Santa's Hometown

In 1822, New York City landowner Clement Moore read a poem about Saint Nicholas to his six young children. Beginning in the 1860s, cartoonist Thomas Nast drew dozens of Santa Claus pictures based on Moore's description of the "jolly old elf" who arrived on The Night Before Christmas.

SANTA'S HOMETOWN is an illustrated history of the stories, art, songs, and traditions that make the Christmas Season the most joyous time of the year. Discover the stories behind the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, and the New Year's Eve ball drop at Times Square. Find out who made the first electric Christmas lights, which president grew Christmas trees on his estate, and much more!

Illustrated throughout with vintage Christmas cards, art prints, and book illustrations, plus the author's original photographs of New York City landmarks.

KEVIN WOYCE is an author, photographer, and lecturer specializing in regional American history. He lives in Lyndhurst, NJ.