You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen…but do you know the story of Rudolph?
The story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer began in 1939 with Robert May, a Jewish Chicago copywriter, who worked in the ad department of Montgomery Ward, a department store chain second only to Sears as America’s largest retailer. Each holiday season, the department store would traditionally distribute coloring books for children and in 1939 they decided to create their own, giving May the task with the instructions: make it about an animal.
However, during this time, May’s wife was diagnosed with cancer, and passed away a few months later, leaving May to raise their young daughter, Barbara. His employer suggested he quit work on the book and turn in whatever he had done so far, but May refused, saying, “I need Rudolph now more than ever.”
Remembering Barbara’s love for the deer at the Lincoln Park Zoo, May invented a little reindeer with a shiny nose. He hoped this deer might become a symbol for himself and Barbara, that happier times lay ahead.
When Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer came out at Christmas 1939, it was an instant hit. Montgomery Ward gave out 2.4 million copies and only stopped issuing it afterwards because of wartime restrictions on paper. However, when they resumed in 1946, it was even more popular.
For all his efforts, Robert May never received anything more than his salary, but that changed in 1947. Sewell Avery, the head of Montgomery Ward gave all the rights for Rudolph to May so he could be compensated for his work.
And, although Montgomery Ward shuttered in 2001, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer remains one of the most famous holiday icons in the world.
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