Twas the night The art and history of the classic Christmas poem

Pamela McColl, 1958-

Book - 2022

"The art and history of the famous Christmas poem, Twas The Night Before Christmas, written by Clement Clarke Moore in 1822. The history of the development of the poem over two centuries. 2022 and 2023 mark bicentennial milestones for the poem, the writing and publishing debut. With hundreds of art works in the book the story of the poem's rise in popularity is told through primarily through the images represented in the book. The history follows the development of Christmas in North America, following its roots back to the days of the Roman Empire and the legendary fetes of Saint Nicholas. The book follows the development of the character of Santa Claus, primarily through the illustration of the poem by the lead artists of each d...ecade; Thomas Nast, F.O.C. Darley, N.C. Wyeth, Norman Rockwell and the artists of the Golden Age of American Illustration--Jessie Wilcox Smith, W.W. Denslow and Leyendecker to name a few. The book is a gift book for a general audience, who love the poem and want to learn more about its history and origins."--

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Subjects
Genres
Art
History
Published
[Tsawwassen, British Columbia] : Grafton and Scratch Publishers 2022.
Language
English
Main Author
Pamela McColl, 1958- (author)
Item Description
"Celebrating the poem's Bicentennial (1822-1823/2022-2023)"--Cover.
Physical Description
263 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 29 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN
9781927979303
  • Chapter 1. Introducing The Poem
  • Chapter 2. The Enchanted Past
  • Chapter 3. Crossing The Seas
  • Chapter 4. An American Saint
  • Chapter 5. The Legend
  • Chapter 6. The Manuscripts
  • Chapter 7. Clement Clarke Moore
  • Chapter 8. In Print
  • Chapter 9. Good Cheer
  • Chapter 10. Home for the Holidays
  • Chapter 11. Spreading The News
  • Chapter 12. The Silver Lining
  • Chapter 13. Poetic License
  • Chapter 14. Collecting The Poem
  • Index
  • Acknowledgments
Review by Kirkus Book Review

A nonfiction book offers an in-depth look at the creation and history of a classic Christmas poem. In celebration of the bicentennial of the Christmas season's most well-known and oft-recited poem, "A Visit From St. Nicholas" (also commonly referred to as " 'Twas the Night Before Christmas"), McColl provides a collection of illustrations, snippets of literature, and historical tidbits related to Clement Clark Moore's renowned rhyme. The author's illuminating peek into the formulation and reception of the poem is well organized, with lovely, colorful images from various sources peppering the pages of text. Readers are given not only the background of the poem--written in 1822 and published in 1823--but also the origins of St. Nicholas and the varying cultural customs tied to Christmas throughout history. For example, McColl notes how Saturnalia was "the most popular festival in the Julian calendar" before Christianity became widespread. Similarly, readers can examine the use of Santa Claus' image in popular culture--he appears in an Andy Warhol series--and how the belief in witchcraft in Colonial New England affected the region's holiday celebrations. A highlight of the author's extensive compilation turns out to be the holiday poems interspersed throughout, such as Louisa May Alcott's "A Song for a Christmas Tree" (1871) and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "Christmas Bells" (1863). McColl's book, which seeks to present "selected images, along with dozens of literary excerpts, to illustrate the way in which…'Twas the Night, drew inspiration from the historical record of artistic expression and winter celebrations in western culture," does just that. Though mainly told through quotes or passages from others, with some of her own observations sprinkled in between, the author's commemoration is a detailed, thorough, and beautiful work for lovers of Christmas and fans of the holiday's most famous poem. A delightful and informative exploration of "A Visit From St. Nicholas" for the holiday season. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.