Do it yourself, or DIY, might be considered cute and quaint today, but years ago it was the only option. This doll is one example. She dates to around 1900-1902 and her face and other features were lithographed on to old feed sacks. Her name, Miss Korn Krisp, tells us that her real purpose was advertising for an early boxed cereal, called Korn Krisp, of course. The doll came as a piece of printed cloth, which one would then cut out and sew together. She was stuffed with whatever was around, such as scraps of unused cloth.
The cereal was one of the earlier boxed cereals on the market before such foods became staples of the breakfast table. Advertising claims for Korn Krisp cereal included several features:
- Large Flakes
- Clean and uniform
- Crisp Pop-Corn Taste
- Pleases Everyone
- Delicious but vitalizing
- Perfect food for athletes
- Children thrive on it
- 35% more brain and nerve food than oatmeal.
The box also touted that the cereal was “thoroughly cooked” and “predigested.” Perhaps if the term “predigested” was more widely used today on food packaging, we would eat fewer processed foods.