Most people would probably say that he has a a red suit and cap, a white beard, and leave it at that. I’m not even sure that they would describe him as fat any more, judging by some of the scrawny, ‘realistic' Santas you see on TV and out in public.
But what people often forget is that Santa (or St. Nick if you prefer) was described in A Visit from St. Nicholas by Clement Clarke Moore as having cheeks “like roses” and a nose “like a cherry” and eyes that twinkled. He was a guy who was jolly, non-threatening and instantly likable.
Haddon Sundblom painted that Santa Claus in his series of ads for Coca-Cola. His Santa had tousled white hair, often with some of it sticking out from under his stocking cap. It’s an appealing image, and for many people – myself included – that is what Santa looks like.
I'm sure whoever designed this ad (which ran in the Lorain Journal on December 3, 1960) for the Lorain Banking Company’s Christmas Club probably agrees. It’s a great looking Santa, and is a close cousin to Sundblom's.
Today, of course, Lorain National Bank is no more.
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