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The Morris County Historical Society is hosting a free talk on Thomas Nast, the Morristown cartoonist who shaped how America pictures Santa Claus, on Wednesday, November 18, 2026, from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Morris County Library in Whippany. Ryan Hyman, the F.M. Kirby Curator of Collections at Macculloch Hall Historical Museum, will lead the hour, and seats are limited, so registration is required.
What the Thomas Nast Talk Covers
The program, titled Thomas Nast’s Historical Icons, looks at the 19th century illustrator who lived in Morristown and whose drawings still show up every December. Nast’s work for Harper’s Weekly helped turn Santa Claus into the round, bearded, fur-trimmed figure most of us grew up with, and he popularized the elephant and donkey that still stand for the two major parties.
Hyman will start with a short history of Macculloch Hall in Morristown, which holds the largest collection of original Nast works anywhere, then walk through some of Nast’s most famous cartoons along with a few lesser-known images that rarely get shown.
Date, Time, and Location
- When: Wednesday, November 18, 2026, 6 to 7 p.m.
- Where: Morris County Library, 30 East Hanover Avenue, Whippany
- Cost: Free
- Registration: Required, space is limited. Register on Eventbrite.
- Can’t make it in person? A Zoom option is available.
One scheduling note: the Morris County Library is closed on Tuesday, November 3, for Election Day and Wednesday, November 11, for Veterans Day, so plan any book pickups around those dates.
Part of the Revolutionary Lecture Series
The Nast talk is one of 12 lectures in the Revolutionary Lecture Series from the Morris County Historical Society and the Morris County Heritage Commission, which runs alongside the county’s America 250 calendar. The series covers the county’s role in the American Revolution, the engineering projects that reshaped the landscape, and the local figures who made national history. Questions can go to the Historical Society at (973) 267-3465.
Make a Morristown History Day of It
If the talk leaves you wanting to see Nast’s originals up close, Macculloch Hall sits a few blocks from the Morristown Green. Our guide to the best museums in Morris County and our roundup of the best historic sites in Morris County have more places to explore, and our November things to do guide covers everything else happening around the county this month.
Image: Morris County Historical Society logo, via the Morris County 250th event listing. Owner: Morris County Historical Society.
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