Pam’s Pictorama Post: Today is fourth in a line of posts happily reviewing the contents disgorged from auction box purchased in a British sale a few weeks ago. This handkerchief helped seal the deal as I have never seen the likes of it before. It is small, only a 9.5″ square – a pocket square of sorts. It has faded and grayed with time and is of a very inexpensive fabric. I have not attempted to further clean it.
There do not seem to be comparables of any kind online. In the 1990’s a line of nicely done Felix hankies and scarves were produced and those come up on a search. There are a wonderful line of embroidered ones and I featured one of those I was lucky enough to get in a post here.
Pams-Pictorama.com Collection.
Like the tiny enamel pins (that post can be found here) this is credited to the Pathé Film Company in the lower left corner and appears to be some sort of premium. (I do wonder – you got to go to the theater and see Felix cartoons and they gave you nifty premiums? Pins and hankies!) It is hard to see, but it seems to be a special Felix logo with a pointy Felix with Pathé written across him. Around it appears to read, Pathe Presents in Full Everybody’s Film Review. Below that there is REG* which I assume is like a copyright notice.
These Felix-es are a wonderful morph between the blockiest or squarest way he was drawn and an early rounded version. He romps and torments an outsized mouse in each quarter of the hanky. (The way proportions between cat and mouse are made to work in cartoons has always fascinated me. By necessity the mouse has to be quite large and we generally just accept it as a visual trope.)
After some study, it could starting in the lower left corner where this Felix who I thought was sporting a nice bow (but maybe that is something else?) smiles mischievously – oh Felix! What are you planning? In the next quarter he has tied the oversized Mouse onto a string – Mouse looks mildly accepting and Felix has his slightly hunched over walk in a squared-off design profile.
Felix one and Mouse make eye contact! (I have always found it fascinating that the trope of the utterly huge mouse, necessary when animating cat and mouse, is one that our mind’s eye has come to accept.) Mouse seems mildly accepting. He appears to wear a tiny mouse harness which is not evident in the other images of him.
The upper left has Felix holding a kite – weirdly I thought it was a paddle toy at first with the mouse as the ball – do you remember those from being a kid? I finally realized that there was a tail on the kite. In part, I figured this out because Felix in the top right is holding kite string. Is the thing over his shoulder a bow like the Felix on the bottom? Mouse is looking a bit less entertained! However, Mouse does romp in the middle as well, first with a ball and then dancing with a horn so at the end of the day we will assume all’s well that end’s well here.
Pam’s Pictorama Post: Yesterday, the first day of my vacation, started quite poorly with a migraine. I am an occasional sufferer and although certain food (good-bye red wine!) will trigger them unfailingly, otherwise they arrive largely unannounced several times a year. For a period of time they manifested as vertigo which was really nasty business. I don’t take anything for them although I try to remember one doc’s advice that they would dog me during times when I wasn’t eating and sleeping sufficiently.
If I had to guess, yesterday’s migraine fiesta can be attributed to a long winter and spring of stress with mom’s illness and work. Regardless of cause, yesterday saw not one but a rare two rounds with it. Bright lights in one eye which melt into sort of fascinating, undulating psychedelic patterns. (Think caterpillars examined on acid.) Interesting though, in tandem is the feeling that someone has poured crushed glass behind your eyes, followed by a dullness and a sort of well, sore head. I gave in after round two and slept through the afternoon.
Pams-Pictorama.com Collection.
When I woke later in the day, generally revived, I had a rare and unusual treat awaiting me. An entire box of Felix items had arrived from an auction in England! As a general rule, I do not purchase blocks of items as my limited space does not invite duplicating items, nor storing them against future resale. (Although now that I own a house too, watch out I say!) However, this is the second auction where I did purchase a lot and I have been quite pleased both times. The first time was a few months back and it was in order to purchase this rare Felix bottle, shown below. (The full post can be read here.) It was paired with a pencil sharpener. All in all, a satisfying experience.
This time I went a bit further out on a limb for a multi-faceted package and those of you who are willing and interested can be along for the ride as I examine this odd lot of booty. I will start with some of the small items which I did not buy the box for, but are in their own way, a wealth of stuff.
Back of pin with information as below.
Starting with some of the smallest items, I offer two pins which came my way. The one is is very poor shape, however I am not sure I have ever seen this exact version before and in its day he was a jolly little bar pin. (A prior Pin Post of Felix specimens can be found here.) A barely visible Felix shrugs his shoulders in a familiar pose with a sad face. While well beyond wearing, I think it is fair that he should come to rest in the Pictorama collection.
