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McDonald's Restaurant Sign for the Japanese Market, 1975

National Museum of American History

Object Details

associated institution
McDonald's Corporation
McDonald's International
Description
By 2013, McDonald’s signs could be found in all 50 states as well as approximately 120 countries. This sign was made in the U.S.A. for use in Japan. While the writing is in Japanese, the sign remains instantly recognizable due to its color scheme and signature golden arches. Not only the look of the restaurant remains standardized, but also the menu, making only a few concessions to local tastes. Such as using kosher meats in Israel, halal meat in Muslim countries and serving a Teriyaki McBurger in Japan.
In 1940, Richard (Dick) and Maurice (Mac) McDonald opened the first McDonald’s Bar-B-Q drive-in restaurant in San Bernardino, California. In 1948, the brothers redesigned their menu, centering on the 15 cent hamburger. In 1954, Ray Kroc, a Multimixer (milkshake machine) salesman, became interested in the McDonalds brothers’ high volume restaurant. He worked out a deal with the brothers to be their franchising agent and opened the first franchise location in Illinois the following year. Under Kroc’s direction, the company grew to become the giant we know today.
1975
ID Number
1983.0020.01
accession number
1983.0020
catalog number
1983.0020.01
Object Name
sign, restaurant
Physical Description
metal (overall material)
plastic (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 12 ft x 6 ft x 18 in; 3.6576 m x 1.8288 m x 45.72 cm
base: 33 in; 83.82 cm
associated place
Japan
See more items in
Work and Industry: Retail and Marketing
Advertising
American Enterprise
Exhibition
American Enterprise
Exhibition Location
National Museum of American History
National Museum of American History
Record ID
nmah_679427
Metadata Usage (text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a5-0163-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
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