The Santa Claus Man
The Rise and Fall of a Jazz Age Con Man and the Invention of Christmas in New York
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- $24.99
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- $24.99
Publisher Description
The true story of John Duval Gluck, Jr., who in 1913 founded the Santa Claus Association, which had the sole authority to answer Santa's mail in New York City. He ran the organization for 15 years, gaining fame for making the myth of Santa a reality to poor children by arranging for donors to deliver the toys they requested, until a crusading charity commissioner exposed Gluck as a fraud. The story is wide in scope, interweaving a phony Boy Scout group, kidnapping, stolen artwork, and appearances by the era's biggest stars and New York City’s most famous landmarks. The book is both a personal story and a far-reaching historical one, tracing the history of Christmas celebration in America and the invention of Santa Claus.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Palmer (Weird-O-Pedia) uncovers the story of his great-granduncle John Duval Gluck Jr., the man behind the Santa Claus Association. In 1913, after learning that the U.S. Postal Service received hundreds of letters each year from children to Santa Claus, Gluck created an organization dedicated to responding to them. Originally designed to "spread Christmas cheer" and "protect belief in Santa Claus," the association grew rapidly as the donations started flowing in, and New Yorkers volunteered to buy presents for needy children as the modern concept of Santa Claus took root in American culture. The distraction of WWI proved to be a boon for unscrupulous charities, many of which were unsupervised, creating a breeding ground for corruption in which Gluck took part. Palmer deftly weaves in other cultural touchstones such as the genesis of the Boy Scouts, Clement Clarke Moore's "A Visit from St. Nicholas," and the WWI Christmas Day armistice (in which opposing armies traded goods) to tell the larger story of America's adoption and adaptation of Christmas that endures to this day. It's a highly readable account of the evolution of one of America's favorite holidays and traditions.
