The legend of Santa Claus began in America in 1822 with Clement C. Moore's poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas." This enduring poem, which begins with the now-classic line "Twas the night before Christmas," paints a vivid picture of Saint Nick and his miniature sleigh pulled by eight tiny reindeer. This image was illustrated for the first time by Thomas Nast for Harper's Weekly in 1863 and became the inspiration for much of the beautifully detailed Victorian art captured in The Book of Santa Claus. This rich compilation celebrates the mystique of Santa Claus through the beautiful illustrations from century-old postcards from that era's preeminent commercial artists, such as Frances Brundage and Ellen Clapsaddle.Author Vicky Howard's personal collection of cherished postcards began with an album of cards collected by her husband's grandmother, and now numbers in the thousands. With her exhaustive source of images as a starting point, this book presents the fruits of Howard's carefully selected and most treasured pictures of dear, familiar Santa. This precious art from the Golden Age of postcards is coupled with poems on the Christmas joy of Kris Kringle.You don't have to be a child to appreciate the magic within The Book of Santa Claus. As Howard notes, "We can never outgrow the anticipation of a visit from Santa Claus. He is a magical figure, drawn from the legends, history, and folklore of many countries."