, who was a Lincoln-loving, abolition-advocating, Union-supporting Republican from New York published his first Santa on Jan. 3, 1861 in Harper's Weekly.. The drawing became so popular that is still widely reproduced today. Before long, countless American artists were inspired by the character. Threats of retribution by Tweed and his cronies made Nast and his family leave New York in 1871. Your email address will not be published. His portrayals of Santa became increasingly popular and were widely reprinted in newspapers and magazines across the country. It was he who created the symbol of the Republican elephant and the Democratic donkey, and who popularized the figure of Uncle Sam. Living in New York City, he dropped out of school in favor of studying drawing with fellow German-American Theodore Kaufmann and at the National Academy of Design. Santa Claus distributes gifts to Union troops in Nasts first Santa Claus cartoon, (1863). If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. 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 legend of Santa Claus can be traced back hundreds of years to a monk named St. Nicholas. Originally, children hoped to receive presents from him on St. Nicholass Day, celebrated on December 6th. Discover the fascinating story of this iconic American garment. The drawing was by 22-year-old Thomas Nast, who was born in Germany and came to New York with his family at age 6. The Dutch are credited with transporting the legend of Saint Nicholas (Sinterklaas) to New Amsterdam (now New York City), along with the custom of giving gifts and sweets to children on his feast day, December 6. While the color of his outfit was nowhere mentioned, this would change during the second half of the 19, Nast would complete Nicholas-Santa Clauss transformation for, Nasts style later evolved, and Santa Claus became less austere. Live Science is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. His new fame spread all over the New World. 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. 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. Beginning in 1881, she had published postcards depicting Nordic elves that also followed the Saint Nicholas tradition. 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. Over his career, Thomas Nast created or popularized the now-familiar images of the Democratic donkey, the Republican elephant, Uncle Sam, and Columbia (a female personification of America). "Who ever heard of a skinny Santa?" A German immigrant to the United States, Thomas Nast (1840-1902) is best known for his illustrations and cartoons that were published in Harper's Weekly's Journal of Civilization.Nast is most associated with his depictions of "Boss Tweed" and "Santa Claus" and for his development and popularization of the donkey and elephant as political party symbols. Discover the best of France-Amrique every week in our newsletter. 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. The character of Santa Claus is believed to descend from Bishop Nicholas of Myra, who lived in the 4th century. Santa appears in the left center image on the leaf. Arriving in New York City at the age of six, Nast first attended German language schools. Why did Nast draw Santa? They had five children, Julia, Thomas, Jr., Edith, Mabel, and Cyril. It features a picture of Santa Claus with a bag on his back, walking past two children sleeping in bed. He was also the man who invented Santa Claus. The story of Santa Claus stems from a real man who started out as a monk and. March 14, 1874 Here's how to watch. Columbia asks, "Shall I Trust These Men, and Not This Man?". Every black vote became a threat to white Southerners' political power. The Fourteenth Amendment, granting black men the right to vote, was ratified in July 1868. They settled in Morristown, New Jersey, where Nast lived for most of the rest of his life. His father, Joseph Thomas Nast, joined them in 1849 at the end of his enlistment. if ( 'querySelector' in document && 'addEventListener' in window ) { Beginning in 1881, she had published postcards depicting Nordic elves that also followed the Saint Nicholas tradition. The Santa Claus we leave milk and cookies for on Christmas Eve is largely a 19th-century phenomenon. The former Bishop Nicholas, deprived of his miter and cross, was completely unrecognizable as a jolly grandfather with a long white beard. These immigrants, founders of Nieuw Amsterdam (the future New York), introduced Sinterklaas in their new homeland. When Santa shows the soldiers a jack-in-the-box that seems to be hanging by a noose, the puppet has the face of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. IsThisProtecting Life, Liberty, or Property? January 24, 1863 Did he invent the costumes red color? The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. In those decades, a familiar Santa Claus emerges round-bellied, ruddy-nosed, and pipe-smoking, with white hair, beard, and iconic suit. According to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant (via the Smithsonian), Nast "did as much as any one man to preserve the Union and bring the war to an end." Santa Claus was just part of that. Nast's Santa generally stayed in line with Moore's depiction of a plump old man with a white beard, but often changed the wardrobe options ranging from suit patterns to hats and shoes. Most often asked questions related to bitcoin. Many saints acquire followings, and its perhaps unsurprising that one known for saving children and at-risk young women would find widespread popularity. Historians set his birth at between 250 and 270 in Lycia, present-day southwestern Turkey, and estimate that he became the Bishop of Myra around 315. ", September 5, 1868 ", "One Less Vote." 