For upwards of a decade I sold the clever and timeless products designed by artist Michael Morgulis at my store on Elmwood Avenue. Michael had a plethora of incredible images that spoke to the mood of the city, and ultimately his designs became symbolic for the city itself, appearing on everything from posters to limited edition baseballs. Michael was the first to promote the city in ways that spoke for the people, rather than speaking to the people. Some of his work was outlandish, with images of spaceships exiting from the roof of City Hall, while other works of art were bold and simple – like Buffalo Rose, an image of a buffalo holding a rose in its mouth.
This morning I learned the backstory behind his ever-popular Cheer Up design that he still prints onto posters, t-shirts, etc. It turns out that when it comes to his work, there really is a tale behind all of his graphics…
“This is a retro design I made based on an actual bottle of Cheer Up I found in an antique store in 1982. Cheer Up, a precursor to beverages like 7UP, was produced in Buffalo, NY around the turn of the 20th century. It was only sold and distributed to hospitals, as it contained the mood elevator lithium.”
Cheer Up lithium and gluten free t-shirts in a variety of styles, colors and sizes are now available exclusively at www.PlanetBuffalo.com. Or you can visit Michael at his shop to browse all of his other nostalgic Buffalo designs.
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