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Buster Brown was a popular comic strip character in the early 20th century. His creator was a marketing genius. Many companies were licensed go use the Buster Brown character. It was shoes that became the best known use of the Buster Brown character for marketing. Beginning at the World's Fair in 1904, Buster Brown became a household name in children's footwear. John A. Bush, a sales executive with Brown Shoe Company, came up with the idea that Buster Brown would be a perfect symbol for the compny's line of children's shoes. Brown Shoe Company was named for the company's founder George Warren Brown and not Buster. Bush persuaded the company to purchase the rights to the name from Outcault. The company then introduced Buster Brown Shoes to the public in 1904 during the St. Louis World's Fair. Bush went on to become president of the firm in 1915 and Chairman of the Board in 1948. Bush promoted the brand with national print, radio, outdoor, and eventually television advertising. The company eventually came out with a line of sturdy oxfords for boys. They named the strap shoes that both Buster and Mary Jane wore as "Mary Janes". I am not sure just when they did this. The name stuck with the public and Mary Janes became an American term for strap shoes and a staple in any well-dressed little girl's wardrobe. Today, Buster Brown remains one of the most recognized children's footwear brands, and is featured at mid-tier and department stores across the United States. It was not just Buster Brown shoes that were sold, but related products like socks and stocking supporters. Buster Brown shoes were produced by Frank Maynard. A 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.
Buster Brown was a popular comic strip character in the early 20th century. Although now known mostly as a coroprate symbol for a shoe company, Buster Brown was the best known boy character in 20th-Century America. He was also the subject of popular films. Buster was a charmingly mischievous boy, always carefully dressed and with nangs and long blond hair. He was often accompanied by his sister, Mary Jane, as well as his faithful bulldog--Tige. His antics while sometimes naughty were never meam-spirited and always ended with a little motal homily to have a moral influence on the youthful readers of the Sundau comics. Buster gave his name to his trade-mark bangs, collar, and suit. Curiously Mary Jane gave her name to the strap shoes, although both Buster and Mary Jane wore them.
Buster's creator R.F. Outcault was a marketing genius. Many companies were licensed go use the Buster Brown character. It was shoes that became the best known use of the Buster Brown character for marketing.
Beginning at the World's Fair in 1904, Buster Brown became a household name in children's footwear. John A. Bush, a sales executive with Brown Shoe Company, came up with the idea that Buster Brown would be a perfect symbol for the compny's line of children's shoes. Brown Shoe Company was named for the company's founder George Warren Brown and not Buster. Bush persuaded the company to purchase the rights to the name from Outcault.
The Brown Shoe Company contracted with Richard F. Outcault to use his Buster Brown character as a company symbol (1904). Richard Barker was the first boy used as a model and the company changed its name to the Buster Brown Shoe Company. Here Richard is wearing his Buster Brown outfit in 1910 along with his dog. We are not sure just when Richard was hored. He wears a classic Buster Brown outfit, meaning saucer sailor cap, tunic with wide white collar, floppy bow and bloomer knickers. The tunic here has double-breasted styling. The outfit is completed with three-quarter socks and strap shoes. Richard's hair was done with short ringlets, a style going out of fashion for boys at the time. Tunics were, however, very fashionable for boys, but 7-8 years of age were at the upper end of the age that tunics were worn. Richard was about 10-years old here, alittle older than the Buster chracter and the appropriate age for his outfit. The Company hired midgets to play Buster in tours around the United States. They were each accompanied by a dog and performed in department stores, theaters and shoe stores (1904-30). Richard played Buster Brown in many of the Compny's advertising campaigns.
Buster Brown's main product line was of course sjie, but we notice some sidelines including hosiery and stocking supporters.
The Brown Shoe Company renamed itself the Buster Brown Shoe Company. The Company introduced Buster Brown Shoes to the public in 1904 during the St. Louis World's Fair. Bush went on to become president of the firm in 1915 and Chairman of the Board in 1948. Bush promoted the brand with national print, radio, outdoor, and eventually television advertising. We notice ads in major magazines of the era. The company eventually came out with a line of sturdy oxfords for boys. They named the strap shoes that both Buster and Mary Jane wore as "Mary Janes". I am not sure just when they did this. The name stuck with the public and Mary Janes became an American term for strap shoes and a staple in any well-dressed little girl's wardrobe.
The company also marketed Bustern Brown hosiery. An example is Buster Brown long stockings produced in the late 1930s.
Buster Brown also made stcking suppoters. They did not appear in the popular catalogs as they were sold in the shoe stores. Thus while we have few ads for the stocking supporters, we believe that they were one of the more widely worn brands.
The other is a child's badge or pin given out to children at the Brown Shoe Stores where mothers purchase the Buster Brown Hose Supporters. Again the point is that this brand of supporters is strong and unbreakable despite the constant tugging they have to undergo.
Buster Brown has marketed clothing lines, but we do not know much anout them at this time.
Today, Buster Brown remains one of the most recognized children's footwear brands, and is featured at mid-tier and department stores across the United States. It was not just Buster Brown shoes that were sold, but related products like socks and stocking supporters. Buster Brown shoes were produced by Frank Maynard. A 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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