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George Lerner (1922–1995) was an American inventor known for inventing the toy Mr. Potato Head.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
BiographyEdit
Lerner was born in Brooklyn, New York and worked during his lifetime as an artist, graphic designer, and model maker.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1949, he designed and produced a first generation set of plastic face pieces. The push pin shaped noses, ears, eyes, and mouth parts could be pushed into fruits or vegetables to transform the food into playmates.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The toy did not take off at first because post-World War II consumers didn't like the idea of wasting food by playing with it.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Lerner finally sold the toy for $5,000 to a cereal company. The toys were planned to be a premium giveaway in cereal boxes. But when Lerner found a better deal offered by toy manufacturer Hassenfeld Brothers (now Hasbro), Lerner and the manufacturer bought the rights back for $7,000.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Hasbro officially named the toy Mr. Potato Head.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 1964 and 1975, George Lerner's original designs got their plastic head and size upgrades respectively, in order to comply with government issued safety regulations.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Lerner died in 1995.Template:Citation needed
Personal lifeEdit
Lerner was Jewish, and was of Romanian-Jewish descent.<ref>"The Story of Mr. Potato Head’s Jewish Roots." Artsy, Avishay. Jewish Telegraphic Agency. www.jta.org. Published December 14, 2017. Accessed February 28, 2021.</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>