The Project Gutenberg eBook of Thomas Nast's Christmas drawings for the human race

This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

Title: Thomas Nast's Christmas drawings for the human race

Illustrator: Thomas Nast

Release date: December 31, 2023 [eBook #72546]

Language: English

Original publication: United States: Harper & Brothers, 1889

Credits: Charlene Taylor and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THOMAS NAST'S CHRISTMAS DRAWINGS FOR THE HUMAN RACE ***

Transcriber’s Note

Larger versions of the illustrations may be seen by right-clicking them and selecting an option to view them separately, or by double-tapping and/or stretching them. Full-size, higher-resolution versions of most of the illustrations may be seen by using “(Larger)” just below them.

Additional notes will be found near the end of this ebook.

(Larger)

(CHRISTMAS
DRAWINGS
FOR
THE HUMAN RACE

BY
Th : Nast)


autographed

(With compliments of the season.

Th : Nast.

Dec - 25th 1892)


(Larger)

“ANOTHER STOCKING TO FILL.”


Thomas Nast’s
CHRISTMAS DRAWINGS
FOR
The Human Race

(Larger)

(1890)

NEW YORK      HARPER & BROTHERS      PRINTERS &
PUBLISHERS  ·    FRANKLIN SQUARE       M DCCC XC


(Larger)

(Copyright, 1889,
by
Harper & Brothers)


(Larger)

FIRST-PRIZE CHRISTMAS-CARD—BEING FARTHEST FROM THE SUBJECT.

(JUNE, JULY, August,
Mosquitoes & Flies.
SUMMER.
100 IN THE SHADE.
MERRY
4TH OF
JULY)

PUBLISHER’S NOTE.

This volume of Mr. Nast’s “Christmas Drawings” is the first collection of his works which has been published. The pictures are well called “Drawings for the Human Race,” because they appeal to the sympathy of no particular religious denomination or political party, but to the universal delight in the happiest of holidays, consecrated by the loftiest associations and endeared by the tenderest domestic traditions. Christmas is the holiday of all; but it is especially the Children’s day. The grotesque and airy fancies of childhood which cling about Santa Claus, as the good genius of Christmas, are reproduced upon these pages, in delightfully imaginative reality by the sympathetic touch of the artist, so that the book is an overflowing feast of true Christmas cheer.

Mr. Nast’s hand, when dealing with current topics of the time, tips the flashing shafts of wit with morality; with relentless humor puts cunning pretence in the pillory; and exposes public wrong to the fatal merriment which laughs it away. But the artist’s hand is never happier than when, with the lambent light of the same humor, it irradiates the play of domestic affection, and makes the home circle gay. It is the bluff, honest Santa Claus of “The Night before Christmas;” the Santa Claus of the reindeer and the sleigh, alighting on the snowy roof, and descending the chimney with his wondrous pack of treasures; the Santa Claus of unsuspecting childhood, and the Mother Goose of undoubting infancy, to whom these pages introduce us. There is no child who cannot understand them, no parent who cannot enjoy them. Mr. Nast is fairly without a rival in this kind. His Santa Claus is old Father Christmas himself, and his welcome will be as general and as hearty as that which salutes the crammed and enchanted stocking on Christmas morning.

(Larger)


(Larger)

STOCKING OF CONTENTS.

STOCKING OF CONTENTS.

