Christmas

Theodore Roosevelt writes to his sister Anna about his upcoming visit to her home. He asks her to procure a Christmas gift for a friend’s daughter.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1891

Theodore Roosevelt writes to his sister Anna Roosevelt about plans for Christmas Day. He also asks her to procure a specific book for him that he can give as a gift.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1891-12-22

Theodore Roosevelt asks if Kermit Roosevelt is getting any of his letters. He describes how they spent Christmas and tells Kermit about some of the writing he is doing. He closes by saying he has no idea whether the Progressive Party has a future.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1912-12-27

Theodore Roosevelt writes to his son Kermit and daughter-in-law Belle to thank them for their Christmas present and describes the Christmas he spent with the children and grandchildren. Roosevelt encloses a letter from former Rough Rider Robert Harry Munro Ferguson. Roosevelt complains about a Thanksgiving address at Groton School by Guy Ayrault where he likened President Woodrow Wilson to Christ. Roosevelt closes by saying his horse rolled over on him but he suffered no injuries.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1915-12-27

Theodore Roosevelt has received Kermit Roosevelt’s letter about visiting Sao Paolo, Brazil, and everyone was interested in reading about Kermit and Belle Roosevelt setting up their new home. The book about the Roosevelt-Rondon Scientific Expedition has been sent to all members of the expedition through the Brazilian ambassador. Roosevelt describes the “delightful Xmas” at Sagamore Hill with all of his children, except Kermit, and three grandchildren. He reflects on the war and views Germany as “clearly ahead” and Austria growing stronger. Roosevelt admires German efficiency, which is greater than the efficiency of the Allies, and the Allies are infinitely more efficient than the United States. President Wilson and Secretary Bryan are the “worst creatures” to lead the nation in foreign affairs. Roosevelt believes the United States should have countered the “unscrupulous” behavior of Germany and intervened on behalf of Belgium. He has signed a three year contract with Metropolitan Magazine to publish his social and political views.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1914-12-28

Theodore Roosevelt wishes his sister Anna a merry Christmas and tells her about Christmas morning at Sagamore Hill with the children.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1890-12-26

Governor Roosevelt wishes William A., Benjamin H., and Frank J. Watson a merry Christmas and sends them his photograph.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1898-12-24

Theodore Roosevelt wishes Belle Roosevelt a merry Christmas and updates her on the status of things at home. Roosevelt is still very discouraged about America’s late entry into, and lack of preparedness for, the war.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1917-12-25

President Roosevelt thanks his sister for the book she sent him as a gift and tells her about Christmas day, including the opening of gifts, lunching with their sister, Anna Roosevelt, and dinner and recreation later in the day.

Thomas William Lawson stands among Christmas gifts and a notice posted on the wall, which states “Christmas Greeting to Lawson Put all insurance proxies in your possession on the State House Steps by 11:15 to night or–!!!” Lawson is surrounded by such gifts as a box of “Dynamite Perfectos Smoke Up! [from] Addicks,” a box of “Poisoned Candy Merry Xmas from McCall,” a large box labeled “Infernal Machine Best wishes of Wall St.,” a large jug with a skull and crossbones labeled “Drink Hearty from PA McCurdy,” a smoking bomb labeled “To Tom from John D.” nestled among flowers “From Rogers,” and a sword “From Hyde.” In the background is a Christmas tree with an oil can and one ornament showing a face.

Comments and Context

Udo J. Keppler’s cartoon is a caricature of Thomas William Lawson, whose 14 magazine articles, collected in a sensationalist best-selling book, Frenzied Finance, marked him at the time and in subsequent history as a prototypical Muckraker on a par with Upton Sinclair (the meat industry), Ida M. Tarbell (Standard Oil), and Samuel Hopkins Adams (medicines). Lawson’s expose was of the mining business, specifically Amalgamated Copper and related companies.

Ironically, Lawson’s book was as much a tell-all retaliation against his former partners in Amalgamated as the confessions of a reformed corporate predator. That he was not wholly repentant about the misdeeds of trust magnates or their system mattered little to the public. An insider’s view was enough to attract attention.

Santa Claus kisses a young woman on the cheek, framed by a holly wreath.

Comments and Context

The versatile cartoonist Carl Hassmann, resting from his stark depictions of impending doom, reprises his cover-artist role from the recent Thanksgiving holiday: a cheery, poster-like composition. A holly wreath is obligatory, but his Santa Claus waits not for a mistletoe.

Hassman was an Austrian immigrant who returned to Vienna after several years of drawing for Puck. In his fatherland he was know more as a painter, and those sensibilities are evident in his pen-and-ink work for Puck.

Theodore Roosevelt inquires what members of the family would like for Christmas presents and also mentions Thanksgiving dinner plans with friends.

