Smokey Bear
Albert StaehleSmokey, with his brown ranger hat, jeans and red belt, was created by Albert Staehle. He was an artist with the Saturday Evening Post in New York and the first illustrator of Smokey Bear. In 1944, Staehle portrayed the bear putting out a camp fire with a bucket of water. It was put on a poster by the Wartime Advertising Council. The earliest illustrations show Smokey Bear as a real bear, but as the years went on, he became less bearlike.
Smokey Bear ActSmokey Bear became so popular, that in May 1952 the "Smokey Bear Act" was passed by congress to protect the exploitation of his character. Only the United States Department of State Forests and the Advertising Council could authorize the manufacture of Smokey products, with fees going toward the prevention of forest fires. Some Teddy Bear manufacturers like Ideal and Knickerbocker, made Smokey stuffed toys in the 1950's through to the 1970's. There are lots of Smokey memorabilia like mugs, clocks, money boxes and clothes. All of which made him even more popular. PostersWe have some posters with Smokey Bear on them, helping to prevent forest fires. |
see also Minka's Kids Corner internet link |
In the United States of America, everybody knows Smokey Bear. He's the popular symbol of the U.S. Forest Fire Prevention Campaign. He appears in lots of newspapers and magazine, in advertisements to promote fire-prevention in nature. He first appeared in 1944, in a big campaign to prevent forest-fires, with the message: "Smokey says: Care will prevent nine out of ten fires." Smokey protects the environment. In simple words this forester-bear explains what's important. Because of him, so many children join the Junior Forest Rangers. Smokey Bear learns the young nature-protectors the unreplaceable value of nature, with his countless species of animals and plants, which depend on each other.
