Myths and Icons What makes Santa Claus, Mickey Mouse or a can of Campbell's Soup so famous and well known? The answer is mass media. Popular stories and legends first came from word of mouth, but then books and newspapers standardized these stories by making the same story available to many. Newspapers made Santa Claus and Uncle Sam very popular in the United States. Advertising used Santa to sell things, because he was already a well-known and trusted figure. Advertising also made Campbell's Soup a household brand name. Movies, radio and television reinforce these icons everyday with fanciful imagery, slogans and songs. Movies brought us Mickey Mouse in 1928, comic books and radio introduced us to Superman in 1938 and television first brought us Howdy Doody in 1947.
Campbell's Soup paper dress
Wearing a disposable, paper dress was a short-lived fad from about 1966 until 1968. It didn't need washing because you just threw it out after wearing it a few times. The price was $1.25, about the cost of an average meal then. The design was obviously inspired by Andy Warhol's soup-can series.
Mickey and Minnie Mouse handcar This toy-train handcar is much sought after by collectors. Thanks to Mickey's and Minnie's popularity it was a major seller during the 1930s and was credited as being the toy that saved the Lionel toy-train company from bankruptcy during the depths of the Great Depression. Look at Mickey's and Minnie's faces. Only the earliest toys have their faces looking this pointy.
Howdy Doody marionette
This marionette looks surprisingly like the original Howdy Doody character used on TV, only ours is about three-quarters the size of the original star. He was probably made in the 1950s when the show was at the height of its popularity.
Superman's cape, 1978 Actor Christopher Reeve wore this cape in the first two Superman movies released in 1978 and 1980. These movies proved that even a well-known story can be extremely popular for both young and old audiences.
Salute! board game This very patriotic board game was made during World War II when patriotism was very high much like it is again today after the attacks of 9-11. The Uncle Sam figure makes it clear that this is a "very American" game. Can you think of any other symbols or icons that make us think of America?
Santa Claus cone
This tin cone, made around the 1930s, could hang from a nail and be filled with candies or small presents. The picture of Santa tells you right away that it was made for Christmas. What other things does Santa put presents into?
