Alert “06880” reader Dorrie (Barlow) Thomas writes:
Surely everyone has heard that Christmas song, “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.” It’s never been a favorite of mine, but I have a family connection to it, so I can’t help but smile every time it comes on. Well, maybe not every time, but…
Here’s the story.
My paternal grandfather is Perry Barlow. He lived in Westport all of his adult life and made a good living as an artist, doing magazine covers for (among others) Collier’s and the Saturday Evening Post. He was especially prolific at The New Yorker, drawing 135 covers and many cartoons for them over his long career.
One of his covers came out in 1939:
More than a decade later, Saks Fifth Avenue used the cover for their annual Christmas card. To promote the card, they commissioned a song. The rest is history.
Now, if only we got royalties!