Which magazine popularized the modern image of Santa Claus?
The publication that truly established and popularized the modern visual identity of Santa Claus was the influential illustrated journal Harper’s Weekly. Starting in 1863, the legendary political cartoonist Thomas Nast began contributing a series of 33 Christmas-themed illustrations that transformed the character from a variety of regional folk figures into the unified icon we recognize today. His most famous rendering, the 1881 portrait titled “Merry Old Santa Claus,” solidified the image of a jolly, rotund, white-bearded figure dressed in a suit with a belt and buckle.
Source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1Tlmg3gA0c
https://www.threads.com/@beliproduk.official/post/DSkX57TEo5W