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. Nast would complete Nicholas-Santa Clauss transformation for Harpers Weekly magazine: Between 1862 and 1886, Nast created thirty-three Santa Claus drawings. From his pen came the Republican Partys elephant, Tammany Halls tiger, and one of the most popular images of Santa Claus. In this view of Southern justice, a Northerner and a black man are accused of murder and then lynched, while in another panel a Southern gentleman accused of murder is humorously chided by the court. Thomas Nast did not invent the American Christmas, but the German immigrant did develop the iconic image of its central celebratory figure, Santa Claus. Omissions? Nasts Santa appeared as a kindly figure representing Christmas, the holiday celebrating the birth of Christ. Nast, who was reportedly a rather rotund figure even in childhood, seems to have partially based Santa Clauss physique and appearance on his own. When did Thomas Nast draw Santa Claus? 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. In 1931, Coca-Cola decided to broaden its market to children. When Dutch settlers arrived in the American colonies, they brought their love of Sinterklaas, as they call him, with them. He then studied for a time at the National Academy of Design and when he was about 15-years-old he started working as a draftsman for Leslies Illustrated Newspaper. An American artist named Thomas Nast also played a part in creating Santa Claus. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; Unsurprisingly, the drawings from the Civil War often fell solidly in the realm of propaganda; Nast staunchly supported abolition, civil rights and the Republicans. German-born political cartoonist Thomas Nast gave America some of its most enduring symbols: the Republican elephant, the Democratic donkey, and Uncle Sam. Prior to Nasts drawings, Saint Nicolas and later Santa Claus, had been drawn as a tall, thin man. The Feast of Saint Nicholas painting executed in the 17th century by Jan Steen for the first time depicts a family celebrating the Feast of Saint Nicholas. His use of Santa Claus was melancholy, sad for the faltering Union war effort in which Nast so fervently believed, and sad for the separation of soldiers and families. He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf.. A child weeps after receiving a stick as a present, while a little girl lovingly cuddles a miniature of the bishop saint the way she would a doll. The stone reads, "Negroe Killed, Seymour Ratification, KKK. His wife and children made cameo appearances, and their Morristown home often served as the backdrop. Images of the Anglo-American Santa Claus or Father Christmas has come to dominate the modern Christmas. 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. His clearest early ancestor was St. Nicholas, a 4th-century CE bishop from Myra, in modern-day Turkey. Nast continued, however, to contribute to Harpers Weekly and other NYC-based publications until the 1880s. In 1875, Louis Prang, the father of the American Christmas card, printed a series of postcards with a Santa Claus in a red costume. Over the next several years, Nast continued to draw Santa Claus in various cartoons and illustrations for Harpers Weekly. August 5, 1865 s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,document,'script', 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. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Saint Nicholas was popular in his lifetime, and had the reputation of being a miracle maker. Several American artists played a role in turning the image of a slim saint in bishop's robes into a chubby, jolly old man in tall boots. Nast made his living creating such images. Pre Janvier, Father Christmas, Christkindl, Santa Claus Whatever name you happen to give him, Santa and his origins still spur controversy. With the outbreak of the American Civil War, Nast vigorously supported the cause of the Union and opposed slavery from his drawing board at Harpers Weekly. Cartoonist Thomas Nast When asked to paint some of his works, Nast chose the iconic red and white colours we . Nast built on this during the Civil War - a time when people needed to be reminded of the simple gestures to bring happiness to their lives. For the next 30 years Nast continued to draw Santa changing the color of his coat from tan to the red hes known for today. In 1931, Coca-Cola decided to broaden its market to children. The poem quickly became popular around the United States. Nast continued to draw Santa for 30 years, changing the color of his coat from tan to the red hes known for today. "Without Thomas Nast, our vision of Santa Claus might be very different. Thomas Nast is considered to bethe Father of the American Cartoon and the man who conceived and introduced our modern image of Santa Claus. /* fbq('track', 'PageView'); */ He is usually depicted wearing ecclesiastical vestments and holding a crozier (bishops staff). NTS is an online radio station based in London with studios in Los Angeles, Shanghai and Manchester. Through the years, Sundbloms Christmas Santa ads for Coke incorporated subtle changes, but kept the robust, jolly figure essentially the same. Thomas Nast, (born September 27, 1840, Landau, Bavarian Palatinate [now Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany]died December 7, 1902, Guayaquil, Ecuador), American cartoonist, best known for his attack on the political machine of William M. Tweed in New York City in the 1870s. Thomas Nast (/nst/; German: [nast]; September 27, 1840 December 7, 1902) was a German-born American caricaturist and editorial cartoonist often considered to be the Father of the American Cartoon. 