{"id":61537,"date":"2016-12-19T14:40:41","date_gmt":"2016-12-19T20:40:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artofmanliness.com\/?p=61537"},"modified":"2026-01-14T14:05:58","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T20:05:58","slug":"podcast-262-santa-claus-man","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/culture\/history\/podcast-262-santa-claus-man\/","title":{"rendered":"Podcast #262: The Santa Claus Man"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/player.simplecast.com\/555493fa-51d9-4875-aa67-75e450f4718f?dark=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"200px\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless=\"\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">It\u2019s Christmastime. Trees are up, stockings are hung, and you\u2019ve likely seen Santa Claus a dozen or so times already.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">While many Christmas traditions have ancient roots, Christmas culture as we know it today&nbsp;is a modern creation, and most of that genesis happened in New York City a century ago.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">My guest today&nbsp;on the show wrote a book that explores the development of Christmas in New York City by looking at a 1920s con man who used the story of Santa Claus to swindle hundreds of thousands of dollars from generous New Yorkers. His name is Alex Palmer and his book is&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B014W13I5G\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&amp;btkr=1&amp;linkCode=sl1&amp;tag=artofmanliness03-20&amp;linkId=ad8607721378b6b996b3f2563425c9b0\"><i>The Santa Claus Man: The Rise and Fall of a Jazz Age Con Man and the Invention of Christmas in New York.<\/i><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s2\">Today<\/span><span class=\"s1\">&nbsp;on the podcast Alex and I discuss what Christmas was like <span class=\"s2\">before the 19th<\/span>&nbsp;century and the famous New Yorkers who helped turned Christmas into what it is <span class=\"s2\">today<\/span>. Against that backdrop we discuss the life and times of John Gluck, a PR man who started an organization that answered letters written to Santa Claus, but in the process lined his pockets with hundreds of thousands of dollars. It\u2019s also a story that involves a bitter rivalry between the Boy Scouts of America and another scouting organization that consisted of rifle-toting 12-year-olds.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">You don\u2019t want to miss this holiday edition of the Art of Manliness podcast. It\u2019s going to give you lots of fodder to talk about at Christmas dinner.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Show Highlights<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>How&nbsp;Alex discovered that he was related to a Jazz Age con man<\/li>\n<li>The&nbsp;creation of the modern Santa Claus in New York City<\/li>\n<li>How writing letters to Santa Claus began<\/li>\n<li>The rowdy, drunken, anarchic festival that Christmas in America was before the 19th century<\/li>\n<li>The invention of the Christmas tree lot in the 1850s in New York City<\/li>\n<li>How the F. W. Woolworth Company democratized Christmas decorations<\/li>\n<li>What happened to letters to Santa that were sent through the post office<\/li>\n<li>Why John Gluck started the Santa Claus Association<\/li>\n<li>How the Santa Claus Association worked<\/li>\n<li>How Gluck drummed up support for the Santa Claus Association<\/li>\n<li>How Gluck used the Boys Scouts of America to con New Yorkers out of their money<\/li>\n<li>The bitter rivalry between the Boy Scouts of America and the United States Boy Scout<\/li>\n<li>How the United States Boy Scout sewed the seeds of Gluck&#8217;s self-destruction<\/li>\n<li>How Gluck made money from the Santa Claus Association<\/li>\n<li>How charity worked changed in the early 20th century<\/li>\n<li>How much money Gluck made during his con<\/li>\n<li>How Gluck inspired the U.S. Postal Service&#8217;s&nbsp;Operation Santa initiative<\/li>\n<li>And much more!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Resources\/Studies\/People Mentioned in Podcast<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Saint_Nicholas\">St. Nicholas<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Washington_Irving\">Washington Irving<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/History-New-York-Penguin-Classics-ebook\/dp\/B001QBPMBY\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1482178122&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=a+history+of+new+york+washington+irving&amp;linkCode=sl1&amp;tag=artofmanliness03-20&amp;linkId=d727464a97090c7eaf0bc94526c566a1\"><em>The History of New York&nbsp;<\/em>by Washington Irving<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/John_Pintard\">John Pintard<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Saint_Nicholas_Day\">St. Nicholas Day<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/A_Visit_from_St._Nicholas\"><em>Twas the Night Before Christmas&nbsp;<\/em>by Clement C. Moore<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Thomas_Nast\">Thomas Nast<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/publicdomainreview.org\/collection\/a-pictorial-history-of-santa-claus\/\">Thomas Nast&#8217;s version of Santa Claus<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/F._W._Woolworth_Company\">F. W. Woolworth Company<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.cityreliquary.org\/the-santa-claus-association\/\">The Santa Claus Association<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/American_Boy_Scouts#United_States_Boy_Scout\">The United States Boy Scout<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/about.usps.com\/holidaynews\/operation-santa.htm\">Operation Santa<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B014W13I5G\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&amp;btkr=1&amp;linkCode=sl1&amp;tag=artofmanliness03-20&amp;linkId=ad8607721378b6b996b3f2563425c9b0\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-61543 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Front-Cover-11-e1481319564476.jpg\" alt=\"Book cover, the santa claus man by Alex palmer.