32 Candid Vintage Photographs Capture Santa Claus on the Streets of New York City in the Late 1970s

Santa Claus has come to town many times, and he's hung out in some unlikely places. Below is an amazing collection of black and white photographs of Santa Clauses on the streets of New York City, taken by Magnum photographer Susan Meiselas from 1976-1978.

“Early one morning, near my home and on my way to someplace else, I crossed paths with a Santa Claus. I wanted to know who this guy was. Where did he come from? Why was he in my neighborhood?”

“Then I discovered the "Volunteers of America." It was the organization behind the homeless men on Fifth Avenue who dressed as Santa Claus to collect money for the shelter in my neighborhood. Most people on the sidewalks just walked past them, some made contributions, but others had their children balance on Santa's knees, never of course imagining where these men had come from.”

(Photos © Susan Meiselas/Magnum Photos)