1. Another Stocking to Fill.
2. First-prize Christmas-card—being Farthest from the Subject.
3. Tailpiece.
4. Stocking of Contents.
5. Tailpiece.
6. Merry Christmas.
7. Santa Claus’s Route.
8. Darning the Stocking.
9. Christmas Furlough.
10. Who Said Anything about Christmas Dinner?
11. Cutting Mistletoe in the South.
12. Christmas Greens.
13. Christmas Post.
14. Santa Claus’s Mail.
15. Hello! Santa Claus!
16. Hello! Little One!
17. ’Twas the Night before Christmas.
18. Santa Claus and his Works.
19. Messages and Lists for Santa Claus.
20. Reciprocation.
21. Christmas Fancies.
22. He Prayed, ‘and let Santa Claus Fill my Stockings just as Full as he can. Amen.’
23. Christmas Eve.
24. Santa Claus can’t Say that I’ve Forgotten Anything.
25. The Watch on Christmas Eve.
26. Christmas Eve.—Santa Claus Waiting for the Children to Get to Sleep.
27. Seeing Santa Claus.
28. A very Bad Boy.
29. ’Twas the Night before Christmas, and all through the House Not a Creature was Stirring, not even a Mouse.”
30. Christmas Station.
31. The same Old Christmas Story over again.
32. Here we are again!
33. Peace and Good Will.
34. The Coming of Santa Claus.
35. Christmas Eve.—Old Faces for Young Hearts.
36. Merry Christmas.
37. A Christmas Sketch.
38. A Christmas Box.
39. Caught!
40. The Shrine of St. Nicholas.
41. Little Bo-Peep fell Fast Asleep and Dreampt—”
42. See! the Christmas Plum Pudding.
43. Come now, Santa Claus, I’s Ready.
44. Christkindchen.
45. Little Jack Horner.
46. Christmas Flirtation.
47. The Domestic Express.
48. Old Mother Goose Melodies.
49. Nursery Tiles.
50. The Crusty Old Bachelor who is Bound to have Something in his Stocking.
51. A Christmas Story.
52. Merry Christmas.
53. Merry Old Santa Claus.
54. Santa Claus’s Rebuke.
55. The Christ Child.
56. The Dear Little Boy that Thought Christmas Came Oftener.
57. Moving Day.
58. For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow, so Say we All of us.
59. Santa Claus’s Tool-Box.
60. Christmas in Camp.
61. Christmas Supplement to “Harper’s Weekly.”
62. A Merry Christmas.
63. Merry Christmas to All, and to All a Good-Night.
64. Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
65. ’Twas the Night after Christmas.

(Larger)


(Larger)

(SANTA CLAUS.
Merry
CHRISTMAS
)

(Larger)

SANTA CLAUS’S ROUTE.

(Larger)

DARNING THE STOCKINGS.

(Larger)

CHRISTMAS FURLOUGH

(Eve Morning.)

(Larger)

“WHO SAID ANYTHING ABOUT CHRISTMAS DINNER?”

(Larger)

CUTTING MISTLETOE IN THE SOUTH.

(Larger)

CHRISTMAS GREENS.

“So now is come our joyful’st feast—
Let every man be jolly;
Each room with ivy leaves is cheer’d,
And every post with holly.”

(Larger)

CHRISTMAS POST.

(Larger)

SANTA CLAUS’S MAIL.

(Larger)

“HELLO! SANTA CLAUS!”

(Larger)

“HELLO! LITTLE ONE!”

(Larger)

“’TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS.”

A chance to test Santa Claus’s generosity.

(Larger)

SANTA CLAUS AND HIS WORKS.

(ON THE LOOK OUT
FOR GOOD CHILDREN

HERE HE COMES!

ACCOUNT BOOK,
RECORD OF BEHAVIOUR.

SANTA CLAUS
AND
HIS WORKS.

SANTA CLAUS STABLE

SANTA-CLAUSVILLE N.P.

FARM YARD.

GOOD PUSSY.

HIS WATCH DOG.

WORK-SHOP.

HOLIDAY WEEK.

DOLLIES’ TEA PARTY.

WHICH DOLLY WILL YOU HAVE?

THE CHRISTMAS TREE.

CHRISTMAS-EVE.

DOLLIES’ KITCHEN.

DOLLIES’ PARLOR

MAKING DOLLIES’ CLOTHES.)

(Larger)

MESSAGES AND LISTS FOR SANTA CLAUS.

(Larger)

RECIPROCATION.

“Won’t Santa Claus be surprised to find that he has not been forgotten?”

(CANDY FOR SANTA CLAUS)

(Larger)

CHRISTMAS FANCIES.—“Don’t you wish you wore stockings?”

(Larger)

“He prayed, ‘And let Santa Claus fill my stockings just as full as he can. Amen.’”

(Larger)

CHRISTMAS EVE

(Larger)

“SANTA CLAUS CAN’T SAY THAT I’VE FORGOTTEN ANYTHING.”

(Larger)

THE WATCH ON CHRISTMAS EVE.

(Larger)

CHRISTMAS EVE.—Santa Claus waiting for the children to get to sleep.

(Larger)

SEEING SANTA CLAUS.

(Larger)

A VERY BAD BOY.

(Larger)

“’Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.”

(Larger)

CHRISTMAS STATION.

(Santa Claus STOP Here Please.)

