Twas the Night Before Christmas

Most people today know Clement Clarke Moore’s enchanting tale of the mysterious Christmas Eve visitor, St. Nicholas. A noted theologian and biblical scholar, Moore (1779-1863) wrote this classic poem, “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” in 1823. Nancy H. Marshall (1932-2018) started collecting editions of Moore’s poem, today better known as The Night before Christmas, over 45 years ago.

At first, Marshall bought inexpensive books to fill her children’s stockings and decorate her home for Christmas. Over time, her collection became more comprehensive as she acquired both rare and early editions and contemporary twentieth-century publications. After having spent more than a decade as the dean of William & Mary Libraries, Marshall began donating her collection to Swem Library’s Special Collections Research Center in 2005. Today, students, scholars, and visitors young and old enjoy the many treasures of the Nancy H. Marshall “A Visit from St. Nicholas” Collection.

This exhibit of Nancy H. Marshall’s extensive collection, a yearly tradition here at Swem Library, features nineteenth-century illustrations of St. Nicholas, who by the time Moore wrote his poem, had become interchangeable with Santa Claus in the United States. According to the New York Historical Society, “the modern Santa was born in the imagination of Clement Clarke Moore,” but as these selected works demonstrate, the evolution of the modern Santa was a gradual one. Lively and fascinating, and a bit different from our modern conceptions, the illustrations highlight the figure’s transformation from a mischievous little imp to the jolly, bearded Santa we know today.  

Photos of the exhibit are available at W&M Libraries on Flickr.

Curator: Henry Prown, Special Collections Exhibits Apprentice and PhD Candidate in American Studies
Exhibit Design: Abram Clear '21, SCRC Graphics Student Assistant
Fabrication and Installation: Jennie Davy, Exhibits Manager; and Henry Prown