Tin Signs – Popsicle

posted by pbwethy @ 12:00 PM
May 12, 2009

Popsicle is the most popular brand of ice pop in the U.S. and Canada. Popsicle is a trademark owned by Unilever, although it has entered the general vernacular in North America. It was founded in Michigan.
There are more than thirty different flavors. You can still have a popsicle tin sign to remember days gone bye.

1905, 11-year-old Frank Epperson left out on his porch a mixture of powdered soda and water that contained a stir stick. That night, temperatures in San Francisco reached record low temperature. When he woke the next morning, he discovered that it had frozen to the stir stick, creating a fruit flavored ‘icicle’ … a treat that he named his ‘epsicle’. He then waited 18 years before releasing it to the public.
1922, the ice-lollipop was introduced to the public for the first time at an Alameda, California amusement park, Neptune Beach
1924, Frank Epperson applied for a patent for “frozen confectionery” called the Epsicle ice pop, which he re-named the Popsicle, allegedly at the insistence of his children. It was originally available in seven flavors and marketed as a “frozen drink on a stick.”
1925, Epperson sold the Popsicle to the Joe Lowe Company of New York. Good Humor, a subsidiary of Unilever, now owns the rights.
In April 1939, a mascot named Popsicle Pete was introduced on the radio program Buck Rogers in the 25th Century as having won the “Typical American Boy Contest.”[1] The character told listeners that they could win presents if they sent packaging from Popsicle products to the manufacturer. He appeared in print and television advertisements, and activity books until 1995.
In June 2006, Popsicles with “Natural Flavors and Colors” were introduced, replacing the original versions. Company spokespeople cited customer requests for “an option without some colors and flavors to which some had allergies” as the reason for the change.


Leave a Reply