If you’re looking for where to find last-minute Santa photos in Las Vegas then you’ve come to the right place.
What’s the epitome of holiday joy? A crying baby perched on Santa Claus‘ lap, of course.
The classic family photo with Santa Claus is the tell-tale sign that the holidays are here. It signifies another year of holiday tidings and the entrance into a new year.
Although Las Vegas isn’t a “winter wonderland,” that doesn’t mean we can’t be equally as festive as our other snowy states.
Many of our physical photo albums — yes, remember those — are peppered with an anthology of Santa photos. But, how did this trend even start?
According to Seattlemet.com, a magazine that covers the Seattle area, Santa photos began 75 years ago.
The publication said that in 1943, the Frederick and Nelson department store was one of Seattle’s premier shopping destinations. The store had a “meet-and-greet” Santa display, which they moved right to the store’s window. Arthur French, who ran the department store, decided that including a “photo” element with the Santa experience would be great for families (and probably business).
According to Seattlemet.com, this venture promoted French to start “Arthur and Associates Photography company,” which charged a dollar per photo with Santa. This generated $10,000 in one month for French. When calculated with today’s inflation and dollar purchasing power, $10,000 roughly equals to over $100,000 in today’s money.
And since then, malls across the country have adopted this practice. Unsurprisingly, mall photos are lucrative. According to Business Insider, Santa Claus can bring in the big bucks! Data from a company who specializes in Santa photos illustrates that Santa Claus can generate more than $1 million in revenue for a mall. After seeing the photo package prices, it’s no wonder that the malls are racking in the cash.
But the cost of seeing your child crying or smiling with Santa Claus? Priceless.
Here are some local places and events that will offer Santa photos in Las Vegas for the upcoming holiday season.
