The Story of Archie the Talking Snowman: and Akron's History of Christmas Attractions

If your childhood Christmas memories include visiting a twenty-foot-tall talking snowman with flashing red eyes, then you undoubtedly grew up in Akron, Ohio. The Story of Archie the Snowman is the story of the people who helped make Archie more than just a store Christmas attraction. It's also the surprising story of Akron's hundred-year history of elegant, extravagant, and occasionally plain weird retail Christmas attractions-from the enchanting downtown windows of O'Neil's and Polsky's, to talking Christmas trees, trained animal acts, and Santa arriving by satellite. It's the fascinating context for how and why Archie came to be.