In 1911, Morton’s first advertising campaign for a series of ads in Good Housekeeping created the idea for the girl and her slogan, "When it Rains it Pours."

One of the concepts presented to Morton was an image of a little girl holding an umbrella in one hand to ward off falling rain and a package of salt in the other hand that was tilted back with the spout open and salt running out.

Morton loved the picture that expressed the Morton message — that salt would run even in damp weather. But the copy that went with it, "Even in rainy weather, it flows freely," was too long. Morton felt it needed to be shorter and snappier.

So the advertising agency came up with: "Flows Freely," "Runs Freely," "Pours" and finally, an old proverb, "It never rains, but it pours." The adage was rejected for being too negative. A more positive spin on it resulted in the now famous slogan, "When it Rains it Pours."

The Umbrella Girl remains ageless, but she has continued to changed with the times. Makeovers to modernize her looks began in 1921 and continued in 1933, 1941, 1956 and 1968.

The Umbrella Girl through the Years