(Larger)

THE SAME OLD CHRISTMAS STORY OVER AGAIN.

(Larger)

“HERE WE ARE AGAIN!”

(Larger)

PEACE AND GOODWILL

(RINGING IN THE AIR.
DING! DONG!!)

(Larger)

THE COMING OF SANTA CLAUS.

(Larger)

CHRISTMAS EVE.—OLD FACES FOR YOUNG HEARTS.

(Larger)

MERRY CHRISTMAS.

(Larger)

A CHRISTMAS SKETCH.—“Five o’clock in the morning.”

(Larger)

A CHRISTMAS BOX.

(THE TOPSIDE UP WITH CARE)

(Larger)

CAUGHT!

(Larger)

THE SHRINE OF ST. NICHOLAS.—“We are all good children.”

(CHRISTMAS
BOX
1882
St. NICHOLAS.
NORTH POLE)

(Larger)

“Little Bo-Peep fell fast asleep, and dreampt—”

(Larger)

SEE! THE CHRISTMAS PLUM PUDDING.

(Larger)

“COME NOW, SANTA CLAUS, I’S READY.”

(Larger)

CHRISTKINDCHEN.

(Larger)

LITTLE JACK HORNER.

(Larger)

CHRISTMAS FLIRTATION.

(Larger)

THE DOMESTIC EXPRESS.

Old Bachelor: “How glad I am that I don’t have to cart round endless bundles for greedy brats during the holidays.”

(Larger)

OLD MOTHER GOOSE MELODIES.

(Larger)

NURSERY TILES.—“There he is.”

(Larger)

THE CRUSTY OLD BACHELOR WHO IS BOUND TO HAVE SOMETHING IN HIS STOCKING.

(Larger)

A CHRISTMAS STORY.—“I am Cinderella, and you are the wicked sisters.”

(Larger)

MERRY CHRISTMAS.

(Larger)

MERRY OLD SANTA CLAUS.

(Larger)

SANTA CLAUS’S REBUKE.

“I’ll never do it again.”

(DEAR SANTA CLAUS
TOMMY HAS BEEN SUCH
A NAUGHTY BOY THAT
WE THINK YOU HAD
BETTER NOT BRING
HIM ANY·THING
THIS CHRISTMAS
PAPA AND MAMA.)

(Larger)

THE CHRIST CHILD.

(PEACE ON EARTH
AND GOOD WILL
TOWARD MEN)

(Larger)

THE DEAR LITTLE BOY THAT THOUGHT CHRISTMAS CAME OFTENER.

(Christmas
COMES BUT
ONCE
A YEAR.
THEREFORE, LET’S BE
MERRY.)

(Larger)

MOVING DAY.

(Larger)

“For he’s a jolly good fellow, so say we all of us.”

(MERRY CHRISTMAS
WORDS & MUSIC BY SANTA CLAUS.

CHRISTMAS COMES BUT ONCE A YEAR
AND THEREFORE
LET’S BE MERRY

CHRISTMAS
BOX)

(Larger)

SANTA CLAUS’S TOOL-BOX.

(Larger)

CHRISTMAS IN CAMP.

(U   S

WELCOME
SANTA CLAUS)

(Larger)

CHRISTMAS SUPPLEMENT TO Harper’s Weekly

(BLUE BEARD
RED RIDING HOOD
TOM THUMB
SANTA
CLAUS
PUSS IN BOOTS.
PEACE ON EARTH AND GOOD WILL TOWARD MEN!
CINDERELLA.)

(Larger)

A MERRY CHRISTMAS.

(Larger)

“Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good-night.”

(Larger)

“Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.”

(Larger)

’TWAS THE NIGHT AFTER CHRISTMAS.

Transcriber’s Notes

Punctuation, hyphenation, and spelling were made consistent when a predominant preference was found in the original book; otherwise they were not changed.

Simple typographical errors were corrected; unbalanced quotation marks were remedied when the change was obvious, and otherwise left unbalanced.

This book does not have page numbers.

Transcriber added sequence numbers to the entries in the Table of Contents.

When illustrations did not have captions, Transcriber added them by using part of the corresponding entry in the Table of Contents, or text within the illustrations themselves.

Transcriber added words and phrases that were within some of the illustrations to their captions, and enclosed them in parentheses to indicate they were not parts of the original captions.

The first illustration is the cover.

The original book was autographed. A copy of that is included in this eBook as the second illustration.