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Saturday, April 27, 2024

Letter to the Times: Another side of Thomas Nast

January 24, 2022 3:00 pm • Last Updated: January 24, 2022 3:00 pm

To the Editors:

I was interested to read the article “When Thomas Nast’s historical Santa Claus visited the region” by Jim Littlefield under History Matters (The New London Times, December 23, 2021).

Mr. Littlefield presents a very complimentary picture of Nast and his work illustrating Santa Claus. Nast is also recognized for his exposure of the corruption of William Marcy ‘Boss’ Tweed and Tammany Hall.

However, historically, Nast was also a virulent bigot. In support of the Know-Nothings, he was anti-immigrant, anti-Irish and anti-Catholic. His illustrations depicted Irish immigrants as idle drunks and priests as apes or alligators.

James D. Stephenson

New London

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