The magic of Christmas morning begins the night before, on Christmas Eve. Clement Clarke Moore probably had this in mind when he wrote "A Visit from St. Nicholas" in 1822. By opening his poem with the line "'Twas the night before Christmas," Moore puts nighttime center stage. By lingering over whimsical details—the snowy landscape, mice asleep in their beds, the father in his cap, and stockings by the chimney—Moore creates a vivid narrative that is instantly recognizable. It is about what happens at night, when no one is looking and everyone is fast asleep. Blurring the line between dreams and reality, night becomes an event of change, expectations, hopes, dreams, excitement and whimsy.

Special Thanks:

• Rob Haas, Program Services & Security Director, Williamsburg Regional Library
• Desiree Parker, Marketing & Communications Manager, Williamsburg Regional Library

Curation and Design:

• Jenny Merriman, M.A. Student in History and Special Collections Graduate Apprentice

Fabrication & Install:

• Clarissa Cantacuzene, Special Collections Student Assistant
• Jennie Davy, Exhibits and Artifacts Curator
• Karen King, Special Collections Research Center Cataloger
• Ute Schechter, Warren E. Burger Archivist
• Kaitlyn Weathers, Digitization Specialist
• Ali Zawoyski, University Archivist