The Morgan Library & Museum has acquired the earliest manuscript with color illustrations of the poem A Visit from St. Nicholas, more famously known as The Night Before Christmas, by Clement Clarke Moore.
The book, illustrated by Moore’s daughter Mary Clarke Moore Ogden, will be on view in J. Pierpont Morgan’s Library along with the manuscript of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol from November 26, 2024 through January 5, 2025.
Clement Clarke Moore (1779–1863) wrote A Visit from St. Nicholas in 1822. It is believed that a family friend sent a copy of the poem to the Troy Sentinel newspaper in Troy, New York, which published it anonymously on December 23, 1823. It was attributed to Moore in 1837. In the poem, Moore originated many of the features that are still associated with Santa Claus today.
This manuscript was illustrated by Moore’s daughter, Mary Clarke Moore Ogden (1819–1893), and given to her husband John Doughty Ogden as a Christmas present in 1855. The volume features the first color illustrations of the poem, set as miniature vignettes within the decorative border surrounding the text. On one of the pages she depicted the house in the Chelsea section of New York City where she and her eight brothers and sisters heard the poem recited by her father every Christmas. Other notable features include the original text of the poem’s second-to-last line, reading “Happy Christmas to all,” which would later be changed to “Merry Christmas to all.” The volume has been treasured by the Ogden family.
Dr. Colin B. Bailey, Katharine J. Rayner Director, said: “The Morgan is thrilled to add this extraordinary manuscript to the collection, donated to us by David Ogden who, like the Morgan itself, turned 100 this year. We are thankful to our Trustee Clement (Chips) C. Moore, a descendant of Clement Clarke Moore, who helped facilitate this gift to the Morgan.”
David D. Ogden said: "As our family has treasured this illuminated manuscript created by my great grandmother Mary Clark Moore Ogden, I'm deeply gratified to ensure its preservation at the Morgan Library. This gift feels especially meaningful as both the Morgan and I celebrate our centennial years, creating a fitting partnership between this historic
institution and my family's legacy."