\" width=\"331\" height=\"500\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Like I said in the podcast,&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B014W13I5G\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&amp;btkr=1&amp;linkCode=sl1&amp;tag=artofmanliness03-20&amp;linkId=ad8607721378b6b996b3f2563425c9b0\">The Santa Claus Man<\/a>&nbsp;<\/em>is one of the funnest&nbsp;history books I&#8217;ve read in a long time. It&#8217;s filled with tons of interesting and forgotten parts&nbsp;of American popular culture. This is a great book to read while on Christmas break. You&#8217;ll gain some new insights and appreciation about how we celebrate Christmas today.<\/p>\n<h3>Listen to the Podcast! (And don\u2019t forget to leave us a review!)<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/the-art-of-manliness\/id332516054?mt=2\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-49206 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2015\/07\/available-on-itunes.png\" alt=\"Available on itunes.\" width=\"250\" height=\"92\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/show\/the-art-of-manliness\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-49207 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2015\/07\/available-on-stitcher.png\" alt=\"Available on stitcher.\" width=\"250\" height=\"92\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/artofmanliness\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-49208 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2015\/07\/soundcloud-logo.png\" alt=\"Soundcloud logo.\" width=\"250\" height=\"127\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pcasts.in:443\/NwCI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-49655\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/\/2015\/08\/pocketcasts.png\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" srcset=\"\" alt=\"Pocketcasts.\" width=\"225\" height=\"225\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/music\/managemusic?t=The_Art_of_Manliness\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-56926 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2016\/05\/google-play-podcast-e1464287132541.png\" alt=\"Google play podcast.\" width=\"250\" height=\"190\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/the-art-of-manliness\/episodes\/1adc3f96-c298-48f1-bc32-642f18eefda8\">Listen to the episode on a separate page.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/rss.art19.com\/episodes\/1adc3f96-c298-48f1-bc32-642f18eefda8.mp3\">Download this episode.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"hs-rss-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.omnycontent.com\/d\/playlist\/aaea4e69-af51-495e-afc9-a9760146922b\/6081eee7-c459-4e12-a1ab-aadc000fc4a7\/413a6904-4d72-4be8-9421-aadc000fc4ba\/podcast.rss\">Subscribe to the podcast in the media player of your choice.<\/a><\/p>\n<h3>Connect with Alex<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.alexpalmerwrites.com\/about\">Alex&#8217;s Website<\/a><\/p>\n<h3>Podcast Sponsors<\/h3>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/us.carnivoreclub.co\/?SID=37s8tgghm17ffgvho9d2na1jg5&amp;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external noopener noreferrer\">Carnivore Club.<\/a>&nbsp;<\/strong>Get a box of artisanal meats sent directly to your door. Use discount code AOM at checkout for 15% off your first order.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thegreatcoursesplus.com\/lp\/t1\/freemo?utm_source=Audio&amp;utm_medium=Podcast&amp;utm_campaign=179932\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external noopener noreferrer\">The Great Courses Plus.<\/a>&nbsp;<\/strong>Learn anything on demand from the world\u2019s leading experts at The Great Courses Plus. Start a FREE one month trial by visiting&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thegreatcoursesplus.com\/lp\/t1\/freemo?utm_source=Audio&amp;utm_medium=Podcast&amp;utm_campaign=179932\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external noopener noreferrer\">thegreatcoursesplus.com\/manliness<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.berries.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external noopener noreferrer\">Shari\u2019s Berries.<\/a> <\/strong>Get some chocolatey dipped strawberries for just $19.99 sent directly to your door. Use code MANLINESS to claim the offer.<\/p>\n<p>And thanks to <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/creativeaudiolab.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external noopener noreferrer\">Creative Audio Lab<\/a><\/strong> in Tulsa, OK for editing our podcast!<\/p>\n<h3>Read the Transcript<\/h3>\n<p>Coming soon!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\ufeff It\u2019s Christmastime. Trees are up, stockings are hung, and you\u2019ve likely seen Santa Claus a dozen or so times already. While many Christmas traditions have ancient roots, Christmas culture as we know it today&nbsp;is a modern creation, and most of that genesis happened in New York City a century ago. My guest today&nbsp;on the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":61545,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[218,42383,156],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[],"class_list":["post-61537","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","category-history","category-podcast"],"featured_image_urls":{"large":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Front-Cover-11-1-537x280.jpg","reactor-320":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Front-Cover-11-1-320x167.jpg","aesop-tiny-cover":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Front-Cover-11-1-400x209.jpg","aesop-character":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Front-Cover-11-1-200x200.jpg","aesop-collection":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Front-Cover-11-1-300x281.jpg","aesop-grid-image":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Front-Cover-11-1-400x209.jpg"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61537","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=61537"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61537\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/61545"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=61537"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=61537"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=61537"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=61537"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}