Thomas Nast Gave Us Santa Claus

|
The real American St. Nicholas (Santa Claus) based on Thomas Nast's famed figure. Undated illustration. BPA2# 5787 (Getty Images)

Ask anyone today to describe Santa Claus and you will pretty much get the same answers…red suit, full white beard, big belly. But our image of the jolly old elf used to be really inconsistent. Santa was depicted in a variety of ways, wearing all sorts of attire and with varying degrees of facial hair. The current consensus on Santa’s appearance stems from one particular drawing by Thomas Nast that appeared in the December 29, 1866, edition of Harper’s Weekly. Here is how Nash developed his depiction of Santa and how the image inspired others.