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The children’s Christmas book titled A Visit from Saint Nicholas tells the story of Saint Nicholas, or Santa Claus, and his visit to a family’s home on the night before Christmas. The story would later be known as The Night Before Christmas.
Sagamore Hill National Historic Site
1862
Santa Claus, labeled “G.O.P.,” reaches to place the “Star of Hope” on top of a Christmas tree trimmed with lemons, marble hearts, a stuffed bear “From Teddy,” two “Little Big Sticks” and a “Big Stick,” a ball of “Promises,” and three balls labeled “Gas, Guff, [and] Wind.” On a nearby table is Joseph Cannon as a “Joe in the Box,” a “Home made frosted cake from Uncle Joe’s Pantry,” and a book of “Fairy Tales by Uncle Sam.”
J. S. Pughe’s cover cartoon directly addresses a crisis in America’s handling of the Philippine Islands as an American territory, during an important moment of policymaking. The matters at hand were important to the Filipinos, of course: trade, tariffs, and economic sovereignty.
Santa Claus kisses a young woman on the cheek, framed by a holly wreath.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
President Roosevelt appears as Santa Claus gathering gifts, such as “Consulship, Ambassadorship, Secretary of Navy, Secretary of State, Governorship of Philippines” and others, to place into his bag of Christmas presents, which George B. Cortelyou is holding open. A paper in Cortelyou’s pocket is labeled “Post Master General.”
This cartoon, published at the end of November 1904, between President Roosevelt’s triumphant re-election and Christmas, relies on the fact that the Roosevelt presidency was not merely to continue, but in fact begin a new term. It was traditional for vice presidents assuming the presidency after the death of their presidents, to adhere to the policies, and retain the personnel, of their former chiefs. This tradition was often practiced in the breach, especially when simple, practical matters intervened — political exigencies; voluntary resignations of staff members; unforeseen events, for instance.
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.
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.
Many children gather around Santa Claus and his bag of toys.
In the 1903 Christmas issue of Puck, the center-spread surrendered its typical political theme to a social and seasonal celebration for readers.
Santa Claus, with coat over left arm and holding a fan, perspiring, offers a bundle of “Education” books labeled “Uncle Sam to the Filipino” to a young Filipino boy, who, with hands behind his back, dubiously looks up at him. Santa’s bag of toys is on the ground between them. Caption: Santa Claus — Phew! I’m glad to oblige Uncle Sam, of course. But next time I come I’ll wear khaki!
Adding to the joke about flannel outfits in tropical weather was Keppler’s observation about the putative goal of American colonial policy, at least in the Philippines: to educate the natives. President McKinley, initially very much opposed to a war with Spain and the acquisition of colonies, eventually persuaded himself that it was the duty of the United States to “Christianize the islands.”
Two young women kiss Santa Claus as he enters through a window with his bag of toys.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1902-12-03
Santa Claus is pictured in front of the chimney at the White House, where the stockings of the Roosevelt children are hung. Caption: “I don’t know when I’ve felt so at home here!”
1901
President Roosevelt is dressed as Santa Claus and trying to decide Yes or No to the question waiting in the stocking, whether he will arbitrate the Venezuelan Crisis or not. Great Britain, Germany and France look on anxiously from their hiding places under the bed. Caption: An anxious moment for the parties under the bed.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1902-12-25
Cartoon shows President Roosevelt riding a reindeer as Santa Claus sits atop a sleigh full of coal. Caption reads, “We’ll Make a Hit This Year, Santy.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1902-11-09
Andrew Carnegie, dressed as Santa Claus, stands in front of a chimney with his pack full to overflowing with Steel Bonds and buildings including Library, College, and University. Facing him is President Roosevelt, who is hiding behind his back the Christmas stocking of the United States Treasury. A sign on the mantelpiece reads, “$10,000,000.00 Sandy Claus Carnegie to U.S.” Caption: Sandy Claus Carnegie – Well, this is a strange case.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Unknown
Cartoon depicts President Roosevelt as Santa Claus delivering gifts to various stockings labeled after Cabinet departments. Caption: Santa Claus Roosevelt – Perhaps the little Crane boy would rather have this
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1901-12
Kittie Victoria Giffin tells Theodore Roosevelt about a young boy in her area, Robert F. Biggs. Biggs was glad to learn that Roosevelt was real, unlike Santa Claus, but was sad that Roosevelt did not know about him. Giffin promised the young boy that she would write to Roosevelt about him.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-03-23
Margaret Carpenter Thompson Hodenpyl asks Theodore Roosevelt to help bring a Merry Christmas to the “sick and crippled” children of the Fresh Air and Convalescent Home.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-12-09
David R. Heckler encloses a letter to the editor that he had published in a local newspaper, which he wrote “in good faith and with as little personality” as he could. He would like Theodore Roosevelt’s opinion. A clipping pasted to the letter states that the writing states that the sun is closer to the earth than previously believed, the earth is flat, and that the identity of “Santa H. Claus” is in doubt.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-02-10
A photograph of Devils Tower National Monument appears on the front cover of this issue while the front and back of a Christmas card from the White House Historical Association appears on the back cover. The card depicts the White House, Santa Claus, and the family of Theodore Roosevelt on Christmas morning.
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal
2018-09-18