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Newspaper clipping of a cartoon showing the Norwegian Parliament dressed as Santa Claus delivering the Nobel Peace Prize in a Christmas stocking to Theodore Roosevelt in a child’s body; with “big stick,” sword, and rifle in the background.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1906-1907
President Roosevelt sits on two books and writes a letter that reads, “Deer Sandy Claws, pleas send me a presidenshal nominashun. Yours, little teddy.” Ohio Senator Marcus Alonzo Hanna is dressed like Santa Claus and looks inside the window as he laughs.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-12
President Roosevelt opens his Christmas stocking to find “Hanna’s resignation as chairman of the National Republican Committee.” He says, “Well, what do you think of that?” Ohio Senator Marcus Alonzo Hanna stands in the background dressed like Santa Claus and says, “Such ingratitude! Merry Christmas!” Caption: Mr. Roosevelt: “It’s funny, but a fellow always gets something for Christmas that he doesn’t want.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-12-25
Uncle Sam is dressed up like Santa Claus and gives little “Panama” a money bag of $10,000,000 while “Colombia” looks through a window and shivers outside.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-12-25
President Roosevelt is dressed as Santa Claus and puts “liar” Christmas cards into the “editors stockings.”
Theodore Roosevelt enjoyed extraordinarily friendly relations with the press, or, specifically, with reporters. Newspapers, owners, and many editors dissented from Roosevelt’s policies, but many reporters from such papers enjoyed access to the White House and friendly relations with the president. In the days before regular press conferences and formal press briefings, it was probably Roosevelt who began the tradition of meeting with reporters or groups of reporters, sharing background information, and answering many questions. As a ground rule, reporters were required to respect Roosevelt when he asked not to be quoted directly; and they would be barred afterward if they violated trust.
Postcard with a color illustration of Santa Claus with a giant sack of gifts over his shoulder, on top of which a teddy bear peaks out, and houses below. The caption printed on the front reads “A merry Christmas.” On the reverse, the sender wishes A. Peterson a merry Christmas.
1908-12-23
Full color Christmas postcard with embossed design of Santa Claus at left, holding a long “List of Births.” At the top right is printed, “Gee whiz! if this keeps up/I’ll have to get an assistant./Roosevelt ought to/read this!” The postcard is in reference to Theodore Roosevelt’s philosophy encouraging large families.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
1908
Santa Claus holds a tankard and sits on a large chair with Puck, who holds the “Christmas Number,” sitting next to him. Their feet rest on a sack of toys.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1896-12-09
“Postmaster General” George von Lergeke Meyer, dressed as Santa Claus, stands beneath a sign that states “What is home without Statistics,” placing sheets of paper labeled “On Everything” in stockings hung before a fireplace. He carries a mail pouch stuffed with notices labeled “Mr. Taft on the Tariff, Mr. Bryan on the Tariff, Mr. Taft on Publicity, Mr. Bryan on Publicity, Mr. Bryan’s Conception of the Presidency, Mr. Kern’s Conception of the Vice Presidency, [and] Mr. Sherman on Protection.”
George von Lengerke Meyer was a college friend of Theodore Roosevelt (one year ahead of the future president, class of 1879), and was a Massachusetts businessman and politician. He was appointed to offices in government and the diplomatic corps by President William McKinley and by Roosevelt, finally serving as Postmaster General of the United States, 1907-1909.
A traditional role of the Postmaster general in those days, even after successive civil-service reforms, was as a political dispenser of jobs, from within the department’s upper levels to local post offices. The national party in power was able to hold and expand its influence thereby.
Champ Clark, as Santa Claus, stands on a roof with a large sack labeled “Fulfillment of Democratic Pledges” over his shoulder, next to a chimney labeled “Democratic Harmony” with several flues labeled “Radicalism, Cannonized Democracy, Wall Street Interests, Safe & Sane, Solid South, Eastern Conservatism, [and] Bryanism.” Caption: Santa Claus Champ — If I’m to deliver the goods, some of those flues will have to come off!
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1910-12-21
A young boy shows his younger siblings a Santa Claus suit in a wardrobe to convince them that Santa Claus does not exist.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1913-12-24
A crowd of parents and children shop in the toy department of a department store at Christmas, where Santa Claus surrounded by a group of parents. Caption: “Bring the little ones; let them enjoy this wonderful Christmas Carnival to their hearts’ content.”–Extract from a department store adv.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1913-12-17
President Cleveland, as Santa Claus, stands in front of a fireplace where stockings are hung from the mantle. He has a large sack of toys labeled “Navy, Treasury, Interior, Justice, State, [and] War Dept.” on his back, and a cat that looks like John Kelly lies at his feet. Watching from around the room are “Bayard, Randall, Cox, Barnum, McDonald, Slocum, Lamar, Morrison, [Garland], Tilden, Carlisle, Hewitt, Watterson, [and] Thurman,” and asleep in a cradle labeled “Independence” is either Carl Schurz or Joseph Pulitzer.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1884-12-24
At center, an effeminate Santa Claus stands in front of a fireplace where stockings are hanging. His bag of toys is on the floor nearby. He considers taking the stockings “for the Belgians.” The surrounding vignettes show scenes depicting the “knitting craze”: a chess player knits while waiting for his opponent to make a move; a society woman knits while walking the dog, with a servant following her to carry the yarn on a tray; a man knits while sitting in the bathtub, the only free time he has; passengers and a conductor knit while riding on a streetcar; a boxer drops a stitch when caught off guard by the gong; and a drunkard tells his wife “No, my dear, I wash tnitting at the tlub.”
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1914-12-26
An angry mob of bankers, brokers, and financiers threaten Santa Claus who is hanging off the statue of George Washington outside Federal Hall in Manhattan, New York City, New York. Caption: Chorus of Bankers and Brokers — Just say Christmas to us this year, that’s all! We dare you!
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1913-12-10
Santa Claus climbs out a window, leaving behind a large sack of Christmas presents in front of a large fireplace where stockings labeled “Montenegro, Servia, Italy, England, Bulgaria, Germany, Austria, Russia, Greece, [and] France” are hanging. Leaders from the countries mentioned are fighting among themselves to get to the presents first. Caption: Santa Claus — Here’s where I beat it. Somebody else can have the job of dividing presents among that bunch!
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1912-12-18
Santa Claus points a handgun at the viewer. Caption: As Santa Claus looks to some of us.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1912-12-11
Santa Claus and Puck bow to a bust portrait of a young woman with mistletoe in her hair.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1912-12-04
Two children are surrounded by broken toys. The toys are pointing fingers at the children and complaining to Santa Claus about the treatment they’ve received from them over the past year. Santa is sitting on the right, reading a large book labeled “Condition of Last Years Toys.” Caption: Indignant Chorus of Last Year’s Toys — Do they deserve anything more, Your Honor? Just look what they did to Us!
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1911-12-06
Senator Hanna extends Christmas wishes to the Roosevelt family, expressing his envy that President Roosevelt has “little folks that yet believe in Santa Claus.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-12-25