These Santas Say It's Time To Get In The Vintage Holiday Spirit!

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas around these parts!  And before there was "Black Friday", "Cyber Monday", and "Small Business Saturday" - all geared towards the business of the holidays - there was, well, just Christmas... and the fun and joy of a simpler festive time.  To bring back some of the beauty and nostalgia of "Christmas Past", take a look at these vintage Santa Claus collectibles that will be on display, and available for sale, at the upcoming New England Antique Show's Antiques & Vintage Holiday Gift Show, which will be held December 11th and 12th, at the Concord Armory in Concord, Massachusetts!

They say three's a crowd, but not in this jolly case!  Here we have three standing Santa Claus figures that were made in the 1910 through 1940 time frame.  They are, right to left, 6", 4" and 5.5" tall.  They carry a cloth "toy" bag, a bell and candle, and a brush branch, all typical Christmas themes. Their faces are made from bisque, plastic, and paper. Their boots are constructed from plaster, mica board, and pipe cleaners. They are all on 2" round mica paper boards.  It is interesting to note how they vary in height, facial expression, objects held, belt style, boot type, and beard type. These details are the clues for determining their age and origin, and - along with condition - play a part in setting their value to collectors.

Everyone's getting red-dy for Father Christmas, even if he happens to be dressed entirely in white!  This vintage, majestic vintage all-white Santa is 13.5" tall.  In a way, he truly looks like a snow-man! Santa has a bisque face, belly-long beard, and a large coat, hat, and chunky boots.  His body is made from wound paper. He stands on a 6" square paper and mica covered wood base.  Santa holds a bunch of white sprigs; perhaps these are supposed to represent evergreens, holly, or brush branches. He most likely was manufactured in Germany in the 1930's.

Fast forward a few decades, here we have three fantastic Santas from the 1950's.  These 3" "triplets" are dressed in cloth gauze suits and hats that are detailed with pipe cleaner trim. Each has a fuzzy beard and white fabric boots.  They all have cute little red button noses and are free-standing.  Due to the delicate nature of their construction and materials, it is amazing that these Santas are still around to help celebrate Christmas in the 21st century!

The more the merrier when it comes to holiday decorations, and this display of Santa Claus figures would cheer even the grumpiest Uncle Scrooge!  Taking a look at some highlights here, be sure to note the 4" Santa on the top shelf.  He has a wonderfully expressive bisque face, a belted red cloth jacket trimmed in white, and a traditional red cap. On the left hand side of the second row from the top, check out the 4.5" seated Santa; he has a real white rabbit fur beard, plaster boots and hands, and a spun cotton jacket and pants. On the far right of the second shelf down is a 6" hanging Santa ornament. His face is painted plastic, his suit is cotton filled lace bagging, and his arms and leggings are made from red cloth. On the third shelf down from the top is another hanging Santa ornament; this one is made of pipe cleaners wrapped around a green glass bulb. He is seated as though on his own sleigh. His face is bisque and his beard is spun cotton. And last but not least, on the third shelf down on the far right, is the earliest Santa in this collection.  He certainly dates from the 1890's. His beard is real white rabbit fur, his cape is black satin cloth, his belt is rope, his jacket is red felt, his leggings are grey felt, and his boots and hands are made from plaster.  

From a historical perspective, the figure of Santa Claus, or Father Christmas, has its roots as far back as the 4th century. It is said that Saint Nicholas of Myra may be the primary inspiration for the Christian figure of Santa Claus. This man was a Greek Christian bishop of in what is now Turkey. He was well known for his kindness and generosity to the most needy.  Most countries have their own legacies about a Santa-like figure who delivers surprises on or around Christmas; the Germans and the Dutch have especially strong historical and mythological ties to this December hero. Perhaps the "oddest" Santa figure was the Yule Goat, a horned, somewhat scary looking beast who helped to deliver Christmas gifts to Scandinavian and Northern European families through the end of the 19th century. 

Back closer to home, Santa as we know him here in the USA has been around for around 150 years. His look was all but defined by Thomas Nast, an illustrator and cartoonist who lived from 1840 to 1902. His rendition of Santa Claus, which appeared in a 1863 edition of Harper's Weekly, effectively created the chubby, happy, bearded, red-suited man we all know and love today.  Previously, Santa was known as a tall, thin character. It is interesting to note that Nast was also responsible for the well known images of the Democratic party as a donkey, the Republican party as an elephant, Uncle Sam, and Columbia, among many other American icons. 

Ho ho ho hope you have enjoyed this little history of Santa Claus.  I would like to thank Mary Keeler Rowe from Steven J. Rowe Antiques for sharing the holiday spirit with us here!  Mary's company is based in Cornish, NH and specializes in high country and classical furniture, paintings, decorative items, and period accessories.  The Santas presented here range in price from $25 to $195; contact Mary at sjrrowboat@aol.com to learn more, or come and meet her at the upcoming Antiques & Vintage Holiday Gift Show, December 11th and 12th, at the Concord Armory in Concord, Massachusetts! 

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