Now I've always been a Dickens fan and he did Christmas rather well in much of his work. Mr Pickwick came immediately to mind.
 |
| Christmas Eve at Mr Wardle's |
By Phiz (Hablot K Browne)
Image scanned by Phillip V Allingham; source www.victorianweb.org
Dickens was also very good at ghost stories - I sure you all know the ghosts in his 'Christmas Carol.' At Christmas in 1859 there was a series of ghost stories in 'The Haunted House,' the Extra Christmas number of 'All the Year Round.' So if you have the time and fancy a good read you can have one on line here
It's time for Santa to get in on the act and thanks to Project Gutenberg I found a delightful, illustrated poem by Elizabeth Andersen called 'The Goblins' Christmas.'
 |
| Santa Claus (The Goblins' Christmas - by Alexander Sharp 1908) |
I also came across the work of Thomas Nast - 'Christmas Drawings for the Human Race' - including this rather rotund gentleman.
 |
| Santa Claus |
Nast first drew Santa
Claus for the 1862 Christmas season edition of Harper’s Weekly; he is said to have “invented”
the image popularly recognized as Santa Claus in America.
Christmas is a time when presents are exchanged and I have been privileged to play with one of mine already. As a result during the Twelve Days of Christmas I cannot promise my love two turtle doves, nor a partridge in a pear tree so I've compromised with this video clip.
One Wood Pigeon in an Apple Tree
All that remains is for me to wish all my fellow Sepians a very Merry Christmas and to thank you all for for your comments and encouragement throughout the year.
Meanwhile I must find a sleigh to hitch up to this chap before I visit you all at Sepia-saturday-157-christmas
 |
| Ho,ho, ho! |
17 comments:
I wish I could draw like Thomas Nast! There is so much detail. Thanks for your good wishes and a Merry Xmas to you too.
Hi Bob .. loved your stamp posts and these illustrations are great fun too - it's amazing to see how clever people are ...
Good luck with your sleigh of prezzies ... Have a happy Christmas and New Year ... cheers Hilary
The Nast is wonderful! Thanks for posting it -- sure beats what I'm finding for sale these days!
I am so happy and enjoyed the route you took us on for Sepia this week. Quite wonderful, indeed, and may you and your family all be blessed with joy and much love surrounding you this Christmas! :) Karen S.
It just wouldn't be Christmas without Dickens' "Christmas Carol." I like the Nast drawing too. Merry Christmas Bob!
Christmas eve at Mr. Wardle's, a jolly good time, looking at the hams hanging from the ceiling. Santa looks like a "jolly" good fellow too. Ho Ho Ho, well chosen and a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to you and your family.
A post brimming with Christmas cheer, Bob. During my first winter in England, I was struck by how many Victorian and Dickensian traditions remained, but without the American holidays of Halloween and Thanksgiving, the Christmas promotions seemed to last only a few weeks instead of months.
My best wishes to you for a happy holiday.
Hmmm...a goblin Christmas I must say is kind of creepy. :-) I liked the way you ended with the reindeer though. Happy Holidays!
I do love spending Christmas in the UK, somehow its more fun, well of course we have family with us too.
Loved your pigeon in an apple tree.
Happy Christmas Bob.
Merry Christmas. I may try to read one of the Dickens Journals online, though I have a big book about Christmas that I am trying to finish before New Year.
This Sepian wishes you and your loved ones the very best for 2013!!
:)~
HUGZ
Quite a variety of offerings here. Interesting too. Merry Christmas and a good new year.
Love that last image :)
Happy Christas
Hi Bob, you have given us all kinds of things to check out today. The video of the bird cracked me up.
Merry Christmas and I hope that 2013 treats you superbly.
Kathy M.
Stopping by to wish you & yours a very Merry Christmas. I laughed at the bird in the tree, is it worth more than one in hand? BTW blocking anonymous postings as you suggested removed the spammers from my blog. Thanks for that tip. No time for posting to Sepia lately but will return later.
Hi Bob I Hope You & Yours Are Having A Fine Christmas.Regards,tony
Thomas Nast's image of Santa is the grandfather of Santa images in the U.S. A Christmas doesn't go by that we don't see him somewhere or other. I'm too late to wish you a Merry Christmas, Bob, (though I do hope it was merry) so I'll wish you a Happy New Year.
Post a Comment