Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Elsie the Cow

Elsie the cow was one of the original advertising characters getting her start in the 1930's. As her popularity grew she began to travel the country making appearances at county fairs and other events. This shot from 1957 was somewhere around Chicago, IL. Elsie had just given birth to twins which were eventually named by the public. I just love the way that the barn is invoked with the 2 floating signs. A crowd has gathered to see Elsie and it is not just a bunch of kids but instead adults. Maybe they were giving out coupons or recipes.

Below is a picture of the guys that probably ran the booth. It is from a few years earlier when Elsie was traveling with her son, Beauregard and the set up seems alot more primitive. My favorite is the guy with the black tie and the tipped back hat. These guys really remind me of all the characters in the Coen Brother's film "O Brother, Where Art Thou?".

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