Beschreibung:

"Santa Claus in Camp" (cover design) and "Christmas Eve" (pp.8-9), 2 wood-engravings by Thomas Nast as published in Harper's Weekly.
New York: 3 January 1863. Volume VII, No. 314, folio (15 3/4 x 11 1/4 inches; 400 x 287 mm). Disbound. a marvelous series of early santas. “one of the first artists to capture santa claus’ image as we know him today was thomas nast an american cartoonist ... in 1863, a picture of santa illustrated by nast appeared in harper’s weekly.” (wikipedia). Apparently these are Nast's first representations of St. Nick, whose image he would later immortalize with his illustrations to Moore's A Visit to St Nicholas (McLoughlin Brothers, 1869). The nearly full-page cover design ("Santa Claus in Camp") shows Santa handing out gifts to soldiers at a Union camp. The double-page "Christmas Eve" (pp. 8-9) shows a mother praying at the bedside of her children and a soldier at his camp-fire gazing at a photograph of his family, above these images one sees Santa preparing to descend a chimney on the home-front and distributing presents to soldiers from his sleigh. Both wood-engravings are described in a short article entitled "Santa Claus among our soldiers" (p.6). [Together with:] another double-page spread removed from Harper's Weekly (December 26, 1863, pp.823-826) comprising a large wood-engraved composition by Thomas Nast titled "Christmas, 1863" showing at center a soldier on furlough embracing his wife and children, flanked by large images of Santa peering at two sleeping children and excited children opening their presents; beneath are three smaller designs: a nativity scene, a family at holiday dinner, and a family going to church. Condition : Crease at center starting to separate. No doubt this spread was meant to be removed and displayed. (2)