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- Thomas Nast's circa 1885 Portrait of Santa Claus, Printed in 1980 - Thomas Nast is best known for the creation of our modern image of Santa Claus. Nast's late 19th-century illustrations popularized the depiction of a rotund, bearded, fur-clad Santa in Americans' imaginations. His drawings not only defined Santa's appearance, but also enhanced other symbols, traditions and events now associated with Christmas and the holiday's jolly old elf.

- circa 1885
- Collections - Artifact
Thomas Nast's circa 1885 Portrait of Santa Claus, Printed in 1980
Thomas Nast is best known for the creation of our modern image of Santa Claus. Nast's late 19th-century illustrations popularized the depiction of a rotund, bearded, fur-clad Santa in Americans' imaginations. His drawings not only defined Santa's appearance, but also enhanced other symbols, traditions and events now associated with Christmas and the holiday's jolly old elf.