wednesday
december 17
Museum of Printing History What do the Catholic Bible, Santa Claus and Christmas cards have in common? Besides their obvious relationship to Christmas, they're all subjects of new exhibits at the Museum of Printing History. The lowdown: (1) Thomas Nast, a 19th-century caricaturist, is known for creating the modern-day Santa Claus. In "The Evolution of Santa Claus," see how the jolly old elf got started and what's happened to him since. (2) "Christmas Cards of Years Past" reveals, among other things, that the first Christmas cards go back to chromolithographer Louis Prang in 1873; by 1881 they were such a hit, he was printing more than five million per year. So now you know who to thank for that achy card-writing hand. (3) And finally, "The Challenge of the Catholic Bible" shows that from the 16th until the early-19th century, Catholics had a hard go of it, what with censorship laws and folks like Calvin trying to tell them how to worship. Those struggles are reflected in the various manifestations of the Catholic Bible, many of which are on display. Think of these shows as a contemplative respite from the maddening mall crowd. The Museum of Printing History, 1324 W. Clay, 522-4652. $2.