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); Thomas Nast was born onSeptember 27, 1840, in Landau, Germany. (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. Thomas Nast, (born September 27, 1840, Landau, Bavarian Palatinate [now Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany]died December 7, 1902, Guayaquil, Ecuador), American cartoonist, best known for his attack on the political machine of William M. Tweed in New York City in the 1870s. googletag.cmd = googletag.cmd || []; German-born political cartoonist Thomas Nast gave America some of its most enduring symbols: the Republican elephant, the Democratic donkey, and Uncle Sam. He supported Abraham Lincoln and President Abraham Lincoln described Nast as the "best recruiting sergeant" for the Union cause since his sketches inspired readers to support the war effort. From the 19th century: Thomas Nast's vision of old Saint Nick. In the days before quick and easy photography, periodicals of all stripes employed artists to sketch current events. His cartoons were probably one of the chief factors in the machines downfall. Which aspect of Upton Sinclairs life best explains his reasons for writing The Jungle? However, he was just one of its elements, as captured in a wealth of 19th-century Christmas . The origin of the red color of Santa Claus outfit is a mystery. The book helped popularize the character of Santa Claus and give him an unprecedented profile. With limited education and little artistic training he joined the art staff of Frank Leslie's Illustrated as a teenager. From their roots in slavery to the Wild West, hippies, high fashion and hip-hop, jeans are the fabric on which the history of American ideology and politics is writ large. By the 1870s, Nasts image of Santa had become the dominant one in American popular culture. We use cookies to optimize our website and our service. He was appointed as U.S. counsel general for Ecuador byTheodore Roosevelt in 1902. Irvings book recounts the odyssey of a Dutch crew leaving Amsterdam in the 17th century for America. Santa Claus before Nast was a tall, thin man; it is Nast who made him the fat, jolly, bearded . He gained weight, grew a beard, wore fur and kept his peddlers bag on his shoulder: a right jolly old elf. Nast immortalized this transformation in his best portraits, sometimes depicting his own children and his Morristown family home in New Jersey. Four good reasons to indulge in cryptocurrency! William Tweed was a New York politician who used his influence to turn much of the city government into his own personal system. The cartoon is lampooning the corruption of Boss Tweed in New York City politics. Another Santa Claus forefather is the English figure, Father Christmas, also known as Sir Christmas. Except for the pipe-smoking, the smiling, bearded, ruddy cheeked, red suit wearing, portly old gent sporting a bundle of toys is pretty much the same figure appearing in the iconic Coca Cola ads that appear in the 1930s, some 50 years later. But even after the war ended, Nast continued to use Santa Claus to make certain pointed political statements. Why did Nast draw Santa? More than a century had passed when the writer Washington Irving published A History of New York in 1809, comically told by the make-believe historian Dietrich Knickerbocker (Washington Irvings pen name). Abolitionist cartoonist Thomas Nast had a big role in manufacturing the US version of the Christmas patriarch. During Christmas in 1862 Nastfirst drew Santa Claus but the drawings firstappeared on the cover of the January 3, 1863, issue of Harpers Weekly,and shows Santa Claus visiting a Civil War Camp. Thomas Nast did not invent the American Christmas, but the German immigrant did develop the iconic image of its central celebratory figure, Santa Claus. The drawing became so popular that is still widely reproduced today. It shows a Santa in an egg-shaped profile, turning towards the viewer and carrying an armful of toys. The significant role played by bitcoin for businesses! 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. Did he invent the costumes red color? 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. Actually, the original Santa was rather slim, but cartoonists and commercial ads artists gave him a makeover. Happy Birthday General Robert E. Lee Confederate General Robert Edward Lee was born on this day in 1807. Heres how it works. ], "The story of Santa Claus began with St. Nicholas, or Sinter Klaus," Pam Robson explains in her book, "How I Celebrate." It is believed that Nicholas was born sometime around 280 A.D. in Patara, near Myra in modern-day Turkey. He created a modern version of Santa Claus (based on the traditional German figures of Sankt Nikolaus and Weihnachtsmann) and the political symbol of the elephant for the Republican Party (GOP). It was the 1930s, in the middle of the depression, and not a happy time for many people. Nasts influence on the image of Santa Claus can still be seen today, in the many variations on the traditional Santa Claus costume that are worn by people around the world during the Christmas season. This Santa is a rather generic bearded old man, seen from the side in a star-spangled jacket. Unsurprisingly, the drawings from the Civil War often fell solidly in the realm of propaganda; Nast staunchly supported abolition, civil rights and the Republicans. What political cartoonist is responsible for Santa Claus? 