NEW ORLEANS — He was a Christmastime fixture on Canal Street and became an icon.
We’re marking 75 years of Mr. Bingle.
With wings of holly, and an ice cream cone hat, Mr. Bingle was officially introduced in 1948 as an advertising strategy for Maison Blanche department store.
The Maison Blanche is now the Ritz Carlton on Canal Street. But in the 40s and 50s, you could catch Christmas shoppers there enjoying the puppet show of Mr. Bingle in the front window.
He was an instant hit.
Over the years, Mr. Bingle has gotten a TV show, a book, and commercials, many of which you can find on YouTube. Many have jingles you might remember.
The character sang, “My name is Mr. Bingle, I work for Kris Kringle, hello, everybody, hello!”
Mr. Bingle became synonymous with Christmas in New Orleans and a collector’s item.
A 1985 Mr. Bingle plush sold for almost $1,400 on eBay.
Another from 1949 sold for almost $800. Some minor changes to his appearance through the years mean some items are more rare.
These days, Mr. Bingle's likeness is owned by Dillards. So, if you’re in the market for a $160 Mr. Bingle tree collar or an ornament for your tree, there’s a whole collection on their website.
Or, if City Park is more within your budget, you can visit Mr. Bingle at Celebration in the Oaks. That’s where we hope he’ll ring in Christmas in New Orleans for perhaps 75 more years.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.