Pins from Pams-Pictorama.com Collection.
The other is one in a series of pins that are somewhat available and my examples were among some of my earliest Felix purchases in a London flea market many years ago. I own two others in the series, but this third is the first time I am seeing one on the original card.
Some (most?) of these are marked with some variation on the back along the lines of, Pathe Presents Felix The Cat In Eve & Everybody’s Film Review. (I have grabbed that off an old Hake’s listing for this pin so I don’t have to take it off it’s aged card. Under any circumstances, it is a lot of text for the back of a pin which is only about 1.5″ long.) These are generally also marked sterling, which is additionally a bit surprising although silver was much more commonly used for costume pieces back at the beginning of the 20th century. Some were also produced on brass, copper or some other non-ferris metal.
Not in Pams-Pictorama.com Collection.
Having said all of that, I have seen this mold, pattern or whatever, used in a vast array and variety of pins. I was only able to grab one other design off the internet, but over the years I have seen many variations on the pins, as necklace charms and otherwise utilized in a variety of ways. They are fairly available and one in good condition seems to run about $50 these days.
Bracelet by Charles Horner which I have seen for sale and occasionally been tempted to buy.
One interesting clue I ran into while researching these today is that they were designed by a man named Charles Horner who is best known for his Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau pin designs. Horner’s company, Charles Horner of Halifax, (23 Northgate Halifax), was founded on a design for a new and improved thimble. The Dorcas thimble sported a reinforced top to reduce needle pricking. (In my mind this does raise the question of what the heck good were they before that.) It was patented in 1884 and remained in production until the 1940’s.
Horner Mickey Mouse pin, sterling, sold by Liberty of London according to one source. A bit more rarified than the Felix pins, these will cost you a bit more.
Mr. Horner did a similar turn for Mickey Mouse in a series of pins, but I don’t know if they were also a premium tie-out or if Felix proved so remunerative he struck a deal with Disney. (From what I can find there is only a Disney copyright and the Horner hallmark on the back of these.) One of Charles Horner’s hat pins is in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art according to their online catalogue – it does not bear Felix’s image. After his death in the 1890’s his sons took over the company and expanded to watches and tableware and continued production until the 1980’s.
A reel of Pathe Felix film.
What I cannot find is specifically how Pathe films distributed these pins, although I assume that it was they who were the origin of them, and that Horner just kept using the designs in the other pins and bits of jewelry that one finds which do not all appear to tie out to the Pathe name. Pathe did not limit themselves to pins as premiums and they also produced an odd line of largely useless pieces of decorative china – ashtrays, pin trays and the like. I wonder if the premiums were give aways in theaters or with the purchase of their line of home movies, a Baby Pathe Felix film is shown below. To my knowledge (which is limited) these premiums seem to have been entirely the purvey of the alternate universe that was Felix the Cat promotion in Great Britain.
Another Pathe premium, not in Pams-Pictorama.com Collection.The odd marking on the bottom of one of the china premium pieces.
And this folks, is merely the tip of the iceberg for the wonders that wandered into the house yesterday. Stay tuned Felix friends! It promises to be a very Felix summer ahead for Pictorama.
Pam’s Pictorama Photo Post: If there’s an area I am a bit completist in my collecting it would be Felix photos. Really, no early 20th century photo of someone posing with a Felix (of any size) is beneath my notice and consideration. Quite simply, I want them all.
As a result, in a safely dark corner of the apartment, in a hall (to the extent that one room can have a hall, but I will discuss that another time) near the bathroom a number of these tintypes hold court. I have written about some of them before, (posts can be read here and here) and some are clearer than others. I bought a collection of them from a reader that were remarkably clear (read about that here), but most are variations on murky.
Today’s photo is pretty much on the far end of overexposed and slowly over time sinking further into obscurity. Some readers know that I have made early process photographs and know the technique for tintypes (also known as ferrotypes) reasonably well.
From a collection of Katoomba photos I purchased as a lot from a reader. Pams-Pictorama.com Collection.
