Photo-weight

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Pam’s Pictorama Photo Post:  The first time I remember seeing a photo paperweight was at my paternal grandparent’s house when I was a very small child – and I was fascinated by it! Those just had boring old people in them – it hadn’t occurred to my grandparents to put anything as cool as a cat or a dog photo in I guess. I just loved them – the heft, the frozen in time quality – I knew I needed to own some of these when I grew up. Then I forgot about them, for decades – until eBay!

Above, the solo cat is one of my prized possesions of an everyday kind and sits on my desk in my office. (For those of  you who are ongoing readers, are you starting to get the idea that my office has some pretty cool stuff? You’d be right. More to come.)  On a tough day he is always there to cheer me up. I recently rediscovered the dog and cats one on a shelf – love that! – and am thinking I should probably bring it to the office too. The street scene just evokes a slice of everyday life from the past – sometimes that’s all I’m looking for in a photo.

For a while I was buying these as gifts – a particularly nice Niagra Falls (I was obsessed with Niagra Falls photos in paperweights for a brief time) went to my friend Eileen, and my friend Betsy received an especially good one with a dog in it, I think. I just don’t have the space to collect them in large numbers, but would snap up a really good one if spotted. That probably doesn’t surprise you, right?

 

Some (Felix) Smalls

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Pam’s Pictorama Toy Post:  Let’s start with some disclosure – the Felix pin is off of eBay and in decidedly better condition than the one I own.  That aside, we have some wonderful tiny items that were designed to enhance daily life in the 20’s or so. The first is a tape measure and pin cushion (a birthday gift from my rather wonderful husband) followed by a Felix pencil sharpener (Kim actually acquired this as a trade of “art for toys” for me when we visited San Francisco last year – man, what did I ever do to deserve him? I’m a lucky girl!) and last, but not least, a very nice Felix pin.  The one I own (if not an outright gift from Kim. one that he contributed to – there’s a theme here) is greatly discolored compared to this one and this photo was handy. Someone recently sent a photo of a car with Felix on the grill – it was a time of ribald Felix fun!  Sorry I missed it, but I’m doing my best to recreate it here in our small slice of heaven on the upper East side of Manhattan.

 

 

 

Franken-Felix, Part 1

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Pam’s Pictorama Toy Post:  I have in my collection a whole shelf of what I call Franken-Felixes. This one here is a sort of do-it-yourself Felix and he falls loosely into this greater category, which is made up more of mismatched Felix parts reassembled and we will devote some time to exploring those at greater lengths in the future.  I have a soft spot for them. Meanwhile, this Felix doesn’t really appear to be from a pattern (those exist – even one to be knitted! – sadly, I don’t knit) but he sports a fairly professional design – if terribly off-model in a rather unique way. Maybe it was Krazy Kat they were looking at? However, should there be any doubt about his identity, they’ve taken the trouble to write his name on his bow tie! 

Mystery Toy

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Pam’s Pictorama Photo Post: I bought this photo postcard on eBay a few years back and I have absolutely no idea what the toy is. Why it is toned pink? Who is the babe? (An Aesop’s Fable doll perhaps?  Was there a pink equivalent to cyanotypes?)  To complicate things further, I admit I am not even sure the photo is still in my possession – unusual, as I am frankly not prone to giving away or selling anything.  Stuff that sticks to me tends to be more or less permanent, but I have a nagging feeling I gave this to someone who was wildly enamored of it.  I found the scan and I offer it up to you all for your general enjoyment and to see if anyone knows anything about it to share. Otherwise it remains a tiny slice of another world and time, passing through.

Peeved Puss Postcard

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Pam’s Pictorama Photo Post:  I purchased this photo postcard in Seattle, where I remember feeling like I paid too much for it – although frankly I have no idea what that was now.  It has held a place of pride in my office for the many years since, and now I’m quite sure that it is worth whatever it was that I paid.

