A reel for the Rudolph Kiddy Projector. The projector used a 7-watt bulb. The reel was turned by hand. There were a variety of other reels available including Puss in Boots, The Old Woman in the Shoe and Sinbad the Sailor. Some, like this one, were in color, others in black and white.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was a promotional children's book written in 1939 by Robert L. May, a copy writer for Montgomery Ward. The book sold 2.5 million copies in the first year (Smithsonian 2010). The song was released in 1949. The familiar stop-motion animation was released in 1964.