As I understand it, these tintypes which were made at beachside resorts, carnivals and the like, were usually made and developed on site in what amounted to a bucket of chemicals and then water to wash them off. As the chemicals became exhausted and the water dirtier the chemicals and the image became more fugitive. Over time (let’s face it, this is about 100 years old) the chemicals which were never properly set or washed off, continue to react to light and the image gets darker and more obscure. While tintypes were waning in popularity by the 1920’s (a period while Felix’s fame was ascending) this remained a technique for roving photographers and seaside pics for another couple of decades. (And not just Felix of course – Mickey was another favorite as far as I can see.)
A closer look. Pams-Pictorama.com Collection.
Shown here in this post (close up above) this image has been lightened and enhanced some and sadly what you are seeing is clearer than what you’d get with the naked eye by a fair amount. While I can make out this little girl sitting in a chair in her finest, dress, coat and hat, Maryjanes and ankle socks barely visible, I cannot see what she is holding in her hand and I do wonder. The background she is posed against is too faded to see.
Pams-Pictorama.com Collection. Featured in an early 2014 post.
Her other arm is of course around this nice big Felix. He’s a bit unusual actually, full circle eyes and smaller ears than most. For the record, he doesn’t look like any of the others I have in my half dozen tintypes of this kind on the wall presently. (See the one above however, which I briefly thought might be the same. Kim pointed out that the eyes are further apart though. I had to dig in my collection for it.) However, the large number of my tintypes are from Australia, several from a park in Katoomba, and this one hails from England, precise location also lost to us. I have another (equally fuzzy) one that is similar and also with a location unknown, but the Felix is different so it isn’t the same setup.
It’s hard to say why I have such a passion for these pics and rescuing them to reside here in the Pictorama archive. The postcard photos are easier to understand I guess. But somehow the appeal of these little tintypes which have been passed down through the decades of people cuddling up to Felix to remember a beachside holiday now long passed have also earned my devotion.
Pam’s Pictorama Post: A friend shared his pic of this nifty item months ago and I was full of admiration. Despite a rather robust program of constantly searching for early Felix ephemera and toys over several decades had never uncovered this rarified item. Therefore when one turned up on eBay it was a great surprise and after some careful deliberation and no idea how much it would sell for I managed to purchase it. In the end it went for a surprisingly reasonable price and found its way to the Pictorama Felix haven.
There are no tracks for these that I can find online. I thought the one belonging to my friend was perhaps a one of a kind, handmade item although it would require some craftsmanship. I still think there is a chance these are handmade and homemade.
A frame grab from an unidentified early Felix cartoon.
It is my thought that instructions for making such items were available and the somewhat ambitious home woodworker might have assembled them over a series of weekend afternoons and evenings. (I have a vision of some gent sitting around after dinner putting the finishing touches on this, circa 1930. Smells of my grandfather’s workshop rise unbidden in my mind from childhood – although while very handy, he was not to my knowledge, a Felix fan.)
Back of pipe rack, hooks for hanging attached at top corners.
While this may not have been a mass produced item, Felix himself was known to sport a pipe and there is at least one wooden toy where he displays one and a film or two where he is having a smoke of one kind or another…Kim reports having seen one where he gets stoned smoking a hookah in Chinatown which we have not yet turned up.
Felix toy not in Pictorama collection – I like the mismatched feet! My version of this toy does not have evidence of a pipe.
While we have no shiny beloved pipes to perch in here I would like to find a spot to hang it so I can admire it daily. As you can see, hooks have been provided although I worry a tad about carefully threading wire through these and gently hanging it in a quiet corner of the apartment – as if such a thing exists in our two rooms.
For those of you who know that I will inherit my mom’s house in New Jersey, yes, I am indeed considering how toy and other overflow might make its way there. However, there are five curious felines who roam that house with impunity, so at least for now, soft toys that could tempt kitty claws will remain in Manhattan where the cats live in close quarters with us everyday.
Pam’s Pictorama Post: This might best be described as a you may never have seen it coming post, but I do like to mix things up occasionally and these earrings were a recent unusual acquisition.
I believe my introduction to Reddy Kilowatt was the lightbulb lamp. I can’t now remember if I saw it on American Pickers or if it was an auction – I want to say I saw it both ways maybe and just can’t remember which first. I fell hard for it, but me and extremely fragile objects like this don’t have a promising future so I never pursued ownership of one especially at the rarified prices these fetch. Still, a seed of fascination was born.
Listing photo from a Hake’s sale catalogue.
