From Saint to Santa: Festive photos in Wembley Park

"Ho ho how did I become the man I am now?"

A festive photo exhibition in north-west London charts the evolution of Santa Claus through the ages.

Light boxes displayed in Wembley Park show how the benevolent beardie emerged from Norse Yule celebrations, Roman Saturnalia and Christianity's Saint Nicholas.

The images acknowledge his less cheery companions, including the demon-like Krampus who seizes naughty children in central Europe.

The outdoor exhibition is free.

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The exhibition also looks at how two distinct figures - Father Christmas and Santa Claus - merged into one.

Characteristics such as the famous red suit, rosy cheeks, gift-giving and reindeer-pulled flying sleigh originated.

It shows the impact authors such as Washing Irving and Clement Clarke Moore, and artists such as Thomas Nast and Norman Rockwell had in turning a serious, saintly figure into someone altogether jollier.

Santa's treatment in consumer culture is also examined, including the role that advertising and modern popular culture have played in shaping today's Father Christmas iconography.

From Saint to Santa (which also means saint)

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