Santa Claus Visits Rosecrans Unit

Rick Helwig portrays Santa in the First Santa Suit
made popular  by Thomas Nast in Harpers' Weekly

Before photography, newspapers depended on the artistic talents of  their artist and engravers to show the news to the readers.

Thomas Nast was a political cartoonist for Harper's Weekly, a New York Newspaper. 

This full page cartoon ran on the front page, January 3, 1862.  It depicts Santa visiting the soldiers during the holiday cease fire. 

Nast's Christmas cartoon was so popular, it became an annual event at Harper's

 Learn more at http://www.sonofthesouth.net/Original_Santa_Claus.htm

(12/13/2009)