Santa Claus’s face is one of the most recognizable faces in the world – a face known the world over and also a face that none of us have actually seen in person in order to verify his accepted appearance. We all have a concept of what Santa looks like. Some of those concepts have been influenced by the best advertising minds of our time to sell the latest and greatest widget. Some of us have been influenced by Santa Clauses that were made over one hundred years ago and look very different from the Santa we see portrayed today. I thought it might be interesting to see how Santa Claus’s face has changed over the years. The Santa face pictured above belongs to a German roly-poly dating to the 1930s. Click on images to enlarge.
The Santa Clauses in these images all belong to a couple who have been collecting holiday antiques for a number of years. I was fortunate enough to be able to photograph a small part of their collection. This German paper-mache Santa dates to the late 19th century.
These early German Santa Clauses almost always have blue eyes. This one has a hand-painted paper-mache face with a rabbit fur beard and dates to the latter part of the 19th century.
When I started collecting early Santa Clauses one of the things I noticed was that some of them had teeth. The smiling faces of Santa that I grew up with seemed not to be showing their teeth. Santa Clauses with teeth seemed somewhat disturbing to me. This is the face of a Shoenhut roly-poly Santa made in the US of paper-mache in the last quarter of the 19th century.
This late 19th century German Santa has a very rare beard made of glass icicles. He has a serious, concerned expression on his face.
Most German Santa candy containers had paper-mache faces. This rare 19th century Santa has a bisque porcelain face with glass eyes. He also seems to have very bright white bisque teeth.
German Santa candy container with a red mohair suit and a lambs wool beard dating to the early 20th century.
This paper-mache Santa dates from the late 19th century and seems to have the face of a tired old gentleman. He looks rather wizard-like with his long white beard.
Belsnickle Santa with a yellow-green coat. Belsnickles were made in Germany from the late 19th century into the early 20th. They were made in a large variety of sizes and colors. All Belsnickles have hand-painted faces done by a number of different crafts-persons so the facial expressions vary quite a bit. I have seem Santa Clauses that look totally inebriated as well as those with a stern authoritarian countenance.
This German candy container Santa looks like he is up to no good with a whimsical expression. He dates to the late 19th century.
Toy Santa Clauses from the 19th century are unusual. This one has a wooden body that “dances” when you pull on a string. His head is made of composition and shows great brushwork in the painted details.
This German Santa has bushy white painted eyebrows and a fur beard. He dates from the last quarter of the 19th century.
Another bisque face Santa Claus with glass eyes and a long fur beard. His facial details are very different from the other bisque face Santa. This face seems more joyful, even with his teeth showing.
Chromolitho Santa face on an advertising tin dating to the early 20th century. This wonderful warm Santa face shows the influence of 20th century illustrators such as Reginald Birch and E. Boyd Smith, who drew from the late 19th century work of Thomas Nast.
This is one of the largest German Santa lanterns that I have ever seen. The face and beard have been modeled beautifully in paper-mache and the eyes and teeth are painted on paper so they would glow when the candle was lit.
Chromolitho on paper Santa face applied to the top of a wooden box containing picture blocks. These boxes usually date from the late 19th to early 20th century.
This Santa has a very nice face but it seems to be overshadowed by the beautiful head on the reindeer. The paper-mache German reindeer has gilt Dresden decoration on his bridle and glass eyes. The reindeer is also a nodder so his head gently moves up and down. Click on images to enlarge.
Santa Belsnickle holding a baby. This Belsnickle is rare, rare, rare, and I’ll type it again, rare. Not only is the Santa holding a baby but the baby has red polka-dots all over it, including his face. Even Santa seems surprised by this one.
This is a cloth faced Santa dating to the 1920s. He has a sweet gentle face and a long fur beard.
German paper-mache lantern from the late 19th century. This is an unusual form for a Santa head lantern and has an expressive face showing us his very large teeth outlined in red.
As I noted earlier Belsnickles come in many sizes. This reindeer seems to be responding the same way I did upon seeing this white feather tree. Wow! Wow, that’s many, many rare tiny little Belsnickles all dating from the late 19th to early 20th century. Not a one of them have teeth. I like that. So if any of you happen upon “the” Santa Claus in the flesh, not of these modern day department store varieties, let me know. I would like to find out if his teeth really are that big and scary. Merry Christmas! Click on images to enlarge.
Tags: Belsnickle, Candy Containers, German Santa, Missouri, r ege antiques, Santa Claus, St. Louis, Vintage Holiday, Vintage Santas
I am not able to see this web site correctly on my telephone
very helpful post, cheers!
Cool stuff here!
Great site here. Many blogs like this cover subjects that cant be found in magazines and newspapers. I dont know how we got by 10 years ago with just newspapers and magazines.
This educational summary assited me very much! Bookmarked the website, extremely excellent categories just about everywhere that I see here! I really appreciate the information, thank you.
You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this topic to be really something which I think I would never understand. It seems too complicated and very broad for me. I am looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!
I am really enjoying the theme/design of your site. Do you ever run into any browser compatibility issues? A number of my blog readers have complained about my site not operating correctly in Explorer but looks great in Firefox. Do you have any advice to help fix this problem?
Your blog would increase in ranking if you post more often.;.”‘.
Well, another blogger already posted a topic like this.*”’:
Thanks for taking the time to discuss this, I really feel strongly about it and love learning more on this topic. If attainable, as you gain expertise, would you thoughts updating your blog with extra information? It is extremely helpful for me.
