Walcott-Bartlett Professor of Religion Jay Williams discussed “Thomas Nast as an Artist” on Feb. 6 at the Arts Center - Old Forge, in Old Forge, N.Y. Thirty holiday-themed Thomas Nast wood engravings from Williams’ collection were on display at the center in an exhibition titled “Thomas Nast Celebrates the Holidays.”
Thomas Nast is well-known for his depiction of Santa Claus and political icons including the Democratic donkey, the Republican elephant and Uncle Sam. His cartoons, most political in nature, appeared in Harper’s Weekly from the 1860s to the 1880s. Williams’ growing collection contains more than a thousand original Nast prints depicting a wide range of subjects. Many have been exhibited in shows throughout the Northeast and at the Emerson Gallery.
