At the St. Louis World’s Fair, cartoon celebrity Buster Brown became the spokesman for over 100 companies, including the Brown Shoe Company. Buster Brown’s transition from the funny pages to advertising trademarks gives insights into fundamental shifts in American consumer culture during its developmental years. Mostly remembered today as a children’s shoe logo, this presentation explores Buster Brown’s journey as a landmark comic strip character, tracing his role in shaping today’s dominant consumer culture.

Kris Runberg Smith is professor emeritus of history at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri. She holds a doctorate in American Studies from Saint Louis University, a master’s degree in American history from Washington State University, and a bachelor’s degree in museum science from the University of Idaho. She has worked in historical institutions, including the Missouri, Ohio, and Kansas Historical Societies, as well as the City Museum. She has researched, written, and taught Saint Louis history, along with more recent projects focused on the Pacific Northwest. Her most recent book is “Wild Place: A History of Priest Lake, Idaho,” published by the Washington State University Press in 2015.

This program is sponsored by Missouri Humanities, mohumanities.org