Color illustration of a Mulford's "Aseptic Shield" with red and black text on a rose and off white background.

Founded in the 1880's, H. K. Mulford Company was a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania based pharmaceutical company that developed medicines and vaccines. Founded by Henry Kendall Mulford, a Philadelphia pharmacist, H. K. Mulford company made many advancements in the field, including a patent for a pressed tablet machine, revolutionizing how medicines were distributed. Fighting outbreaks of diphtheria, H. K. Mulford developed a treatment and in 1895 became the first American industrial producer of diphtheria antitoxin. They would not stop there, in 1902 they patented the Mulford Vaccination Shield, designed to protect the open sore left behind after a smallpox vaccination, which requires the skin on the arm to be scraped (a process called scarification) and the vaccination inserted, which the company also produced. The company produced many different types of vaccinations for human and veterinary purposes, including rabies and antivenin. In 1929 H. K Mulford merged with the Maryland based Sharp & Dohme, ending independent development.

Blue shield with white lettering with red lettering inside the shield.

Although the act of streaking has been popular since the mid-1960s, the term "streaking" was first used in 1973. The term was coined during a mass nude run at the University of Maryland. Streaking is different from nudism, because the streaker intends to be noticed by an audience. It is also different from "flashing", in that it is not intended to shock the victim. Perhaps the most widely seen streaker in history was 34-year-old Robert Opel, who streaked across the stage flashing the peace sign on national television during the 46th Annual Academy Awards in 1974. The high point of streaking's pop culture significance was in 1974, when thousands of streaks took place around the world. A wide range of novelty products were produced to cash in on the fad, including buttons, patches, and t-shirts.

Read more about the History of Streaking Buttons on the Busy Beaver blog.

Plain black text on bright orange background.

The saying "Try it...you'll like it!" became immensely popular as a catch-phrase after the release of a commercial for Alka-Seltzer in 1971. The advertisement, which now holds a place in the CLIO Hall of Fame, comically depicts a gentleman explaining how his waiter repeatedly pushed him to try a dish which inevitably led to his need for the medicine's relief. After initially seeping into the minds of viewers via its association with the effervescent tablets, the commercial's catchy tagline later evolved into a stand-alone saying that was put on everything from buttons and t-shirts to coffee mugs and cookie jars. The term became a general offering of advice to keep an open mind -- an idea that was important among the younger generations of the 60s and 70s. 

Illustration of a blue unicorn in the center, blue text above and below image on a yellow background.

This unicorn lover may have been either a salesperson or a customer at the Unicorn City Corporation that was located at 55 Greenwich Avenue in New York City. The gift shop opened in 1976 and the company permanently dissolved in 1993.

Dark blue letters with white background.

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Black text on blue background.

"That waz cool" is a common expression and has possibly been re-popularized by the cartoon characters Beavis and Butthead. The non-standard spelling "waz" is considered a fashionable spelling of "was,” and is embraced by young people, especially in texting. Before the spelling was standardized in the 18th century, "waz" also appeared in public records.

White text on a red background.

"TALK — ABOUT — IT" serves as a simple, open-ended prompt to initiate a conversation, encouraging users to break the silence around any subject, likely in this case, related to politics. Worn as a pin, the phrase can signal “I’m willing to talk or listen,” encourage others to share their thoughts, or demonstrate support for openness and destigmatization without pointing to any specific topic. 

The Ehrman Manufacturing Co. initially operated its factory in Milford, New Hampshire, during the early 1900s, manufacturing celluloid pin-back buttons and various novelty items. Labels and catalog entries marked with “Made by Ehrman M’fg Co., Boston, Mass. / Factory, Milford, N.H.” link the company to political and commemorative pieces, including a 1912 William Howard Taft campaign button and pins for New Hampshire's governor. These examples suggest that Ehrman’s Milford production primarily took place in the 1900s–1910s, which was the peak of the celluloid button industry.

Black lettering and bold white shadow lettering on orange background.

Although the act of streaking has been popular since the mid-1960s, the term "streaking" was first used in 1973. The term was coined during a mass nude run at the University of Maryland. Streaking is different from nudism, because the streaker intends to be noticed by an audience. It is also different from "flashing", in that it is not intended to shock the victim. Perhaps the most widely seen streaker in history was 34-year-old Robert Opel, who streaked across the stage flashing the peace sign on national television during the 46th Annual Academy Awards in 1974. The high point of streaking's pop culture significance was in 1974, when thousands of streaks took place around the world. A wide range of novelty products were produced to cash in on the fad, including buttons, patches, and t-shirts.

Read more about the History of Streaking Buttons on the Busy Beaver blog.

Plain black text on hot pink background.

The phrase “Stamp Out Mental Health” first appeared in an article published in The Canadian Medical Association Journal on July 10, 1965. The article told the story of an advertising executive who disseminated the phrase, and “flooded his native state with bumper stickers proclaiming in scarlet letters”.  The story was a satirization of the role of advertising in public health messages, which can fictionalize the real health campaigns.

Black hand-drawn font style with white background.

The Peanuts comic strip featuring Charlie Brown and found in newspapers around the world has its own dedicated fan base. There is often contention within fan groups and one argument with Peanuts fans centers on Charlie Brown’s dog, Snoopy. Snoopy had been in the comic strips since the beginning, but eventually evolved to be more than just a simple dog, developing a personality of his own. By 1966, Snoopy was starting to develop into a central character, away from the lives of the Peanuts gang. 

For many fans, Snoopy became a fan favorite and is seen as keeping the Peanuts franchise alive, amid declining popularity. On the other side, some fans blamed Snoopy for the decline in the comic’s quality. Often large amounts of panels would be dedicated to Snoopy alone. He could take up over a third of a strip's story and took away attention from the other characters. This dislike has led to several counter-culture Snoopy jokes, one such being that the character sniffs his iconic airplane’s glue.