PHOTO: GEORGE SKADDING/THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGES

For the 1949 National Potato Chip Convention in Chicago, Jays Foods Inc. advertised its product by having a local branch manager parade around wearing the company's iconic 2-pound tin barrel and little else. The arresting gimmick was one of many the 453 attendees enjoyed, including the show's potato chip queen clad in a brassiere constructed of the crunchy snack. Invented around the 1850s, potato chips had grown by the time of the convention to a $300 million a year business. Today the worldwide market is around $28 billion, with flavors including cappuccino, caviar, and even Cajun squirrel.