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Page 26 The Antique Shoppe December, 2018
THE NIMBLE NICKS OF CHRISTMAS LAND

by Roy Nuhn
The publishing company founded by Civil War veteran George Whitney in They lived in a fantasy place called Christmas Land, where snow remained
his hometown of Worcester, Massachusetts, has long been dear to the hearts year-round. At first, they are usually mistaken for fairies, elves or pixies.
of collectors everywhere because of its beautiful 19th-century valentines. But However, a closer examination reveals the chubby fellows - and gals (there’s
Whitney has also gained much admiration and respect for having made the one of them) - to be no more than children who never grow up.
Yuletide, in the years before World War I, a happier, more colorful holiday. They are taller and larger than the various mythical forest creatures they are
Beginning at the turn of the century and continuing up to the late 19205. often confused with, and they are perfectly proportioned. Each Nick has blonde
the Whitney Company manufactured huge numbers greeting cards, children’s hair and one curl at the top of his forehead which peaks out from under the red
books, souvenir postcards, paper toys and novelties of every description for hood. The hair, diminutive size, and Santa Claus outfits are their trademarks,
Christmas. They were also involved with other holidays, including Halloween, forever tagging them as Nimble Nicks.
Easter, Valentine’s Day, etc. But Christmas was the big selling season, just as it The Nicks dwelled in cute tiny houses that did not even reach a regular
was - and still is - for most publishers. person’s knee and they drove around Christmas Land
In the process of creating and marketing this huge in kiddie-cars (so the illustrated storybooks tell us).
output of merchandise for the nation’s five-and- Also, at party-time, out came the “funny little chairs”
dimes, department stores, variety shops, and other upon which the little fellows sat while eating their
retail outlets, Whitney introduced a Nimble Nicks favorite treat, turkey stew.
products. When not helping Santa Claus, the Nicks enjoyed
One of the earliest, if not the first, ensemble of life to the hilt. One of their greatest pleasures was to
characters especially created by a publisher for its bunch up as many of themselves as possible, as close
paper novelties, the Nimble Nicks were Santa’s as they could, onto giant sleds and go cascading down
helpers. Others- Rose O’Neil’s Kewpies, Palmer giant snow-covered hills. Another activity enjoyed by
Cox’s Brownies and R. F. Outcault’s Buster Brown all was incessant snowball fighting.
among them - began as magazine illustrations, dolls, Whitney published its many different designs of the
or comic strip heroes and heroines. The Nimble Nicks Nimble Nicks in vivid red coloring. These, like the
- cute little guys who loved a good time almost as firm’s other Christmas merchandise, were sold in the
much as they loved helping Santa make toys and get nations stores, particularly Woolworth’s, well into the
ready for his once-a-year Christmas Eve trip - were late 1920s and early 1930s, though the actual printing
American originals. They came along a half-century of them had stopped years before around 1925.
after George Whitney had started his valentine Several books aimed at young people between
business. the ages of three and ten were printed by Whitney

Easel style die-cut, punch-out, and
stand-up novelties. & Nimble Nicks
postcards.

During the heyday of the picture postcard fad in the United States, from about detailing the adventures of the Nimble Nicks. These were usually die-cut, 6 x
1904 to 1917, the Whitney Company was a major presence. They printed and 9 inches in size, and average about 12 illustrated pages. Today such books are
sold several hundred designs for all holidays. So vast was its production that very rare.
collectors even today still do not know for sure the entire story. Whitney also marketed a paper novelty product line known as easel stand-
Brightly colored, embossed Christmas postcards featuring cheery, pleasant ups. The top half of the design was a die-cut and popped out of its perforations
children were issued in sets of six. The same artwork was also used for other when folded backward and clipped with “a
holiday novelties, including greeting cards, prints, and softbound juvenile tab. The card could then stand up, and part
books. Whitney’s Santa Claus illustrations, for instance, provided pictorials for of the illustration was free-standing. About
Christmas greeting cards, paper toys and picture books. These showed Santa, a half-dozen Nimble Nicks designs were
often with children, unpacking his toys, reading wish lists, truging through the printed in this format.
snow, and placing gaily-wrapped packages under Christmas trees. The greeting card company that once
And then there were the Nimble Nicks. flourished under theguiding hand of George
On postcards and other paper goods and in storybooks, they were probably C. Whitney has been gone now for several
introduced about 1915 and stayed around until the early 19205. Many Nimble generations, but collectors continue to be
Nicks souvenir postcards - at least two dozen of them - were printed, each in intrigued and passionate about the valentines,
runs of tens to hundreds of thousands of copies. Countless other merchandise, postcards and books the firm published in its
including easel stand-ups, were also produced, as well as illustrated books. all-year lifetime. To these collectors nothing THE END
Nimble Nicks may well have been the world’s first companions for Santa is more treasured today than the ephemera
Claus. Others, like Rudolph and Frosty, came along much later. associated with the Nimble Nicks - Santa’s
Each delightful Nimble Nick was a playful little imp whose greatest thrill in helpers up North in a place called Christmas
life was wearing a tiny Santa Claus suit. Their charm has endured well over the Land.
years, and many collectors today are in love with them.