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The Life and Times
of Buster Brown
Buster Brown - one of
the nation's oldest existing children's shoe trademarks - originated as a
character
in one of the earliest newspaper cartoon strips.
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Created
in 1902 by Richard Fenton Outcault, "Buster" was a mischievous youngster
who, with his sister Mary Jane, and his dog, Tige, were as famous in their
time as Orphan Annie and Charlie Brown became for succeeding generations.
Buster's Lord Fauntleroy clothes and antic behavior were as familiar to those
who read the "funnies" at the turn of the century as Annie's blank
eyes or Charlie's inability to coach a winning baseball team.
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| The late John A. Bush,
who at that time was a rising young sales executive with Brown Shoe Company,
saw the value of the Buster Brown name as a juvenile shoe trademark. He persuaded
the company to purchase the rights to the name from Outcault, and the brand
was introduced to the public in 1904 during the St. Louis World's Fair. John
Bush went on to become president of the firm in 1915 and Chairman of the Board
in 1948. |
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Brown Shoe Company - which
was named for George Warren Brown and not for Buster - has promoted
this brand with national print, television, radio and outdoor advertising.
The recent introduction of a new logo and related promotional programs continue
Buster Brown's reputation as one of the most famous brands of children's footwear
in the United States. |
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