Plan your visit. 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street, New York, NY 10016.

Plan your visit. 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street, New York, NY 10016.

Moore's St. Nicholas : autograph manuscript / illuminated by M. Ogden

BIB_ID
452884
Accession number
MA 23900
Creator
Moore, Clement Clarke, 1779-1863, author.
Credit line

Gift of the David D. Ogden Family in honor of the Morgan's Centennial, 2024.

Description

1 volume ([14] leaves) ; 22.5 x 19 cm

Notes

This illuminated manuscript of the most famous American Christmas poem was illustrated by Clement Clarke Moore's daughter, Mary Clarke Moore Ogden (1819-1893), and given to her husband John Doughty Ogden as a Christmas present in 1855. The volume contains the first color illustrations of the poem, set as miniature vignettes within the decorative border surrounding the text. Other notable features include the original text of the poem's penultimate line, reading "Happy Christmas to all," which would later be changed to "Merry Christmas to all." The donor David Ogden turned 100 in November 2024 and gave the manuscript to the Morgan to celebrate its centennial.

Provenance

Gift of David D. Ogden Family, 2024.