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Brought to You By

In our series Brought to You By, we dive into the stories behind ordinary seasonal items: that grill you fire up for the Fourth of July or the fruitcake that you dig into (or regift) over the holidays. Where did they come from, and why did they become so popular?

From This Collection

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"A Christmas Carol" was supposed to be Dickens' moneymaker

by Hayley Hershman
Dec 1, 2017
Too bad it didn't make him any.
Circa 1954, English novelist and magazine columnist Monica Dickens reads to her children from "A Christmas Carol" by her grandfather Charles Dickens.  
Photo by Orlando /Three Lions/Getty Images
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He built the beach cruiser and sold a lifestyle

by Andy Uhler
Jul 28, 2017
Larry McNeely designed the sturdy upright bike for jaunts at Southern California beaches. Can you feel the wind in your hair?
Beach cruisers are ubiquitous in Venice Beach with dozens of rental shops along the boardwalk.
Andy Uhler/Marketplace
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How did summer get to be such a make-or-break season for Hollywood?

by Ashley Milne-Tyte
Jul 21, 2017
Duuun dun ... duuun dun ... dun dun dun dun dun ...
A poster advertising the anniversary collector's edition of the movie "Jaws" is posted on a lifeguard tower on Zuma Beach in Malibu, California, in 2000. 
Photo by Dan Callister/Newsmakers
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The internship, brought to you by summer

by Mitchell Hartman
Jul 12, 2017
Today's summer internships — 42 percent of which are unpaid — have their roots in apprenticeships from an earlier era.
Interns run with a court decision to reporters stationed outside of the U.S. Supreme Court June 29, 2015 in Washington, DC.
Mark Wilson/Getty Images
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Summer camp has grown into a very big business

by Ryan Kailath
Jul 7, 2017
Millions of kids attend camps, which increasingly have to offer more than just color wars and swimming lessons to win customers
At the Admiral Farragut Academy summer camp a senior cadet instructs a younger camper on how to use a bow, circa 1950.
Douglas Grundy/Three Lions/Getty Images
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The "Coppertone Girl" is all grown up

by Maria Hollenhorst
Jul 4, 2017
As a toddler, Cheri Irwin modeled for her mother. It made her rear-end famous.
The Coppertone logo on a building in Miami. 
Phillip Pessar/Flickr
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How Weber Grills came to be

by Kai Ryssdal
Jul 3, 2017
Weber's 'brand godfather' spent his career building 'barbecue culture around the world.'
Elevated propane prices are making cookouts less affordable and might do the same to home heating when the winter comes.
Johannes Simon/Getty Images
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The inside scoop on ice cream: George Washington, fist fights and custard

by Kai Ryssdal and Daisy Palacios
Jun 30, 2017
Journalist Amy Ettinger writes about the history of the frozen treat in her book 'Sweet Spot.'
“Sometimes my husband jokes that I’m running a gelato non-profit, and it certainly does feel that way,” said Uli Nasibova, owner of Uli’s Gelato.
David Paul Morris/Getty Images
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Here’s the company that makes those National Park and Smokey Bear signs

by Robert Garrova
Jun 23, 2017
One woman started it out of a garage and now they make 25,000 signs and markers a year
Wood Product Signs and Rocky Mountain Aluminum workers posing with Smokey the Bear signs.
Courtesy Wood Product Signs and Rocky Mountain Aluminum
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How summer festivals boost town economies and foster community pride

by Molly Wood and Maria Hollenhorst
Jun 16, 2017
Festivals generate revenue for local businesses, but they help build a sense of community as well
Crowds gather at a film festival in Telluride, Colorado.
David McNew/Getty Images
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