From 1969 school literature for children
My Daughter's Smokey Bear paper-bag puppet.
Smokey Bear is one of the longest running PSA's - started back in the '40's by the US Forest Service. The early ads were a bit on the grim side depicting an evil looking Hitler and Tojo and a blazing forest in the background, all of this apparently based on facts that the Japanese envisioned setting forest fires ablaze along the Oregon coast line as a weapon in the war.
In 1944, Smokey Bear, a softer image, came on the scene to bring his message, "Remember, Only YOU can Prevent Forest Fires!" - and he has been with us every since. The above artwork was done in 1969, my daughter was five at the time. Somehow this work along with the hand-out the school provided from the US Forest Service still remains in my Prized Possessions box.
Your daughter drew VERY well for a 5 year old! I can see why these would be treasures. Interesting that you kept the Smokey Bear flyer, too. I didn't rememeber that he wore jeans! Flashback time!
ReplyDeleteas a kid i was TOTALLY confused by Smokey Bear and Yogi Bear. I thought they were the same thing, and for some reason it really angered people around me that I couldn't keep 'em straight, lol. I learned to just pretend i knew which one was which. Then when there was baseball on TV with Yogi Berra, whoa! I kept looking for a bear. A bear that prevented forest fires! Oh, I drove my Dad crazy sometimes!
ReplyDeletethat drawing is AWESOME for a 5 year old. I know 25 year olds that couldn't do that. no wonder you kept it.
ReplyDeleteSmokey bears message is timeless but still has meaning even though its now called Wildfires
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