Thomas Nast Prints
Thomas Nast was born on Landau, Germany on September 26, 1840 and immigrated to the United States in 1846.
He studied art in New York City in his teenage years.
The image of Santa Claus, as we know it today, was formed from the minds and pens of three men.
The first was Clement Clark Moore, who wrote the Twas the Night Before Christmas in 1822.
Next was Thomas Nast, who between the years of 1863 and 1886, drew images and made up facts about Santa
that appeared in Harpers Weekly, Harpers Bazaar and Harpers Young People. Lastly was Haddon Sundblom,
who painted his first Coca-Cola Santa in 1931 and would so until 1964.
Even though the Santa we know today looks more like the Sundblom Santa, it was Thomas Nast, the illustrator,
who really defined Santa and his environment.
All the Nast prints from Harpers were done using a wood engraving process and there were over 70 drawings done this way.
His most famous print is from January 1, 1881, entitled Merry Old Santa Claus.
It is still used today over and over in all kinds of merchandise.
Nast is credited with establishing the North Pole as Santas home, having elves assist him in his workshop,
showing children mailing letters to Santa and giving gifts to only good children.
The children shown in many of his drawing were his own children and the setting was his home in Morristown,
New Jersey after 1871. Nast also incorporated nursery rhyme characters in many of his drawings because he loved Mother Goose.
Thomas Nast died in Ecuador on December 7, 1902.
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