Puck Christmas 1913
by Science Source
Title
Puck Christmas 1913
Artist
Science Source
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
Entitled "Christmas Puck" chromolithograph showing an anxious snowman standing between two beautiful young women wearing clown costumes and holding mistletoe over their heads during an evening snow shower. Puck was America's first successful humor magazine of colorful cartoons, caricatures and political satire of the issues of the day. It was published from 1871 until 1918. It was the first magazine to carry illustrated advertising and the first to successfully adopt full-color lithography printing for a weekly publication. The tradition of hanging mistletoe in the house goes back to the times of the ancient Druids. It is supposed to possess mystical powers which bring good luck to the household and wards off evil spirits. It was also used as a sign of love and friendship in Norse mythology and that's where the custom of kissing under Mistletoe comes from. When the first Christians came to Western Europe, some tried to ban the use of Mistletoe as a decoration in Churches, but many still continued to use it. The custom of kissing under Mistletoe comes from England. The original custom was that a berry was picked from the sprig of Mistletoe before the person could be kissed and when all the berries had gone, there could be no more kissing. In North America, typical snowmen consist of three large snowballs with some additional accoutrements for facial and other features. Common accessories include branches for arms and a rudimentary smiley face; a carrot can stand in for a nose. Human clothing, such as a hat or scarf, may even be included. Low-cost and availability are the common issues, since snowmen are usually in a cold and/or wet environment, and abandoned to the elements once completed. Melting is a common end-of-life scenario for most snowmen. Illustrated by William Ely Hill for Puck and published by Keppler & Schwarzmann, December 3, 1913.
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February 9th, 2015
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