Clearly this trained kitty is none too thrilled performing for the camera, the big bow seems especially annoying to him or her. I love the presence of the photographer here – makes the photo.  I was just outbid on a somewhat similar one, French (this one from US) on eBay – that cat was sitting up for a cat treat though, and seemed happier about it for obvious reasons. It prompted me to share this one of a cat who is also working hard.  Hope you enjoy it!

Photo Collage – Blaming it on the Blog!

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Pam’s Pictorama Photo Post:  Okay, please know that I am officially blaming my acquisition of photo collages on this blog. I really wasn’t collecting them, but I started thinking about them after the first post – and now I find myself sliding over to look at them on eBay – and occasionally getting hooked on one, hence the recent acquisition above. Seems to have been made as a bookmark, judging from size and shape.  I just find it earnest and charming, and decided to save it from isolated obscurity by adding it to my merry band of photos.  Much like the one I posted on August 8, Flapper Page – Photo Album, I imagine a young girl, entertained by the availability of inexpensive photos having a high old time with scissors and a pot of glue. Despite what I was told in Art History 101, collage was clearly alive and well long before Picasso and Braque – let alone Dada!

Lucky Black Cat

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Pam’s Pictorama Photo Post:  British swimmer, Ruthley Moris-Hancock, ’36 Olympics, holding her good luck stuffed kitty. This photo from the Olympia 1936 German, Cigaretten-Bilderdienst Altona-Bahrenfeld photo album. A quick google search reveals that this is an often reproduced image on posters and things. Who knew? However, reminded me very much of my post of a week or so ago – Cat Hat, see August 9. Dolly and Ruthley share a fashion and good luck talisman statement, although Ruthley’s came more than a decade later – showing the durability of the black cat. Frankly, couldn’t find out much about Ruthley online – this may be her most distinguished moment. Below I have included the back of the card, for the German readers in the group.

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Corbin Canadian Cats

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Pam’s Pictorama Advertising Post: A giveaway from the Corbin Lock Company of Canada. Needless to say that if I lived in Canada and needed locks these folks would have been my square one – in fact, I’m sure I would have bought a lock just to get one of these!  Purchased as a pair on eBay recently, these were advertised as pin dishes, but as someone who has very few pins these days, these will probably hold paperclips on my desk in the office and rings on my dresser – although I don’t know if I can bear to hide those cat faces, maybe I should just put them up somewhere.  I would buy things like this all the time if I ran across them more often, but I can’t say that I do. I feel very fortunate to have found and purchased these!

Starting Small with Mice

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Pam’s Pictorama Toy Post:  Of course what is a cat collection without –  mice! This wonderful bunch of little Mickeys (and one Minnie) is courtesy of Britain’s Dean’s Rag Book Company – the greatest maker of the off model Mickey Mouse that I know of.  It was (is) a large company and I have to believe they had the license to Mickey, but that leaves us scratching our head about why he came out so wonderfully toothy and terrifying! Whatever did Walt think?

These were purchased at auction – I think three from Hake’s and one from Morphy’s, but I could be wrong. Definitely not eBay however, although there are usually some to be found for sale there.  They are delightful. The smaller ones are about four inches in length.  Don’t know what that little orange prison-type suit is on the second one in – the shorts are the more typical outfit.  It appears to be original to him however.

I have been told that these are “jazzers” – little, light figures with wire legs that you could put on the arm of your (wind-up) phonograph and they would gently bounce along as the record played.  Don’t try this at home kids – has to be hell on your 78’s!

Ugly Children, Good Toys

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Pam’s Pictorama Post:  Okay, my title is perhaps a bit unfair, I think the baby in the carriage with Felix is perhaps the only really unattractive child – but let’s face it, the point of these photos is the toys. For those of you who think that is harsh – I have only this question, Who would buy these photos today without the toys?

From the top – a photo postcard of a very scary, toothy Mickey – no wonder that child looks terrified!  Even the plane becomes a bit frightening in proximity to Mickey.  Below it, another photo postcard – a small child strapped into a carriage with a Felix that would probably give some people nightmares. Last, a small albumen print of a boy holding a rather nice elephant toy in addition to a wooden Felix he is rather proud of, as he should be.

Jazz up your kids with a toy I say!