Happy National Hot Dog Day! In this early photo of Nathan's you can see the original logo created for the store by Coney Island sign painter Harry Wildman (1875-1930). His credit "Wildman Co." is beneath the logo and we've circled it in red. In Lloyd Handwerker's book about his grandfather, Famous Nathan, he celebrates Wildman's artistry: "He designed the green Nathan's logo, complete with elaborate curlicues and serifs. Wildman's iconic work has survived with few modifications to this day. As he had done with numerous signs and ad around Coney, he painted the broadly stylized lettering on oilcloth. Finally the store had a name."
Newly published in our oral history archive is an interview with Harry Wildman's great grandson Randy Profeta recorded for us by Tricia Vita. Researching his family history, Profeta learned that Wildman did sign work for Feltmans, Nathan's, Steeplechase Park, Luna Park, and numerous other businesses. Family lore credits Harry with the creation of the Steeplechase Face, the park's grinning logo. "A lot of what we have is, in essence, anecdotal," says Profeta. "I mean it's information that has passed from generation to generation." Additional sources include newspaper clippings and Michael Onorato's 1992 interview with his grandmother. Beatrice Wildman Onorato. You can listen to the oral history interview in the online archive on our website.
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