Advent Calendar: 12 December – The Snowman
Photograph by local press photographer George Cowie of a young girl making a snowman, dated between 1925-1935 (GMC-EC-30-a).
Making snowmen is a popular winter activity, which can be traced back to the medieval period through early illustrations. The earliest known photograph of a snowman is by the photographer Mary Dillwyn taken c.1853 (held by the National Library of Wales).
Snowmen have strong associations with Christmas and are often used in Christmas decorations and media, perhaps most iconic in Britain being the children’s book The Snowman by Raymond Briggs. The book was animated in 1982 and remains popular Christmas viewing to this day.