Images of Christmastimes Past
Thursday, December 24, 2009 at 12:58PM ;)
During the 19th century, improvements in various printing technologies, including lithography, chromolithography, and the rotary press, ushered in an era of popular art. Currier & Ives (and others) produced inexpensive prints; L. Prang & Co. (and more) sold Christmas cards; periodicals such as Harper's New Monthly Magazine included drawings by Thomas Nast and others. Because they were mass-produced by the standards of the time, many of these works have survived to the present day, giving us a kind of window on the past -- images of Christmastime in the 1800s.
Click on any image for a larger view
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Currier & Ives, "Christmas Snow"
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Harper's Monthly, "Getting Ready For Santa Claus" (1874)
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Right: Thomas Nast, "Santa Claus." Our modern depictions of Santa Claus derive from a Coca-Cola advertising campaign from the 1930s; in the 19th century, there was a much greater variety of St. Nicks. Whatever Santa's girth and garb, however, there was one consistent theme -- in the 1800s, the jolly old elf smoked a long-stemmed pipe. Below: an 1868 advertisment for Santa Claus Sugar Plums.
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Left: Holiday card published by L. Prang & Co., conveying wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Below: Advertisement for Prang's Christmas Cards.
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Thomas Nast, "Christmas Eve"
Christmas, Claus, Santa in daily blog, festivals 
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Reader Comments (2)
Thanks for digging these up and sharing. I love those old prints... So nostalgic.
I pray you're doing well.
Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year!
Wonderful prints, thanks for sharing them.