I am surprised to learn that Reddy was designed all the way back in 1926, hailing from Alabama as a commercial ploy to increase electric consumption. (Yes, it is hard to imagine a time when we perceived the need to increase our use of electricity.) Wikipedia says he was imagined as an “electrical servant” and notes that his ears are wall sockets and of course his nose a light bulb. It is interesting to find that his image is still currently under copyright.
Also via the Hake’s listing.
As for the earrings, I was late to stumble on a sale by one of my favorite sellers on Instagram a few months ago (I think it was a @marsh.and.meadow.overflow sale) and realized that I had just missed these rather splendid Reddy Kilowatt earrings. I had never seen this rarified item before and I had a significant ping! of disappointment. Much to my surprise and delight howevr, this pair which sports their original card, turned up in my feed about a month later via @oldghostsofhollywood who happily sent them right off to me.
From the Reddy Kilowatt comic book?
As someone who cannot wear pierced earrings I was additionally pleased that these earrings re screwbacks so I can actually wear Reddy. The front of the card reminds you that Reddy is, The Mighty Atom and the Symbol of Your Investor-Owned Utility Company. Inside he greets you, Hello: I’m Reddy Kilowatt, your good Electric Servant who works long hours for low, low wages. Just think of the many jobs I do in YOUR home…office..farm…store or plant…then think of how little each job costs! The copyright here is 1955.
Inside of earring card. Pams-Pictorama.com collection.Back of card.
He is also Your Favorite “Pin-Up” and on the back it reads, I’m a Busy Little Atom, I split myself in two and multiply as many times as I have jobs to do! I’ll work for you for pennies, I’m fast, efficient, steady…so any time…to ease your work – Just “plug in,” folks – I’m Reddy! Your Electric Servant!…
When I revealed today’s topic to Kim he shared that there was a Reddy Kilowatt comic book of some note. Although our research did not turn up one that precisely matched his memory, there was indeed a comic book which came out in 1946 as an EC giveaway. Stories and art are identified as by Del Porter and others in one listing. I am told that the book relates Reddy’s story from ancient times until modern day and evidently includes a special Reddy Kilowatt polka complete with music. A reprint seems to team him with the story of Thomas Edison in another edition.
Not in Pams-Pictorama.com collection.
The post war period created an opportunity for increased electric usage and Reddy grew in evidence with a proliferation of trinkets (tie, stick and lapel pins, cuff links and bracelets are all available online) and a litany of other giveaways. Disney was approached for a cartoon in ’43 which never moved forward and it was Walter Lanz who brought him to animated life in a short film which came out in March of 1946 and the comic book was actually produced in conjunction with this film.
Page from the comic book which is available on various sites online.
Wikipedia says that there was an attempt to trot Reddy back out in the 1970’s as a mascot for energy conservation, but somehow this spiffy little energy spendthrift dynamo could not make the transformation and he did not achieve renewed fame in his new role.
Pam’s Pictorama Post: Continuing with my weekend theme of cardboard kitties, I present this splendid and unusual Felix as cardboard cat advertisement which comes to me from a friend north of the border with whom I exchange Felix pleasantries on an ongoing basis. He sells me the occasional item as well and this one came into the house a month or so ago.
I find this big footed slightly off-model fellow endearing. He is neither exactly the very round later designed Felix we are familiar with, nor the squared off early version, but somehow between and both. His claw paws are a bit more pronounced than I think is generally the order of Felix. Sort of like Felix’s kissing cousin.
He is from South America, Uruguay evidently. Latin America seemed to be fond of Felix and I think one could put together an interesting collection of off-model toys and advertisements hailing from this part of the world. (I don’t have many but posts with two other examples can be found here and here.)
This one advertises a child’s laxative! Pams-Pictorama.com Collection.
And as evidenced by this card, Felix was employed to hawk a wide variety of disparate things. Here he is shilling for girdles. All my translations are owing to Google and on the front it seems he says, Ma’am, do you know Robert’s Girdles?
And on the back, Surely yes, but if it were not so, all you have to do is grant me the honor of a visit to the Orthopedics Section where you will find any type of girdle either to dress or to correct the various topsis of the stomach. Always demand the Robert Antonio Rebollo (Casa Quadri) Avda. 18 de Julio 929 Rio Branco 1377. And on his feet: Imprinta German Urugaya Poisindu 756 m Bavio Maeso Prapanganda. (I don’t know where topsis of the stomach came from, but it is so descriptive I decided to leave it. Seems to me topsis of the stomach is something you have after you put the girdle on and I know I have experienced it.) Someone has written Felix in faded pencil at the top.