Theodore Roosevelt apologizes to his sister for not writing sooner due to heavy studying and examinations. He informs her of his plans to introduce her to some of his friends over Christmas vacation. Roosevelt provides her with short character sketches of his friends, including Nickerson, Bacon, Hooper, Shaw, Chapin, Jackson, Pellew, and Welling. After receiving a postcard from her, Roosevelt makes plans to have a party during vacation.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1876-12-14

Theodore Roosevelt writes to his sister Corinne about life at Harvard College, including dance class and the girls he has met, plans to bring his friends home at Christmas, and his club activities with classmates Minot, Saltonstall, and Gardiner.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1876-11-26

Theodore Roosevelt writes his sister Anna that rooming with other people has cut into his work hours and he has been spending a lot of time at the Porcellian Club. He also includes what his plans are for his Christmas break and for presents.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1878-12-08

At center, Father Knickerbocker, a symbolic figure for New York City, welcomes Santa Claus to the underground of New York City. The surrounding vignettes show Santa distributing Christmas presents and planning for next year. The “Angel of Peace” is hoping for an end to the hostilities between Japan and Russia.

Comments and Context

At the center of Samuel Ehrhart’s collage of Christmas-themed gags is Uncle Sam and Father Knickerbocker (the New York City counterpart of Uncle Sam), rather overshadowed by a subway station resembling a palace. All of New York, and indeed the nation, was fascinated by the new subway system. It had opened its rail lines and station on the October 27, 1904, just before the presidential election. When the campaign was over, and the gaudy St. Louis World’s Fair closed in early December, the nation turned its eyes to a virtual Eighth Wonder of the World: miles of underground tracks in America’s biggest city.

In fact there had been intercity trains in New York, but they were all surface or elevated trains. Predictably in a city usually ruled by the corrupt Democratic machine Tammany Hall, the elevated train system was open to corruption, monopoly control, and disputes over fares. In fact both municipal parties, and the city’s judiciary, participated in corrupt acts related to the trains. Some of the young Roosevelt’s crusades in the New York State Legislature were involved with monopoly control (often orchestrated by Jay Gould) and judges receiving bribes for their decisions.

Mars, the Roman god of war, with bandages on his head, arm, and foot, sits in his tent with a map of “Manchuria” on the small table next to him; hanging on the wall behind him are his helmet and shield. “Peace” is standing at the entrance to the tent and is asking if she may come in to visit. Caption: Peace–May I come in?

Comments and Context

What history knows as the Russo-Japanese War had dragged through 1904. Joseph Keppler’s brilliant cartoon presented the case simply: the war had run its course; and, it could be argued, the Russian Empire was as beat up as the figure of Mars was in this drawing.

Longtime rivals Russia and the Empire of Japan had several points of friction on the map, the most prominent being Manchuria and Korea. The Czar overshadowed Manchuria, mostly at the expense of China; and forced a lease of Port Arthur, a Chinese city, for a portion of the Russian fleet. An aggressive Japan wanted control (and a recognized sphere of influence over) Korea.

A jolly Santa Claus sits in a large chair at center with toys at his feet. A family with two little girls, possibly twins, and several children and servants approach him, smiling, on the right. Many nursery rhyme characters approach on the left, looking sad and distressed.

Comments and Context

In Samuel Ehrhart’s center-spread cartoon in Puck‘s 1904 Christmas issue, the familiar characters of generations children’s stories seem upset that modern children are more taken with shiny toys and dolls. Santa Claus seem complicit, and doting parents encourage the new over the old.

It is a sign of the times that Ehrhart’s typical family in the cartoon seems decidedly upper-middle class if not upper-class in the attire of all the generations. His observation is not about class, but it is an indication of the relative prosperity of Americans during Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency.

Santa Claus reviews his list, his bag of gifts next to him, while sitting in an automobile that is being driven by two women standing on the back, dressed like chauffeurs.

Comments and Context

As with Puck‘s Thanksgiving Number cover a few weeks previous, the magazine used a holiday-themed special issue to be pictorial rather than political on newsstands. This had been the trend in the weekly’s design for at least a decade, but students can note the nature of the decorative covers.

Not merely decorative or lavish (for instance, with “fifth colors” of gold ink on occasion), the cartoonists of Puck reflected the era’s nurture of increasingly independent and assertive women in society. Embodied mostly in the work of Charles Dana Gibson and his Gibson Girls in the rival Life Magazine, the “American Girl” exuded independence, pride, athleticism, and — never far — romance.

Uncle Sam, as Santa Claus with his bag of toys, hands a bag of money labeled “$10,000,000” to a little boy wearing a hat labeled “Panama” and holding a huge ship, some books, one labeled “Ledger,” and towing a model train. A railing on the right divides the space into an area with a Christmas tree and an area without. Hanging on the railing, looking in, are five boys labeled “Colombia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, [and] San Domingo” who are depressed and possibly angered that Santa Claus/Uncle Sam has nothing for them.

Comments and Context

Only a month before this cartoon was drawn, on November 18, 1903, the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty was ratified between the United States and the very new Republic of Panama. It followed the declaration of Panama’s independence from Colombia in such short time that Secretary of State John Hay proposed and signed the treaty with Panama’s appointed representative, Philippe Bunau-Varilla in a New York hotel room; the “Minister” had not yet been to Panama.

Under the terms of the agreement, the United States was to pay the $10-million directly to the new government — one of Santa’s “goodies” in the cartoon. America also guaranteed an annual annuity of $250,000; permanent defense of the canal and strip of land known as the Canal Zone, and military protection as requested by Panama. It also assumed debts of the original French interests in the failed and corruption-laden earlier canal project; and various other assurances.