Mr. Bingle, a jolly little snow fairy with an ice cream cone for a hat and holly leaves for wings, has had to struggle for survival but he continues to help Kris Kringle.

Rudolph the Red Nosed reindeer may light the way for Santa in the Christmas sky, but it is Mr. Bingle that prepares the landing and helps Kris Kingle distribute all his goodies in Greater New Orleans. For six decades, Mr. B has been the area’s Christmas icon, although he has had to struggle to simply survive.

Mr. Bingle is a jolly little snow fairy in a town that seldom sees snow. He wears an upside down ice cream cone for a hat and holly leaves for wings. He has a red nose, big blue eyes and carries a candy cane wherever he goes.

Another message from Kris Kringle

He was recruited as Santa’s helper in 1948 and has been spreading cheer among both children and adults ever since, singing:

"Jingle, jangle, jingle

Here comes Mr. Bingle

With another message from Kris Kringle."

Maison Blanche advertising mascot

The snow fairy was found, unwanted, in Chicago by Emile Alline, a display window decorator for Maison Blanche, then New Orleans’ largest department store. Alline introduced him to New Orleans as an advertising mascot for Maison Blanche. He was renamed Mr. Bingle to associate him with the store’s nickname, M-B.

Mr. Bingle became the star of M-B’s huge Canal Street display window and puppet shows. French Quarter puppeteer Oscar Isentrout was hired to give him mobility and a voice that became familiar to practically all New Orleans children.

For several weeks before Christmas, until 1985, crowds gathered in front of the M-B display window to see the puppet show starring Mr. Bingle and his toy friends celebrating the holiday season.

Welcoming Santa Claus, in a helicopter

In his early years, Mr. Bingle welcomed Santa Claus to New Orleans, usually with a parade, at least once from a helicopter flying over Canal Street.

Mr. Bingle was featured in his own radio and television shows and inspired a line of toys and New Orleans recipes. He and Isentrout frequently entertained children in hospitals. They appeared in several other cities, including Memphis.

Eventually Mr. Bingle was transformed into a 50-foot paper mache character that was displayed on the front of M-B. There he became one of the most visible figures in downtown New Orleans.

One year the figure fell to the street, breaking into many pieces. The huge paper mache was later replaced, but the fall became part of a long-term struggle for survival by Mr. Bingle.

Puppet show ends

Isentrout, his puppeteer, died in 1985, leaving him without mobility or the voice that was now so well known it could not be replaced. The puppet shows ended.

Later, Mr. Bingle’s founder and promoter, Emile Alline, died.

Meantime, M-B was taken over by Mercantile Stores, which was later taken over by Dillard’s department stores. Eventually the Maison Blanche Canal Street store, Mr. Bingle’s original home, was closed. The facility was converted into a Ritz Carlton hotel.

Mr. Bingle can still be found in a Dillard’s website and in a Mr. Bingle’s fan website. Dillard's stores offer Mr. Bingle dolls, Christmas ornaments and cookie jars.

Celebration in the Oaks becomes a new home

In 2005, shortly after Hurricane Katrina struck the city, Dillard’s contributed the large, damaged Mr. Bingle to City Park for use in the annual Celebration in the Oaks Christmas light display.

There, in a new home, with a new owner and new managers, he is still a hero to thousands of children and to many adults who grew up with him in the 20th Century. They still sing, "Jingle, jangle, jingle, here comes Mr. Bingle."