| George Lerner | |
| Birth Place: | Brooklyn, New York, United States |
| Birth Date: | 1922 |
| Death Place: | United States |
| Occupation: | Artist graphic designer model maker businessman |
George Lerner (1922–1995) was an American inventor known for inventing the toy Mr. Potato Head.[1]
Lerner was born in Brooklyn, New York and worked during his lifetime as an artist, graphic designer, and model maker.[2] 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.[3] 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.[4] 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.[5] Hasbro officially named the toy Mr. Potato Head.[6]
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.[7]
Lerner died in 1995.
Lerner was Jewish, and was of Romanian-Jewish descent.[8] [9]