Old, if not particularly jolly.
The grandaddy of the them all, this is the traditional (and increasingly ancient) depiction of the original St. Nicholas. St. Nicholas became known for his generosity toward youth when he contributed dowries to three daughters of a local man, so that they wouldn’t have to go into prostitution. Now, I bet you didn’t know that.
Still not jolly in excess.
Eventually, he shifted to this character. The red robes became more prominent, the beard got approximately ten feet longer, and he now wears bishop’s robes and holds the staff which many Father Christmases in Europe continue to make a feature of their costumes.
Jolly, no longer old.
This depiction comes from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, and is a representation of what had become the primary visual representation of Father Christmas (called the Ghost of Christmas Present in the story). The robes are green, the man is featured feasting and excessively jolly. At this point, Americans have not yet created their own aggressively commercial and nationalistic Santa Claus.
Santa Wants YOU.
Here he is. This Santa was illustrated by the famous cartoonist John Nash for Harper’s Weekly in 1863, dead smack in the middle of the Civil War. It features Santa in his now traditional fur lined coat and stocking cap, giving out presents. Here the presents are for United States troops – but the illustration is undoubtedly to bolster the morale of a northern populace growing increasingly sick of war.
Santa wants YOU (to buy).
What would an American Christmas be without product placement? This Santa, featured in the classic (and gorgeous) advertising campaigns waged by Coca Cola in the 50s, has become our national brand.
