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MEMORIES:
Linda9801 remembers...I remember grocery shopping with my mother and "eyeing" the Wonderbread because I could see the cards inside the bag. ... More »
Posted on 09/04/08
PHOTOS:
To generations of kids, Wonder Bread was such a wonder because it could be squished from a nice fluffy slice of white bread into a sphere the size of a regular marble. Inspired by hot air balloon races that were taking place at nearby Indianapolis Speedway, Taggart Baking Company execs created the logo and the name of the bread that debuted on May 21, 1921. Within a few years, Taggart was purchased by Continental Baking and a few years after that the end of the 1920s sliced bread was perfected, and Wonder was right at the forefront.
As shown to television watchers throughout the decades via commercials appealing to parents who want their kids to grow up strong and healthy, Continental Baking has been adding vitamins and minerals to Wonder Bread, in order to help eliminate the occurrence of diseases such as beriberi and pellagra, both related to malnutrition. To promote this innovation, the company sponsored Howdy Doody, with Buffalo Bob Smith telling his live and studio audiences that “Wonder Bread builds strong bodies 8 ways.” By the time the 1960s rolled around, Wonder Bread hit a new notch with added nutrients, “helping build strong bodies in 12 ways.”
Wonder Bread holds a special place in pop culture for people in North America, as a flagship product during a time of technological innovation and mass production. Few things scream American as much as Wonder, with perhaps the exception of American cheese and maybe Oscar Mayer bologna. (Their powers combined made an exceptional childhood lunch, a.k.a. the bologna sandwich.) Wonder Bread is available on grocery store shelves today. While many have grown up and grown out of white bread, giving Wonder Bread a permanent place in the bread box of America.
