Fire prevention program files and publications, 1945-2019

The United States Forest Service Smokey Bear Collection spans the years 1902 to 2019, with the bulk of materials dating from 1944 to the 1990s. The collection preserves the history of the public service advertising activities of the Cooperative Forest Fire Prevention (CFFP) program, which began in 1942. The collection also includes fire prevention promotional materials that pre-date the CFFP.

Materials in the Smokey Bear Collection document how public service advertising and marketing methods were used by the CFFP campaign to promote wildfire prevention. The collection also traces Smokey Bear's development as the campaign's enduring symbol and as a popular cultural figure. Material formats include posters, drawings, paintings, cartoons, pre-publication artwork, mechanicals, proofs, and other graphic materials. There are also photographs, motion picture films and video recordings, sound recordings, media kits, document files, and publications. The collection also includes many memorabilia items and licensed commercial products.