-Santa Claus- mechanical bank c. 1889

This cast iron 'Santa Claus' mechanical bank was made by Peter Adams. It taps into a particular moment in the cultural history of the United States when traditions surrounding Christmas shifted. Prior to the 19th century, the holiday was seen as a rowdy, public event. As social elites began to worry about the behavior of the working class, they increasingly wanted to domesticate and privatize Christmas in order to promote family values. Through stories and images, Santa Claus was reimagined from a somewhat sinister figure into a jolly, grandfatherly man who rewarded well-behaved children with gifts. The imagery on the bank shows us the shift in social values that commercial forces helped to promote. It represents the American middle-class family ideal, in which good children are rewarded for their behavior. To understand the social history of this object, one could consult magazines, newspapers, and advertising catalogues of the time.