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 . The Tammany Society emerged as the center for Democratic-Republican Party politics in the city in the early 19th century. Please allow a few minutes for this process to complete. Nast first drew him for the January 3, 1863, edition of Harper's Weekly. Thomas Nast: self-caricature Nast arrived in New York as a boy of six. Emancipation of Negroes, The Past and the Future. Our Sites: WetCanvas | Southwest Art | Collector's Guide. Beginning in1860's, Mr. Nast drew pictures of Santa Claus for an American publication called Harper's Weekly. This changed in 1863, when Harper's Weekly hired a 21-year-old named Thomas Nast to draw a picture of Santa Claus bringing gifts to troops fighting in the American Civil War. Copyright 2023 Golden Peak Media. In 1862, Nast began working for Harpers Weekly, which would publish his most celebrated and influential work. How German Refugee Thomas Nast Invented How Santa Claus Looks Back During the Civil War. She holds a bachelors degree in Communication from Hofstra University where she graduated with honors. As years passed by Nast was adding detailsto the story of Santas life through his illustrations. Nast first drew Santa Claus for the 1862 Christmas season Harper's Weekly cover and cen. Columbia's sympathetic gesture towards a wounded black soldier is a reply to a previous panel in which Southern landowners ask her forgiveness. Sundbloms last ad for the company was painted in 1964. Although other artists of the period sketched Santa Claus, Nast stands apart from the rest for his role in creating and popularizing the modern image of the Christmas figure. In the mid 19th century American illustrator, political cartoonist and Morristown resident Thomas Nast (1840-1902) was responsible for creating the Victorian image of Santa Claus that we still use today. It was the 1930s, in the middle of the depression, and not a happy time for many people. 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! . Recognizing the failure of Reconstruction, Nast asks, "IsThisa Republican Form of Government? He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot; And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot. Conozca a la influyente autora y figura clave del Renacimiento de Harlem. Even more than a century after Nasts death, they beautifully evoke the magic and joy of Christmas to many viewers. Thomas Nast was a Radical Republican who favored abolition and opposed segregation. Nast began to develop artistic skills in his youth and . Some of this rowdiness likely held over from the pagan Winter Solstice celebrations. Before that, Santa had . Her primary interests are American art, particularly 19th-century painting, and medieval European art and architecture. (WVUE) Cartoonist Thomas Nast, more than any other single individual, seems responsible for our modern day image of Santa Claus as a fat, bearded elf. Thomas Nast (1840-1902) was born in Bavaria, Germany. No. In 1862 he joined the staff of Harpers Weeklywhere he focused his efforts on political cartoons. To accomplish the desired level of realism, Sundblom hired his affable friend and neighbor Lou Prentiss to model. For inspiration Sundblom turned to Clement Clark Moores 1822 poemA Visit From St. Nicholas, commonly known asTwas the Night Before Christmas. Where did he come from, why does he do it, and how does he accomplish this seemingly impossible task? Much admired for his piety and kindness, St. Santa as we have come to know him can be attributed to generations of stories, poems and more recently, television. She wrote her honors thesis on the life and work of early-20th century art theorist Roger Fry. 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! As Nast told his first biographer, Albert Bigelow Paine, he started drawing at an early age, to the exclusion of pretty much all else. Publishing regularly inHarper's Weekly, the celebrated Nast drew thousands of cartoons during the second half of the nineteenth century. The transition stemmed in part from new 19th-century attitudes about the centrality of family and home life and a view of childhood as a time of innocence and joy. More recent images, from Norman Rockwells Saturday Evening Post and Haddon Sundbloms illustrations for Coca-Cola to ubiquitous shopping mall Santas and Christmas ornaments, all trace their appearances in part back to Nasts vision. The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. This side to Nast's work is markedly different from the world of political cartoons that he is most famous for. In the aftermath of World War II, the figure of Santa Claus became as well established as Coca-Cola and chewing gum, proving that its popularity was tied to Americas prestige in France in the immediate postwar period. Nast said he based his Santa on a German version of Saint Nicholas, Pelze-Nicol. Boss Tweed operated with impunityuntil he got under the skin of a 30-year-old political cartoonist named Thomas Nast. It is believed that the story about Santa Claus living at the North Pole may also have been a Nast creation. Moore, Irving, and other American admirers together originated Santas image as a chubby, elf-like creature chauffeured by a team of reindeer pulling his sleigh on Christmas Eve. Please note: 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. His illustrations supported the cause he believed was just, and the candidate he thought was best. In 1863, a drawing was made by the cartoonist Thomas Nast for the magazine Harper's Weekly. What is the maximum number of students allowed per class in Georgia. Thomas Nast attended school in New York City. 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Sites: WetCanvas | Southwest art | Collector 's Guide introduced Sinterklaas in their New homeland who used his to! Language schools broaden its market to children Tweed was a New York in 1871 where. The United States had been drawn as a jolly grandfather with a bag on his shoulder: right...: Between 1862 and 1886, Nast asks, `` one Less vote. of Saint!