Back of the card – some of you folks might do a better translation. Pams-Pictorama.com Collection.
There is no way to know the age of the card. Girdles went largely out of fashion in the late 1960’s in this country. (They have returned in the form of shape wear now, a girdle by a different name and with contemporary fabrics. For those of you who have not experienced it, this is still an act of forcing your body like a round peg into a square hole of fabric.) The card could be from any period when Felix was popular enough to press into service.
He’s about eight inches high and made of a medium weight cardboard. There are no marks or indications that he would have hung somewhere, nor a way for him to stand so I guess these were just hand outs. He is a bit large as calling cards go though, but despite some fold marks on his legs he survives in good condition. Someone tucked him away safely and we will assume it was his Felix-y charm, not the need to remember where to get a good girdle.
Pam’s Pictorama Photo Post: Thus far 2023 has been a very Felix year here at Pictorama and especially noteworthy in photos, if I do say so myself. While this Felix picture roll may wrap pretty soon, it is a stormy Saturday here after a long enervating week in Manhattan and contemplating this particularly perky card seems the most cheerful today.
This is an especially wonderful Felix they are posing with here – big enough to be a small person in a costume. (The first time I saw one of these cards I thought that might be possible!) He has very nice, big, pointy ears and was designed with extra long arms which he wraps around the two little girls, very chummy! His bow is untied and a tad bedraggled, and admittedly there is something particularly buck-tooth about his usual sewn-on toothy grin.
Just a bit of a tease of the area over Kim’s desk I am referring to here.
The oldest of the three (I will take a guess on the baby) girls is the one dressed most beach ready casual, the other two are a bit more dressed up. I love the oldest girl’s sort of wild fly away hair. They look enough alike that I will declare them sisters. The card was never mailed and nothing is written on the back. There is a bit of white paint on the lower left corner, but it is hard to see it if you aren’t holding it in your hand.
This card has the unusual distinction of being the first I think I have ever purchased from a US dealer. All of my other posing with Felix cards have come from Britain, Australia or New Zealand. Having said that, I have no doubt that despite having found itself for sale in Florida that it was taken in Britain, as you will see below.
As I sat here in my early morning bleary-eyed state, my attention fell on a card on the wall, hovering over the computer, where I have tucked a few Felix photos on a wall that is largely devoted to film stills, a few lobby cards for early Westerns, and various other early 8″x10″ photos. I could see immediately that this card (which somehow I have not devoted an earlier post to) is a rather stunningly precise location match for the new one. Wowza!
Regretfully this one wasn’t making the trip out of the frame today! Pams-Pictorama.com Collection.
The very same long-arm Felix seems to be reaching around these three-of-a-kind kids, those in their matching togs, glorious striped beach dresses, on the ends (note the alternating sock colors) and the odd fellow out in the middle. Felix is sans bow here and one ear is askew, but there is not doubt that he’s our fellow.
If we had any doubt about the location, the distinctive windows and even the light is so similar in the photos; that is what caught my eye first. A closer look reveals the same space below the white board building. I’m not sure I have any reason for assigning it as such, but my thought is Brighton.
While on a roll for guessing, although it is somewhat less absolutely a match, I offer another photo from my collection. I think a fair argument could be made for this prize pic having been taken at the same location based on Felix, the white board exterior and the light. Thoughts? (I wrote about this very favorite photo from my collection in a post here.) I must have had this thought before because they were hanging together.
Pams-Pictorama.com Collection.
The more recently purchased photo is smaller in proportion by several inches, 4″x5″ rather than 5″x7″. I wonder if their tracking number at the lower left is truly chronological – N5252 and N7130 – which would make the triplets the later one. (And the gentlemen in front of the photo establishment much earlier than either.) Presumably these numbers, which appear in some form on all these sort of day at the beach posing photos, were used to tie out the negative to the appropriate party so the photo could be sent to the correct person. Unlike tintypes, which were usually developed in real time in a soupy bath of hypo, I have always assumed that developing and printing the postcards took at least a nominally longer time.
Clearly multiple cards could have been ordered and printed of these real photo postcards. However, I have yet to come across two originals of the same card – although in my collection I have a few cases where multiple single tintype images were taken at the same time and saved together. I have always imagined that the postcards were mailed and arrived a few weeks later, a pleasant reminder of the day at the beach or the vacation, but perhaps why duplicates didn’t seem to be bothered to be made.
