Merry Christmas, 1920 Style

"A Rare Bird" by J.N. "Ding" Darling in New York Tribune, Dec. 25, 1920

St. Stephenback Saturday wishes you a merry Second Day of Christmas; and as my gift to you today instead of a couple of lousy turtledoves, I bring you a collection of cartoons from the newspapers on December 24 and 25, 100 years ago. We'll start off with a rather bizarre holiday offering from the great Jay N. Darling, capturing the Spirit of Christmas in a bear leg trap.

"Just What We Wanted" by Nelson Harding in Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Dec. 24, 1920

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle's front pages in December were full of reports of a crime wave plaguing New York, but I am just going to assume that Nelson Harding is being facetious in this cartoon of New York Mayor John F. Hylan.

"To All Evening World Readers" by John Cassel in New York Evening World, Dec. 24, 1920

Other editorial cartoonists took a holiday from grave matters of politics. John Cassel wished his readers a merry Christmas...

John M. Baer, The Nonpartisan Leader, Fargo, ND, Dec. 27, 1920

...As did cartoonist-Congressman John Baer, fresh from a defeat at the ballot box which he apparently accepted without filing dozens of frivolous lawsuits or entertaining the notion of martial law. (I know I said these cartoons were going to be dated December 24 and 25, but I'm granting the biweekly Nonpartisan Leader a little leeway.)

"A Couple of Wiseacres" by Magnus Kettner for Western Newspaper Union, Dec., 1920

Magnus Kettner's cartoons generally steered clear of politics and were relatively gentle when they didn't. His cartoons were targeted to a rural readership, where it appears the horseless carriage was still a thing for future generations.

"Poker Portraits" by Harold T. Webster in New York Tribune, Dec., 1920

Guys get their share of ribbing in the humor panels for Christmas. A charitable explanation here might be that this fellow isn't as clueless as he looks. Perhaps he's Jewish or Sikh, and new to this country. And if he's Sikh, it's cartoonist Harold Webster who is the clueless one, having forgotten to draw him wearing his turban.

Be that as it may, cluelessness survives from bachelorhood to married bliss...

"Oh, Man" by Clare Briggs in New York Tribune, Dec. 25, 1920

I'm sure that Alice got a nice bathrobe, at any rate.

"You Send an Answer" by Robert Ripley in Washington Evening Star,  Dec. 24, 1920

Robert Ripley (yes, he of "Believe It Or Not" fame) leads our selection of cartoonists pushing Christmas commercialization. What heartless bastard could possibly let down this little girl praying to Santa for a doll?

"Can You Beat It" by Maurice Ketten in New York Evening World, Dec. 24, 1920

Maurice Ketten's shoppers aren't confusing religion with shopping. They are hep to a variety of Christmas shopping strategies, from fancy wrapping to regifting. Note the Prohibition reference in panel five.

"We're Out of 'Em" by Gaar Williams in Indianapolis News, Dec. 1920

Hey! Put the newspaper down and get that little girl her doll! Right now! Before they're all gone!

"Has She Forgotten Anybody" by John McCutcheon in Chicago Tribune, Dec., 1920

If consumerism isn't your yuletide thing, there's also plenty of Christmas Charity guilt tripping to go around.

"I Wish My Mamma and Me Was Dogs" by Albert Wallen for Federated Press, Dec., 1920

Albert Wallen offers up a "Bah, humbug!" to the dogs of the late Mrs. Louise B. Pams, proving that there was nothing strikingly original about Leona Helmsley. Yet who knows but that Mrs. Pams was a loving and kind soul, forsaken by the grasping wretches of her ungrateful family, all except for Fido and Fifi. And seeing as all her children were deathly allergic to canines, wasn't this the charitable and thoughtful thing to do, all things considered?

"Same Old Knockout" by "Jim Nasium" in Philadelphia Inquirer, Dec. 25, 1920

Striking a blow against commercialization of the holiday, "Jim Nasium" was the pen name of Philadelphia Inquirer sports cartoonist Edgar Forrest Wolfe (1874-1958). Yes, Virginia, there used to be sports cartoonists as well as editorial cartoonists at any newspaper able to brag about its circulation figures.

 

This Santa may pack a mean punch, but he has got to be one of the scrawniest Santa Clauses ever drawn.

"No Hold-up Here" by Bill Sykes in Philadelphia Evening Ledger, Dec. 24, 1920

Man, you really do not want to get on Santa's bad side in Philadelphia. That guy has a wicked temper!

Well, that's enough violence for one holiday. I'll close today's trip beyond Memory Lane with a gentle wish to you and yours from the nation's capital.

Clifford Berryman in Washington Evening Star, Dec. 24, 1920

And to all a good night.