Nicholas Knickerbocker

Anne Carroll Moore, while a visionary in children's library services, possessed a more eccentric and imaginative side. Around 1920, Moore was gifted a small wooden doll approximately eight inches tall and dressed in traditional dutch clothing. Upon receiving the gift, Moore named him Nicholas Knickerbocker and began using him as an aid in her storytimes and on her tours of various schools and hospitals. However, soon Nicholas began to develop a "personality" of sorts, courtesy of Moore's imagination, and began to travel with Moore everywhere she went. Moore considered Nicholas her dearest friend and a human being and insisted others treat him as such; finding her eccentricity amusing and harmless those around her cooperated with warmth (Eddy, 2006).

Nicholas even began "writing" his own letters to Moore's friends on his own stationary with Moore's friends responding. Soon, not only were friends responding to Nicholas's letters but authors, artists and the like were sending mail as well. These letters often times came with elaborate miniature gifts made just for Nicholas (see Figures 9, 10 & 11) (Eddy, 2006).

Figure 9
Letter and miniature golden egg for Nicholas
(Image from missmoorethoughtotherwise.com)

Figure 10
Miniature handmade book for Nicholas
(Image from missmoorethoughtotherwise.com)

Figure 11
Miniature toolbox and tools for Nicholas (Note Nicholas's name etched into saw blade).
(Image from missmoorethoughtotherwise.com)

No photos of Nicholas Knickerbocker exist to this day; however, a small print located on the the very last page of Nicholas: A Manhattan Christmas Story (see Figure 12) probably depicts his likeness. Also, a children's book, published in 2013, entitled Miss Moore Thought Otherwise: How Anne Carroll Moore Created Libraries for Children depicts Nicholas in several illustrations (see Figure 13).

Figure 12

Figure 13
(Image from missmoorethoughtotherwise.com)