Images(2)

Drawing

Object number2019.6.1

MediumPaper; Ink; Graphite; Crayon(?); Charcoal; Pastel(?)

Credit LineGift of The Whidden Family

DescriptionPolychrome Christmas drawing in crayon(?), pastel(?), charcoal, graphite, and ink on rectangular sheet of light tan paper. Drawing depicts Santa Claus holding three cigars in proper right hand and box of cigars in proper left hand. To right of Santa is a yellow/brown gift sack with a Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer behind. In the bottom left corner is a gray rat. Black handwritten ink text annotates the drawing throughout. Back is undecorated.DimensionsHeight x Width x Depth: 15 × 11.938 × 0.031 in. (38.1 × 30.3 × 0.1 cm)
InscriptionsFront has handwritten black ink text:
In top left corner: "THIS IS / iT BOYS -- COMPLiMENTS OF / R. AND P. COAL CO. / REMEMBER - ONLY ONE APiECE / MERRY CHRiSTMAS / HO HO HO";

In speech bubble above Rudolph "YOU LUCKY LUCKY BOYS. / YOU WON'T have to TiRe / YOURSeLVeS OUT CARRYiNG / A GReAT BiG GiFT HOMe.";

On interior of cigar box lid "EL / STiNKO / BRAND" and on front of cigar box "MADe BY / COAL TAR Co / OF AMERICA";

On gifts inside sack "TURKeY", "HAM", "CANDY / choc", "chRISTMAS / BONUS", "BONUS" twice, "TIeS", and "CANDY";

On front of gift sack "GiFTS ORDERED BY / OTHER COMPANIES FOR / THEIR EMPLOYEES";

In speech bubble above the rat "THEY KNOW / I'M NOT / ALLOWED TO / SMOKE - / They COULD AT / LeAST HAVe / REMEMBERED Me. / WiTh A Piece / OF ChEESe";

In the bottom right corner "MR. X / WiSHES YOU ALL / A / MERRY / CHRISTMAS".

Historical NotesDrawing of Santa Claus done by employees of the Rochester and Pittsburgh Coal Company. The drawing was found in donor Paul Whidden's basement. Clearly done by one of the miners, it sarcastically references the stinginess of the “R&P” company to their workers at Christmas. The Indiana County mine operated from the 1880s until a 1998 merger with CONSOL. In the 1880s, investors from New York came to the Pittsburgh area to start a mining and rail operation to bring coal from Western Pennsylvania into the New York cities of Rochester and Buffalo. At one time it was the largest employer in Indiana County.

Related institution Rochester and Pittsburgh Coal Company

Subjects