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Fisk Tires - About Fisk Tires |
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"Time to Re-Tire" |
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The yawning boy in his one-piece sleeper was the creation in 1907 of Burr E. Giffen,
an eighteen year old artist who worked in the advertising agency employed by Fisk Rubber Corporation.
The slogan "Time to Re-Tire" and the drawing of the sleepy boy were copyrighted in 1910 and first
appeared in an advertisement in the Saturday Evening Post on March 7, 1914. In 1918, another professional
artist, Edward M. Eggleston, made an oil painting of the boy. Fisk spent millions of dollars publicizing
the trademark, which was registered in over ninety countries. Publicity releases prior to 1928 said the
Fisk boy, sometimes called "America's Favorite Son", ranked among the leading trademarks and was as well
known universally as "The Little Dutch Boy".
In 1930 the Fisk boy"s yawn was changed to a smile, but in 1934 he was changed back to his sleepy self.
The original artwork had been so changed by all the retouching that in 1941 the Metropolitan Museum was
commissioned to restore the painting. A number of artists were consulted as to whether a new boy should
be painted, but they were unanimous that the charm of the original could not be improved upon.
The statue of the Fisk Boy, which now stands at the Corporate Offices of Discount Tire Company, was
originally part of the Fisk Building in Chicago, Illinois. When the building was demolished,
Bruce T. Halle purchased this historic sculpture and began the intensive process of restoring and reconstructing
both the statue and the surrounding terra cotta wall coping, typical of the ornate and decorative style
prevalent in the early 1900"s, to be displayed at the Scottsdale office for future generations to enjoy. |
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