Whoopee Cushion Commemorative plaque, 2022.
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Original JPG File | 8400 × 6515 pixels (54.73 MP) 71.1 cm × 55.2 cm @ 300 PPI |
8.9 MB | Restricted |
Low resolution print | 2000 × 1551 pixels (3.1 MP) 16.9 cm × 13.1 cm @ 300 PPI |
1.6 MB | Restricted |
Screen | 1032 × 800 pixels (0.83 MP) 8.7 cm × 6.8 cm @ 300 PPI |
250 KB | Restricted |
Resource ID
10081
Access
Open
Credit Line
Heritage Toronto
Date of Creation
2022
Historical Themes
Business History, Entertainment and Leisure
Program Category
Historical Plaques
Time Period
1900-1953
Caption
Whoopee Cushion Commemorative plaque, 2022.
Description
The famous whoopee cushion farting toy was invented near here in the factory of the JEM Rubber Co. at Dundas Street West and Scarlett Road.
Toys that make fart sounds have existed for centuries. Before rubber was available, jokers filled cow's or pig's bladders with air to make funny noises like someone loudly passing wind.
JEM made rubber surgical supplies, air mattresses, and toys like jump ropes and bouncy balls. Around 1930, it proposed the "Whoopee" to American novelty catalogue Johnson Smith & Co. and by 1931 the toy was on sale for the first time as the "Whoopee Cushion."
The original product was green and made from two sheets of rubber stuck together. JEM sold a regular version for 25 cents and a deluxe model made with fabric for $1.25. The toy made about $500,000 in its first year and many rival companies copied the product. Popular imitations included the "Razz Cushion," "Po-Pee Ball," and the "Boop Boop A Doop."
JEM made the original whoopee cushion until the 1940s. The Dayton Rubber Manufacturing Co. bought JEM in 1945 and JEM moved in 1968. Apartments were built on the former factory site. Many toy companies still make whoopee cushions similar to the original JEM design.