Santa Up A Ladder Art
Vintage: 1930
Resides at The Saturday Evening Post archives in Westview
In 1971, operations of The Saturday Evening Post moved from Philadelphia to the west side of Indianapolis. The Post’s offices also house Curtis Publishing, its licensing division. This easel-style mantel decoration manufactured by Bethany Lowe Designs, a mother-daughter team specializing in holiday home items, is one example of the many types of products licensed. It shows off the artwork of J. C. Leyendecker that appeared on the December 20, 1930, cover of the Post. Norman Rockwell is synonymous with the publication, but it was really Leyendecker—his mentor—who made its covers iconic. The German immigrant was gifted with natural talent, painting 322 covers, the first in 1899. His beloved illustrations depicted holiday scenes, cherubic babies, tableaus of everyday American life, and sports and war heroes. Long before the Coca-Cola version of Santa, Leyendecker portrayed the rosy-cheeked, loving figure we picture today. If you look closely at Santa Up a Ladder, you can see that Mr. Claus is wearing a fake beard. It seems it was Dad who got called out by the family pooch.