The pot of coffee I put on has finished and the sky is looking like it may clear (although still dubious), so Saturday is officially kicked off here at Pictorama. Tomorrow I will pick up from New Jersey.
Pam’s Pictorama Photo Post: Those of us who dabble in the world of toy effigies of cartoon and comic book characters are well aware of how, contemporaneously anyway, Krazy Kat lagged a bit in the bid for toy fame and remunerative reproduction and merchandise. Even in animation, there’s appears to be a smattering of ancient silent cartoons that provide a reasonable representation of Krazy – and a mass of later cartoons which bare no resemblance to him in appearance or temperament, but which are great fun nonetheless.
And in parallel there are a very thin number of toys dedicated to or derived from the strip. There is one stuffed toy figure of Krazy from his hey day which is oddly (appropriately perhaps?) abstract and came in several different colors ranging from acid green to an equally shocking purple. (There is another which attempts a greater three dimensional reading of him. I own examples of both, shown below.)
Pams-Pictorama.com Collection.
However, all this to say that while the two dolls (yes, two, the man on the end holds one as does the girl in the middle which is harder to see) bear an interesting resemblance to those dolls they are somehow even further abstracted. Homemade versions of those already odd dolls? They look slightly demonic and the mystery as to why these folks had their photo taken with them as part of the family (while taking a mountainous hike) is a mystery lost to time indeed. (Although I do have other photos with folks featuring themselves with Krazy Kat dolls and those can be found here and here.)
Pams-Pictorama.com Collection.
This photo postcard was sold to me by someone in Massachusetts and it is unused and unmarked on the back. Without knowing definitively we can probably assume that this was taken in the United States. The older woman on the end and the young one next to her are smiling, but frankly the rest of the group is a bit grim, toys on display or not. Visually I like the contrast of the one woman in black tights and the other in white, both in plaid dresses. One doll is dark and the other light as well.
Pams-Pictorama.com Collection.
The seller identified these dolls as Felix and said he is in the process of selling off his Felix collection in retirement. I guess it’s a fair argument that these were intended to be Felix rather than Krazy as they don’t really look like either. Meanwhile, these dolls appear to have been designed to (arguably?) address us with a raised middle finger – a strange choice for a toy. Huh. The other hand points down. The simple toothy grin and the pointy ears contribute to the somewhat malevolent look which is born out more in the expression of the light one rather than the dark.
Obscene gesture or not, I would happily snatch these fellows up for the Pictorama collection should they ever turn up.
Pam’s Pictorama Post: Pictorama readers know that the Kim Deitch Valentine post is one of the highlights of every year and today is the great reveal day. For those of you who are new to the practice, it goes back to the very first February Kim and I were together and I asked for a drawing for Valentine’s Day. This is not surprising as I came into our relationship as a fan first and clearly my very own personal Kim Deitch drawing made just for me – I mean what could be better?
Over the years they have gotten to be full blown, hand colored productions. Kim plans an annual pause in his work for about ten days to produce them and discussions about the content start early in the year. Last year he had an idea in mind and usually we would go with that, but I had an unusually strong desire for a portrait of Cookie and Blackie and Kim complied handily with the wonderful picture below – a real favorite! (That post can be found here.)
Pams-Pictorama.com Collection – my very own Cookie and Blackie Valentine from last year!
So this year it was clear that it would be Kim’s concept from last year and a splendid tribute to my tin toys was conceived! Tintinabula (a Deitch almost word of wonder) it declares, marching across the top, the letters growing to an exclamation.
Of course, we drift into the realm of fantasy and (sadly) I do not own that splendid Tik Tok man in the middle – although I will put him in the category of maybe this drawing can wish him into my collection! This has lead to a search for a premium one and a discussion around him this morning. I share the best version below.
Pretty great but not in the Pams-Pictorama.com Collection.Kim’s made his hair more evident for one improvement.
Also, below is an example of the luscious looking Oz volume it comes from. Beautiful! I never read these and Kim says they are better to read when you are a small child, but they are undeniably an illustrated feast for the eyes. In my picture a tin newsgirl is fabricated at the bottom waving an issue, hot off the press, of the Tin Town Topics in her hand.
Oz book not in Pams-Pictorama.com Collection. (Although Kim might be hiding a copy in the house somewhere.)
