Everyone’s at least vaguely familiar with Naugahyde, the leathery synthetic
fabric that rose to prominence in the mid-’60s. (Though we’re certain there’s a
much smaller subsect that would refuse to wear or even be seen within a rather
wide mile radius of the material….)

But did you know that Naugahyde isn’t synthetic at all? It comes from the
very raw hyde of the Nauga, a rather rare and self-sacrificing creature,
seemingly aware that its sole purpose for being is to provide entire wardrobes
with gaudy, colorful non-leather.

Or at least that’s Uniroyal Engineered Products, Inc. wanted folks
to believe when the Naugatuck, Connecticut-based outfit first introduced the
vinyl-covered fabric.

Making the Nauga its mascot, the company popularized both the product and
the colorful characters pitching them. Since its introduction, the Nauga has
become one of the most popular fictional species of lore ever to grace the pages
of print ads. An elaborate history for the creature has been developed, dating
its “origins” in America back to 1778 (though its country of origin seems to be
either an island called Sumatra or… ancient Rome).

There’s even an official website dedicated to the Nauga’s long and
illustrious history and tradition. We’re not making this up. And to prove it,
here’s the URL: http://www.nauga.com/history.html.