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Originally Posted by Estelyn Telcontar
The 1926 letter includes the picture that has become rather iconic - it is the cover illustration for some editions of the Father Christmas Letters - including the translation that Legate has*, and from which his Christmas avatar picture is taken.
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I should correct here: not really on the cover of my edition. The picture on the cover of my edition is the 1928 one, with the 1931 "FC packing" one on the back cover. But yes, of course, it is one of my favourite pictures - although many of the "North Pole and something" look a lot alike in the basic concept (e.g. the earlier mentioned stamps with sunrise? at the North Pole), they all have its different styles, colours and so on, and this one is really wonderfully done, despite Tolkien's (or FC's) humble remark that it is not easy if not downright impossible to draw such a thing.
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I wonder which came first - the picture or the story? Tolkien being a man of words, I assume the latter, but they are so closely linked that it's hard to say. Those of you who don't have the book can almost tell the story from the illustration.
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I would also be interested to know if there was something that might have prompted this idea. I have also something else to say to this subject, but I will keep it for the 1927-discussion, since I think it is more appropriate there
There is one more thing mentioned in this letter and that is actually a character who appears constantly throughout Tolkien's legendarium (perhaps even the only one who does so!): the Man of the Moon. Just look: he appears in here, then in Roverandom and also in Middle-Earth, of course, in the famous poems/songs. I would say he really is an important character, maybe not here (his role is rather episodic), but in his general influence, for certain. His portrayal remains more or less consistent: you could say that in LotR, Roverandom and here, in all the cases his character, function, responsibilities, behavior etc. are more or less along the same lines.