Picture story albums: nursery rhymes
Shredded Wheat box inserts up to this point, with the exception of the Alphabet cards which ended in 1929, had been largely targeted at adults. The following cards advertised other products, or suggested reasons for using Shredded Wheat. In 1936 or 1937, however, the company began a new strategy aimed at children with the introduction of Picture Story Albums. There are three of these: Nursery Rhymes, Boys and Girls of All Nations, and Tony Sarg’s Animal Circus. These were each sets of 36 cards, a cover and 35 cards to color, with instructions for assembling into an “album.”
The first set was Nursery Rhymes. Clearly there were intended to be 36 cards in this set, but I have only been able to find 33 of them. I would be indebted to anyone who can complete the list, and will be happy to pay $50 apiece for any card from this album not on this list. [List follows images] Contact me at jwalton971@aol.com.
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Cover, plus:
Baa Baa Black Sheep
Bye Baby Bunting
Cinderella Left Her Slipper
The Cow Jumped Over the Moon
Four and Twenty Black Birds were Baked into a Pie
The Ginger Bread Boy Ran Away
The Hare and the Tortoise had a Race
The House that Jack Built
Humpty-Dumpty Had a Great Fall
Jack and Jill Fell Down the Hill
Jack Climbs the Beanstalk
Jack Sprat
Jack the Giant Killer meets the Giant
Little Bo Peep lost her Sheep
Little Boy Blue
Little Jack Horner pulled out a Plum
Mary had a Little Lamb
The Mouse Ran Up the Clock
Old King Cole
The Old Lady lived in a Shoe
Old Mother Hubbard
Peter, Pumpkin Eater
The Pied Piper leads the Rats
Puss in Boots
Red Riding Hood and the Wolf
Robin Hood
Simple Simon
The Three Bears go Visiting
The 3 Little Pigs Built Three Little Houses
Three Men went to sea in a Tub
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Who Killed Cock Robin?
[list above is missing 3 card titles]
The National Biscuit Company used these cards in school promotions, and a letter to a school in 1937 indicates that these were sent out with other materials, including “The Story of Wheat.”