The Battle for Christmas

[John Masciale]

I've been readingThe Battle for Christmas.  Here is an interesting excerpt about Christmas theatre in Philadelphia in 1843

 

"The matinee performance at the National Theatre opened with a drama, George Barnwell,continued with a blackface show The Original Virginia Minstrels, and ended with another drama, King of the Mist.  The Ach Street Theatre matinee opened with  Hunter of the Alps, continued with a Comic Song,  and concluded with the Colored Music Festival, by the Virginia Minstrels.  The evening show in that same theatre opened with a drama, followed once again by the Virginia Minstrels, and concluded with a new Pantomime, entitled 'Santa Claus' - Old Kriskringle [played by] Mr. Winans.

 

Old Krisskringle - By 1843 this figure had become the lead character of a Christmas pantomime performed in concert with a minstrel show.  (This would not be the only occasion on which Santa Claus converged with blackface minstrelsy.  In about 1840, a collection of minstrel songs was printed in New York under the authorship by Santaclaus."

[John Masciale]

Generally not.  The cover page  to De Kickapoo Whoop; or Pee Wee Warbler shows a blackface Santa Clause (1840), and says it is by Santa Claus.  This was actually a collection of Thomas Rice songs.  I suspect that it was intended as a Christmas gift book.  Gift books were among the earliest of commercially produced Christmas gifts.