Not to be in the perceive most of the time, I tend to dont like posts about this subject increasingly additional however since you write it in style also your own approach, we tend to gotta say really is truly one of those great post to remember.
The way you write, you are really a professional blogger..~~;.
I like the helpful info you provide in your articles. I will bookmark your blog and check again here regularly. I am quite certain I will learn plenty of new stuff right here! Best of luck for the next!
Informative summary, bookmarked your website with interest to see more!
I’m really delighted to learn this blog.I needed to thanks for this great article!! I certainly enjoying any small bit of this and I’ve you saved to check out fresh things on you write-up.
I cannot think about a God that rewards and punishes the objects of his or her creation and is however a reflection of people frailty.
Have you tried twitterfeed on your blog, i think it would be cool.`;`~”
Butea Superba can be a local organic inside family connected with Popilionaceae. That Grow twinning woody long-life organic grow plants exists exclusively with Thailand. This particular varieties come in a similar environment when Pueraria Mirifica in the mountainous region. This lengthy pattern tuberous have been each year enlarged along with harvested at the very least fifteen substances from the number of immediate string pure acid mainly flavonoids and also flavonoid glycosides along with c-AMP Phosphodiesterase concentrated inhibitor straight for the corpus cavernosum with the male member and took boosting blood flow fot it region.
Fishing season is coming up! Love reading all aspects of it Thanks for keeping us updated, great read!
Im impressed. I dont think Ive met anyone who knows as much about this subject as you do. Youre truly well informed and very intelligent. You wrote something that people could understand and made the subject intriguing for everyone. Really, great blog youve got here.
Wow a really useful article on BW , Whatever next
I started to follow your blog
Great blog. Lots of blogs like this cover subjects that just arent covered by magazines. I dont know how we got by 10 years ago with just magazines and newspapers.
Thanks for the info.
Surfaces, if they’re to stay searching wonderful, will want to be resilient. Ceramic tiles or a paint finish (with stenciling, when you like) are very best for walls and sheet vinyl is almost certainly one of the most serviceable covering for the floor. An very easily removed, non-absorptive carpet could also be regarded as.
I’d have to give green light with you on this. Which is not something I usually do! I really like reading a post that will make people think. Also, thanks for allowing me to comment!
Howdy! You some kind of knowledgeable? Great message. Are you able to tell me learn how to subscribe your blog?
Great blog. So many websites like yours cover subjects that just arent covered by magazines. I dont know how we got on 12 years ago with just newspapers and magazines.
I hope that you are doing well- let me know if I can help in any way
Hello, I am not 100% totally sure but I believe I have come across this WP theme applied to another blog yet I can not seek out the particular name of the actual theme. Its really neat, do you know the name of this and if its a free theme or not? Thx.
I for instance your blog, and also including the article, and thank you for provide me so much information
Beneficial web page! I definitely love how it is easy on my eyes and the info are well crafted. I am thinking how I could be notified whenever a new write-up has been made. I have subscribed to your RSS feed which should do the trick! Have a attractive day!
Many thanks for the practical review. Me and my neighbors were just preparing to do some analysis on this. We got a grab a publication from our local library however I think I learned more from this post. I’m highly glad to find such good information being shared freely out there.
Wonderful blog! I found it while browsing on Yahoo News. Do you have any suggestions on how to get listed in Yahoo News? I’ve been trying for a while but I never seem to get there! Appreciate it
Very well said, your blog says it all about that particular topic.-*..~
This is very interesting post. I really liked it. Please keep posting such an informative post thanks by camion usati
I officially can’t hold out for this smart phone, just 2 days remaining and I simply hope I could get my hands on one,. I have been reading a lot about the Android two.2 update that can come in August, simply another reason to be psyched about this excellent phone. Motorola and Verizon say they will update the phone to Android 2.2 late summer. It will certainly be an over-the-air update. However out-of-the box on its July 15 launch it will probably have Android 2.1.
Hey! That’s a really great post. I’m very certain Ill suggest it to my co-workers.If you submit extra posts please e-mail them to me.
I’ve recently up and running a webpage, the information you offer on this website has got helped me incredibly. Thank you for all of your time and also work.
I usually cant find it in me to care enough to leaves a comment for articles on the web but this was actually pretty good, thanks and keep it up, Ill check back again
Hi. I needed to drop you a quick word to specific my thanks. Ive been following your weblog for a month or so and have picked up a ton of good data and enjoyed the method youve structured your site. I am trying to run my very own weblog nonetheless I think its too basic and I have to concentrate on plenty of smaller topics. Being all things to all of us will not be all that its cracked as much as be
I started to follow your blog
Somebody necessarily help to make seriously posts I’d state. That is the very first time I frequented your web page and to this point? I surprised with the research you made to make this particular post extraordinary. Great activity!
Perhaps you should update the php server on your webhost, WordPress is kinda slow.“’*:
I love reading your blog because it has very interesting topics.;;’;;
Hey, what kind of anti-spam plugin do you use for your blog.”~-”
Hey! Fine post! Please when I can see a follow up!
My friend first found your blog on Google and she referred your blog to me.~*~~;
Thank you for the auspicious writeup. It in fact was a amusement account it. Look advanced to more added agreeable from you! By the way, how can we communicate?
I hope that you are doing well- let me know if I can help in any way