Name/Title
Tom Corbett Space Cadet thermosEntry/Object ID
2025.2.85.254Description
This thermos advertises Tom Corbett, Space Cadet. The television show aired from 1950-1955. It is one of few shows that was aired on all the major networks of the time: CBS, NBC, ABC, and DuMont. There were also books, comic books, a comic strip, and a radio show. The thermos is dated 1952.
A student or farm worker most likely left this thermos behind.Context
Many people associate film and television merchandising with the 1970s, especially the original Star Wars trilogy. However, merchandising has a much longer history.
The first tie-in lunchbox was produced for Disney in 1935 featuring Mickey Mouse. But it was not the traditional lunch box that most people think of. It was oval with a removable top and a separate metal handle that clipped over the top. The traditional tie-in lunch box did not become popular until 1950 with Aladdin Industries' Hopalong Cassidy lunchbox. Aladdin created lunchboxes and matching thermoses for a variety of popular culture figures, and their competitors soon joined in by producing their own tie-ins.Cataloged By
Erin BistlineLocation
Room
PantryBuilding
The Big HouseOhio State Park
Malabar Farm State Park
