Sambo's Pancake's, California 1950s

Sambo’s Pancake House was established in 1957 in Santa Barbara, California, by businessmen Sam Battistone snr and Newell Bohnett. The name for the diner- Sam-Bo - came from Battistone’s first name and the first two letters of Bohnett’s surname. As part of the décor, the owners (who were white) used paintings of the story of Little Black Sambo, a children’s book written by Helen Bannermen, a Scottish woman living in India, and published in America in 1900. According to Phyllis J Yuill, author of Little Black Sambo ; A Closer Look, it ‘… describes a dark-skinned child’s adventures with four tigers.. wearing his new set of brightly colored clothes and carrying an umbrella for a walk in the jungle, Sambo finds that he must give each piece of beloved finery to the tigers to keep from being eaten. ‘Jealous over their new possessions and increasingly enraged, the tigers discard the clothing and chase each other around a tree so ferociously that they turn to melted butter. While Sambo retrieves his garments the butter is salvaged by Sambo’s father and is used to cook pancakes by Sambo’s father.’ ‘They are so delicious that his mother has 27, his father has 45 and Sambo eats 169,’ according to the book. Sambo’s offered 21 different types of pancakes as well as 10 cent cups of coffee and full breakfasts for $1.25. At its peak the Sambo’s chain had 1,117 locations in 47 states. However, in the late 70s many people found the Sambo name offensive and protests and lawsuits challenging the name were launched in multiple US states. The last remaining diner, located in Santa Barbara, changed its name in 2020 to Chad’s after owner Chad Stevens whose grandfather was one of the founders. He said his family had never thought the name was harmful but acknowledged that it had received criticism and that it was time to make a switch.  Gallery quality Giclée print on natural white, matte, 100% cotton rag, acid and lignin free archival paper using Epson archival inks. Custom printed with border for matting and framing. Each order includes a print of the interior menu. All printed in USA.