Tommy Tucker the Squirrel Photographs and Ephemera
name: label: Donor
content: LeMartine, Elaine
label: Creator
content: Bullis, Zaidee
topic: label: Topic
content: Animals
label: Topic
content: Animal welfare
label: Topic
content: Anthropomorphism
label: Topic
content: Copyright
label: Topic
content: Entertainers
label: Topic
content: Entertainers -- United States
label: Topic
content: Entertainment -- Photographs -- 1920-1970
label: Topic
content: World War, 1939-1945
label: Topic
content: Savings bonds
label: Topic
content: Squirrels
label: Topic
content: Women's fashion
label: Topic
content: Clothing -- American
label: Topic
content: Children -- 20th century
label: Topic
content: Fund raising -- World War, 1939-1945
label: Topic
content: Savings bonds -- United States
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Donated by the estate of Elaine LeMartine in 2012.
creator: label: Donor
content: LeMartine, Elaine
label: Creator
content: Bullis, Zaidee
setName: label: See more items in
content: Tommy Tucker the Squirrel Photographs and Ephemera
abstract: label: Summary
content: Collection relates to Tommy Tucker, a squirrel kept as a pet, who entertained the public in an effort to sell World War II savings bonds.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Tommy Tucker was a male squirrel who was orphaned in the back yard of the Washington, DC Bullis family residence.  Zaidee C. Bullis adopted the baby squirrel as a pet in 1942.  Bullis, born to Richard William Waldron (March 9, 1854-August 29, 1918) and Virginia Brandon Waldron (October 1, 1868-June 5, 1909), was a homemaker and wife to Dr. Mark Carlton Bullis (February 12, 1875-July 13, 1954) a dental surgeon. She created clothing for Tommy and in 1943 began touring the country with him as he performed tricks entertaining children while selling war bonds for World War II.  Tommy sold war bonds until his death on June 25, 1949.


Sources: Ancestry.com
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 1 Cubic foot (3 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1944-1955, undated
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.1286
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Articles
label: Type
content: Biographies
label: Type
content: Ephemera
label: Type
content: Letters (correspondence)
label: Type
content: Photographs
label: Type
content: Typescripts
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged in one series.
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Processed by Marian Tatum-Webb, volunteer, 2012; supervised by Vanessa Broussard-Simmons, archivist, 2012.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Articles -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Biographies
label: Genre/Form
content: Ephemera -- 1940-1970
label: Genre/Form
content: Letters (correspondence) -- 20th century.
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs -- 1940-1960
label: Genre/Form
content: Typescripts
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Collection primarily documents Tommy Tucker's efforts to sell war bonds across the United States from 1943-1949.  It includes booking and tour materials, photographs, correspondence, magazine articles, a biography, certificate of copyright, and newspaper clippings. There are a few documents relating to the personal life of Zaidee Bullis. Materials are arranged in chronological order.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: For materials relating to savings bonds, consult the following collections:Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Stocks and Bonds, NMAH.AC.0060.S01.01.Stocks

Japanese American Documentary Collection, NMAH.AC.0305

Princeton University Posters Collection, NMAH.AC.0433

Eisler Engineering Company Records, NMAH.AC.0734

United States Savings Bond Stamp Collection, 1949-1970, NMAH.AC.0758

Smithsonian Institution Archives
Records, 1949-1991, Record Unit 486, SIA.FARU0486

For materials relating to World War II efforts, consult the following collections:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Herbert M. Faust Papers, 1918-1949, NMAH.AC.0397

American Relief Administration. European Children's Fund, NMAH.AC.1199

Archives of American Art

Hildreth Meière papers, 1901-2011, bulk 1911-1960, AAA.meiemari

National Air and Space Museum Archives

World War II Propaganda Leaflets, NASM.XXXX.0846

For materials relating to squirrels, consult the following collections:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

National Museum of Natural History. Division of Mammals, Correspondence, 1934-1939, 1956-2017, SIA.FA18-100

Robert S. Hoffmann Papers, Accession 91-159

National Zoological Park. Department of Zoological Research, circa 1963-1996, Accession 20-094

Correspondence, circa 1965-2001, SIA.FA09-005

Gerrit Smith Miller, Jr., Papers, 1908-1940, SIA.FARU7173

Records, circa 1867-1971, SIA.FARU0208

Animal Research Records, 1967-1997, SIA.FA15-220

Office of Product Development and Licensing, Product Development and Licensing Records, SIA.FA00-112 

National Zoological Park, Photographs, 1955-2005, SIA.FA16-065

Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution

Lilian Swann Saarinen Papers, circa 1909-1977. AAA.saarlili
separatedmaterial: label: Separated Materials
content: Tommy Tucker's stuffed and mounted body can be viewed in the Archives Center.