Dec 22, 2016

Santa Claus has graced the pages of the Baltimore Sun many times over the years. Looking at the photos as a whole, there are a couple of constants we can draw about the jolly elf.

• Santa likes to make an entrance – sometimes by motorcycle, helicopter, boat or train.

• Even Santa has the occasional bad beard day.

• Not every child is keen to sit on Santa’s lap – those that don’t, really don’t.

: Jerry Wood, 4-years-old and Nancy Brown, 5-years-old look for their names on Santa’s Golden Book, which lists children who have been nice in 1955. Santa is John Bowers. (Richard Stacks/Baltimore Sun)

: Santa Claus makes an appearance at Harborplace in 2015. (Kaitlin Newman/Baltimore Sun)

: Santa arrives for a visit complete with reindeer and helpers during Operation Toylift at Friendship Airport in 1957. (Ellis Malashuk/Baltimore Sun)

: Santa Claus (Luke Durant) gives a hug to Nathaniel Thomas, Jr., almost three at Mondawmin Mall in 2013. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)

: Will Holloway, 8, tells Santa that he wants a “small puppy Dalmatian” for Christmas at the Fire Museum in 2014. (Cassidy Johnson/Baltimore Sun)

: Santa is seen at Santa Heim in Savage, MD in 1948. (Frank P. Kalita/Baltimore Sun)

: Santa Claus takes a dip at the National Aquarium with a Green Moray Eel as he scuba dives in the Atlantic Coral Reef exhibit bringing food for the fish in 2014. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun)

: Al Koch of Aberdeen is Santa Claus during Operation Santa Claus toy ride in 1988. (Patrick Sandor/Baltimore Sun)

: At one of the big downtown department stores in 1957, Santa Claus hears what two children would like for Christmas. He is Warren Lee Terry, a former Santa and actor for eight years. (Richard Stacks/Baltimore Sun)

: Nineteen-month-old Trinity Baker of Dundalk was less than pleased with the idea of posing with Santa Claus at White Marsh Mall in 2007. (Jed Kirschbaum/Baltimore Sun)

: Eight-month-old Roan Noble of Baltimore seems to wish for a little more distance from a strange man with a white beard and red cap as Santa Claus visits sick children at a University of Maryland pediatric unit in 2005. (Doug Kapustin/Baltimore Sun)

: Kevin Goodman, of Carney, rides his Harley-Davidson motorcycle sleigh as Santa in the 42nd Annual Mayor’s Christmas Parade, in Hampden in 2015. (Steve Ruark/Baltimore Sun Media Group)

: Santa greets children of all ages at the Annapolis City Dock in 2001. Al Hopkins, white-haired, blue-eyed and beardless, portrayed Jolly Old St. Nick in a tour around Annapolis on Friday. The city’s fire boat delivered him to the City Dock. He then boarded a fire engine and visited other sites in the city. (Jed Kirschbaum/Baltimore Sun)

: Brody Laanisto, 6, right, hugs Santa Claus played by volunteer firefighter Craig Ralston as Ellicott City Volunteer Firefighters drive Santa and Mrs. Claus to meet with children and their parents in 2015. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)

: Santa Claus turns on the power to Santa’s Place at the inner harbor Ampitheater at Harborplace in 2013. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun)

: Joey Gardenghi, 7, of Catonsville talks to John Donnelly of Lakeland, dressed as Santa Claus, during the German Christmas Market at Catonsville Historical Society in Catonsville, MD in 2015. (Jen Rynda/Baltimore Sun Media Group)

: Santa, played by Kevin Rawlings of Hagerstown, greets Sara Murnane, 6, second from left, as her sister Katie, 9, left, and father Rich Murnane look on during a train trip aboard the Mt. Clare Express during the Holiday Festival of Trains and Toys at the B&O Railroad Museum in 2012. (Amy Davis/Baltimore Sun)

