This work (Thomas Nast's Christmas Drawings, by Thomas Nast), identified by The British Library, is free of known copyright restrictions.

Just as startling as the (surely untrue) revelation that there is no Santa Claus is the revelation that he apparently wasn't always fond of red in sartorial matters, but rather favoured green before a soft drink manufacturer claimed the jolly green (and now red) bearded gent as one of their own.  I've always been doubtful about this.  Mr Christmas's popularity was aided greatly by the burin of Thomas Nast, the superlative, if somewhat saccharine illustrator of the popular press in the nineteenth century, and who can also claim to have given Santa his scarlet hue before the fizzy drinks got to him.  Reproduced here, in an 1890 book with the title Thomas Nast's Christmas Drawings for the Human Race (shelfmark 12330.m.12) is his famous 'Christmas in Camp' illustration from the U.S. Civil War.  Drawing for Harper's Weekly, and drawing on Nast's German background, here we can witness the birth of the American Santa.  The festive 'U' and 'S' brings home the Union message, while the red coat would follow later.

I

This work (Thomas Nast's Christmas Drawings, by Thomas Nast), identified by The British Library, is free of known copyright restrictions.

[M.J.S.]