Forest Ranger with the Real Smokey the Bear and 10 More Rarely Seen Color Photos of the US During the 1950s

Yes, Smokey the Bear was based on a real three-month-old American black bear cub who in the spring of 1950 was caught in the Capitan Gap fire, a wildfire that burned 17,000 acres in the Lincoln National Forest. Smokey had climbed a tree to escape the blaze, but his paws and hind legs had been burned. The image above shows a forest ranger playing with the real Smokey at a camp. Continue reading for more rarely seen color photos of the US during the 1950s.