You know that bright green frown. It may have been on household cleaning products under the sink or on stickers passed out at school—the infamous “Mr. Yuk.”
Did you know that this universal symbol for household poisons was created in Pittsburgh?
“Mr. Yuk,” the famous green face with his tongue sticking out, was developed in 1971 by Pittsburgh pediatrician and Carnegie Museum of Natural History board member Dr. Richard Moriarty, who also developed the Pittsburgh Poison Center and the Poison Center Network.
In this summer’s blockbuster exhibition, The Power of Poison, Carnegie Museum of Natural History added a special section of the exhibition to celebrate the creation “Mr. Yuk” and Dr. Moriarty.
The section tells the story of the development of “Mr. Yuk,” shows how it is used to mark poisonous things, and features one-of-a kind “Mr. Yuk” pieces of memorabilia from Dr. Moriarty’s personal collection.
Want to take home your own “Mr. Yuk” swag? Our gift shop has you covered with “Yuk” T-shirts, keychains, totes, and more!
For more info, visit The Power of Poison, open through September 4, 2017.
