Santa Sightings
Clement C. Moore. The Night Before Christmas. Illustrated by Eric Puybaret. New York: Imagine Publishing, 2010.
Clement C. Moore’s enchanting tale of the mysterious Christmas Eve visitor, St. Nicholas, is a holiday classic that is well known throughout the world. Moore, a noted theologian and biblical scholar, wrote this poem more than 180 years ago at the request of his children. Nancy H. Marshall started collecting editions of Clement Clarke Moore’s poem, The Night Before Christmas, over 45 years ago.
At first, she bought inexpensive books to put in her children’s stockings and decorate her home during the Christmas holiday. As time passed, her collection became more comprehensive, acquiring both rare and scarce early editions and more contemporary 20th century editions. After having spent more than a decade as the Dean of University Libraries at the College of William & Mary, Marshall began donating her collection to the Special Collections Research Center in the Swem Library 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.
Continuing our annual tradition, this year’s exhibit features lines from Moore’s poem describing St. Nicholas while showcasing the collection’s vibrant illustrations and diverse interpretations of his appearance.
Images of the exhibit are available from Swem Library on Flickr.
Curator: Andrea Alvarez, Undergraduate Volunteer, Class of 2014. Exhibit design: Andrea Alvarez and Jennie Davy, Burger Archives Specialist, with assistance from Andrew Cavell, SCRC Graphics Assistant, and Anna Wallace, Undergraduate Student Assistant.