: Santa Claus makes an appearance at the newly opened rink at McKeldin Square in 2014. (Kaitlin Newman/Baltimore Sun)

: Santa Claus discuss art supplies with Hannah Mitchell, 8. The popular Santa House at Harborplace has moved to a new location, right next door to Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum in 2015. (Kaitlin Newman/Baltimore Sun)

: Creston “Doc” Woingust, dressed as one of Santa’s helpers, and patrolman Alfred C. Smith, give stockings to a brother and sister, Everett, 8, and Wanda Loggins, 7, at the 1963 Western District Christmas party that was held at the old Royal Theater on Pennsylvania Avenue in 1963. (William l Laforce Jr./Baltimore Sun)

: Santa John F. Brown Howard speaks with Nicholas Gradarz of Cockeysville, Maryland at the Lexington Street Mall during The City Downtown Christmas Program in 1975. (Joseph A. DiPaola/Baltimore Sun)

: Charmaine Simms, 2, got a little frightened by a heavy Ho! Ho! Ho! from Santa Claus at the Sears department store on North Avenue in 1976. (Lloyd Pearson/Baltimore Sun)

: Meeting Santa didn’t exactly make one-year-old Bobby Blair’s day in December 1980. Although, the loud one’s brother, Jerry Blair, 3, was amused. (Jed Kirschbaum/Baltimore Sun)

: Santa and little girl in 1981. (George Cook/Baltimore Sun)

: Christopher Davis, 2-1/2, of Baltimore was reluctant to tell Santa Claus his “wants” for Christmas at Villa Julie Christmas party in 1983. (Lloyd Pearson/Baltimore Sun)

: Luke Durant, who has been Santa Claus at the Mondawmin Mall for over 20 years, listens to the Christmas wishes of Breon Griffin, 7, left, and his sister Brianna Griffin, 8 in 2009. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: Six-month-old Zion Dorsey got his first close encounter with Santa Claus during the Annual Goodwill Thanksgiving Dinner at the Baltmore Convention Center in 2008. (Monica Lopossay/Baltimore Sun)

: One-and-a-half year-old Sean Kraushaar, of Millersville, was less than thrilled to see Santa at Montgomery Wards Shopping Plaza in Glen Burnie in 1980. (Jed Kirschbaum/Baltimore Sun)

: Santa (Ken Sellers) gingerly holds six-month-old Allison Sabatino of Rosedale who seemed to be less than enthralled in 1998. (Jed Kirschbaum/Baltimore Sun)

: William Elliott is not too happy in Santa’s lap at the Grant A Wish party at Martin’s West in 1991. (Perry Thorsvik/Baltimore Sun)

: Michael Jones, 5, of Federal Hill Preparatory School gives Santa a big hug at the Cross Street Market. The Merchants Association of Cross Street Market invited Pre-K students to the market to visit Santa in 2013. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun)

: Jim Folk a volunteer diver dressed as Santa Claus will make his annual stop by the National Aquarium and scuba dive in the Blacktip Reef exhibit in 2015. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun)

: White Marsh Mall hosted a “Sensory Friendly” visit with Santa Claus in 2013 for special needs children. Santa waves to Sean, 3, of Essex, and Clara, 6, being held by their parents David and Shannon, respectively, being sitting on his lap to pose for photographer Becky Purdie, left. The event took place before the mall opened to the public to provide a calm and subdued atmosphere with no crowds or lines for the children. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)

: Santa, played by Rick Dempsey, high-fives the children in between Christmas songs with the Orioles Bird in 2009. First graders from Lakeland E.S. were invited to the ESPN Zone at the Inner Harbor for a holiday party with Orioles players, past and present. (Amy Davis/Baltimore Sun)

: Santa Claus dons ice skates and goes around rink with youngsters yesterday in 1973. (Carl D. Harris/Baltimore Sun)

: Santa talks with children of Parents without Partners members as they end a Saturday parent-child activity-a Christmas train ride from the Camden street B. & O. Station in 1972. (William Hotz/Baltimore Sun)