Meanwhile, many of my actual toys make an appearance. My Butter and Egg Man (read the original post here) has a nice bit of real estate and figures prominently on one side of the drawing. (It is he who has come to town after all!) His suit is a bit more zooty in the drawing than below – bright red stripped trousers and Kim’s version wears a hat which is also a nice addition. The tune of Butter and Egg Man blasts out from a wind-up phonograph at his feet with bits of the lyrics around him.
Butter and Egg Man. Pams-Pictorama.com Collection.
My splendid tin turkey has a spot in the bottom left with a slightly maniacal expression on his tin turkey face! An excellent wind-up dog I stumbled onto recently gets a spot below him – just about perfect the way he is. (Posts dedicated to the dog and turkey can be found here and here.)
A tin Felix from a scooter toy rides a Deitchian airplane in a flight of Felix fancy. Those who are carefully observant won’t miss the cheerful tin pig marching across the back. He was a birthday gift from many years ago and I have never seen another like him. I am pleased with his inclusion.
Each corner of the picture bears my name in a heart. At the top Kim has picked up my favorite expression when I see something I really like and which I leave you with for now, Wow, wow, wow!
Pam’s Pictorama Post: Today’s Felix the Cat tale stretches back aways, starting with a few hand-drawn postcards I added to my collection back in 2014, and I had no idea what these postcards when I acquired them. While I have some enjoyably whacky examples of whacky free-hand Felix drawings (a post can be found here), these appeared to be penciled and inked, not perfect but surprisingly on model drawings of Felix.
A British card presumably made with stencils like mine. This pose in both the French and US versions. Pams-Pictorama.com collection.
While I was writing about one of the more bizarre hand executed cards (that post can be found here) someone gave me a heads up that stencil kits was available and that’s how these cards were likely made. Evidently there was a set made and sold in France and a slightly different US version. The kit I purchased recently (another friend gave me this tip – many thanks to Bob!) is the US version. From what I can see, the European and American kits had some different poses and some of the cards I have appear to have been made from the European box.
A card from the Pams-Pictorama.com collection with a pose not in my box of stencils.
The instructions are great fun to study and it is interesting to reflect on a time when people were willing to make their own Felix postcards with a box of stencils. Although this could loosely be classified as a toy, these are a bit complex and the skill needed for these is a lot for a child as you will see when Kim tries one below.
The inner workings of the Felix stencil box set! Pams-Pictorama.com collection.
Most of the Felix-es are in the nice blocky early style that I especially like and this fellow on the jolly red and blue front of the box, huffing on a pipe is splendid indeed. (Although a careful look at the sheet below shows several different Felix styles really – some blocky and some rounder. Curious.) The front also boasts, not surprisingly, a Pat Sullivan copyright, a US patent, and a maker – J.W. Spear & Sons, New York. There is a smaller notation which says, (Spear’s Games), and my favorite note in tiny print in the lower right corner which is, manufactured at the Spear works Bavaria.
The instruction page for the stencils! Pams-Pictorama.com.
A meandering side note on Spear & Sons toy makers: Primarily a manufacturer of board games, the company was originally founded in a town near Nuremberg, Germany under the family name of Spier. With the rise of the Nazis, some of the family left Germany (they were Jewish) and went Britain where they had a factory and changed their name to the more anglosized Spear. The Germany company was taken over by the Nazis and was made into a munitions factory which was ultimately bombed and destroyed during the war. The British factory also made munitions during the war, but return to board games after. Subsequently the company was purchased and absorbed by Mattel.
A close-up of a set of stencils together. My guess is Felix Cheering at the Ballgame.
My box of stencils is well-used by someone who blackened the whole image (with ink) rather than a pencil or pen trace and then blackening in as my postcards were executed and as Kim executes below. Each stencil requires two cards (color coded and number, 1a and 1b, etc.) lined up with a pinhole in one corner. This allowed from more dynamic poses I think. My box appears to be missing two sets of stencils, 1a and 1b and 2a and 2b. Not sure which images these are although the one of Felix on the scooter appears to be one of them.
Watch Kim create some Felix magic here! 2 minute video.
Here at Deitch Studio we obviously have the talent on hand to give these a fair try. I have asked Kim to tool up and use these stencils to make a drawing. Have a look here and see the master at work toying with these stencils. As you will see, we find them a tad short of the full drawing and he had to finish him a bit freehand.
Pam's Pictorama 