: Santa Claus talks with kids before the Cedonia Mall Parade in 1975. (Ralph L. Robinson/Baltimore Sun)

: Santa Claus (Raymond Roberston) give kids gifts at the 5th Regiment Armory in 1951. (Joseph DiPaola/Baltimore Sun)

: Wide-eyed Shannon Quinn, 2-1/2-years-old meets Santa in 1973. (Carl D. Harris/Baltimore Sun)

: This street bound Santa Claus greeted visitors at the Baltimore Street car Museum on Falls road in 1976, in one of the museum s historic streetcars with a bag of gifts for the day special guests children from the Salvation Army s Day Nursery School. (William Mortimer/Baltimore Sun)

: Santa Duane Raubaugh gets nothing but tears from two-year-old, Charmaine Simms in 1976. (Lloyd Pearson/Baltimore Sun)

: Santa Claus arrives by police helicopter to open Baltimore’s Inner Harbor festivities in 1976. (Irving H. Phillips Jr./Baltimore Sun)

: Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus participate in holiday festivities at the Inner Harbor in 1982. (Irving H. Phillips, Jr./Baltimore Sun)

: Hochschild Kohn’s Santa Charles Wise is seen in 1970. (William Hotz/Baltimore Sun)

: Santa Claus arrives at the Annapolis City dock to hundreds of waiting children and their parents in 1990. Santa passed out candy cane treats to the children and received a few love letter from the kids. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)

: Mike Kaplan dons Santa’s beard and wig at Santa College in 1986. (Baltimore Sun)

: Mike Kaplan dons Santa’s beard and wig at Santa College in 1986. (Baltimore Sun)

: In 1979, Santa (Tom Brzeznaski) reads list of little Maura Dolon (6) at the Columbia Mall. She broke her arm on the monkey bars, but Santa promised her a good Christmas. (Clarence B. Garrett/Baltimore Sun)

: Julie Johnson, four-years-old, speaks with Santa Claus in 1980. (Richard Childress/Baltimore Sun)

: Santa rings a bell and passes out candy on the seawall in Inner Harbor in the rain in 1977. (Weyman Swagger/Baltimore Sun)

: Young Bert Roberts reaches for candy from Santa Bill Fogel at the opening of the city’s “mitten tree program” in the Municipal Building in 1977. The public is invited to bring pairs of mittens of gloves to hang on the tree located there. The gloves will be taken off the tree and given to poor children on Christmas Eve by the Salvation Army. (Ralph L. Robinson/Baltimore Sun)

: Santa’s twinkling eyes were behind sunglasses yesterday – maybe from too much glare at the North Pole – at the annual Department of Social Service Christmas party, but that did not stop the youngsters from getting close to the old folk hero and telling him their most secret wishes in 1977. (William H. Mortimer /Baltimore Sun)

: The Hunt Valley Mall Santa Claus lets customers know when heÕll return in 1983. (Baltimore Sun)

: Bridgett Lopez speaks with Santa Jerry Spurlock at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor in 1983.. (Irving H. Phillips, Jr./Baltimore Sun)

: Al Verpault as Santa in 1986. (Baltimore Sun)

: Tony Peddicord, 5, shows Santa Claus the size of the bicycle he wants for Christmas in 1980. Firefighter Stanley Leonard played Santa near the Cross Street Market for a department promotion stressing fire safety during the holidays. (Walter McCardell/Baltimore Sun)

: Little Alonzo Jackson is held by wonderful Santa Claus (Tom Brzeznaski) at Columbia Mall in 1979. (Clarence B. Garrett/Baltimore Sun)

: Santa Claus visits Lutheran Hospital in 1972. (Weyman D. Swagger)

: In a custom that seems to be peculiar to Baltimore, one of his visitors gives Santa a penny in 1957. Santa is Warren Lee Terry. (Richard Stacks/Baltimore Sun)

: Santa Claus talks with children after landing at the North Severn Experimental Station in 1949. (Edward Nolan/Baltimore Sun)

: Patricia Ann Marvin and Carol Borig speak to Santa Claus in 1949. (Ralph Dohme/Baltimore Sun)

: Donner and Blitzen wouldn’t like this — Santa Claus arrived at St Michaels, Md., in a sleigh. There was no snow and instead of reindeer, there was a horse to pull the sleigh with small wheels in 1952. (Ralph Dohme/Baltimore Sun)

: Young men train to be department store Santas at Santa Claus school in 1961. (William H. Mortimer/Baltimore Sun)

: A pair of Santas warm their hands while collecting for the American Rescue Workers Christmas Fund at the corner of Howard and Lexington in 1958. (Clarence Garrett/Baltimore Sun)

: A young child gives Santa a questioning look in 1952. (George Cook/Baltimore Sun)

: Santa arrives for a visit complete with reindeer and helpers during Operation Toylift at Friendship Airport in 1957. (Ellis Malashuk/Baltimore Sun)

: Santa arrives by plane at Friendship Airport and is greeted by a mob of kids in 1951. (W. Ross Dunaway/Baltimore Sun)

: Kids mob Santa after his arrival by plane at Friendship Airport in 1950. (W. Ross Dunaway/Baltimore Sun)

: Santa holds a child as St. Ambrose carol singers perform at Pimlico in 1947. (Frank Miller/Baltimore Sun)

: Ed Bastress is Santa at the Inner Harbor in 2005. (Gene Sweeney Jr./Baltimore Sun)

: Santa Claus arrives by horse and buggy to officially start Annapolis’ Christmas celebration with a tree lighting ceremony in 2006. Santa Claus, center, is pictured wading through the crowd passing out candy canes to those gathered for the tree lighting ceremony. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)

: Albert Magowski, dressed as Santa Claus, waves from a mail truck in front of City Hall in 1959. (Walter McCardell/Baltimore Sun,)

: Santa has a respite at St. Michael Church at Lombard and Wolfe after delivering toys to be distributed to the needy at the church rectory in 1986. (Jed Kirschbaum/Baltimore Sun)

: Saul Wienner dresses up like this until Christmas at Park Avenue and McMechen Street, near the drugstore in 1970. (Richard Childress/Baltimore Sun)

: Bands, bloats and even Santa on a motorcycle pass through Hampden during the 12th annual Mayor’s Christmas Parade in 1984. (Jed Kirschbaum/Baltimore Sun)

: Mayor Schaeffer is greeted by Santa Claus at the opening of Santa’s Workshop in Center Plaza in 1972. (William LaForce/Baltimore Sun)

: This Santa Claus not only brings things, he comes and get them too. The Post Office sends Santa to 16 mail boxes to collect the mail. If the kids are there when Santa arrives, they can give him their mail in person. (Baltimore Sun, 1959)

: John Davis of the West Baltimore Christian Warriors dresses as Santa for the Hampden Christmas parade in 1990. (Jed Kirschbaum/Baltimore Sun)

: Santa, aka Phillip Bundy III, president of the non-profit “Children Favorite Things,” visits the Up County Family Support Center where he was guest of honor at the Christmas party and distributed gifts for kids to unwrap on Christmas in 1991. (Barbara Haddock/Baltimore Sun)

: Rachel Caras, 3, sits on Santa’s lap at Dasher Green Elementary School in 1988. (Baltimore Sun)

: Tracy Knight, 7: “No, he’s not Santa, really. He’s a boy dressed like Santa. I still like to him him though.” (Irving Phillips/Baltimore Sun, 1972)

: Children in the Western Police District gather around Santa at the annual Christmas party at the Royal Theater. Patrolman Nathaniel Ponder, of the Western District, helps distribute stockings filled with “goodies” as the children leave in 1962. (Baltimore Sun,)

From the vault: Santa around the Baltimore area

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