Pam’s Pictorama Toy Post: This just in – my first ever Mr. Peanut! He comes via an auction house that sends me endless listings and from which I rarely win anything. (The first item I ever won from them were these nice metal dogs featured in a post here.) On the rare occasion that I do win something, it was because no one else wanted it or was looking at the moment I think and therefore I got it for a good price. I do believe that part of the method of buying from these folks is to actually participate in the live auction but I am almost never able to do that and so, mostly I lose.

I had spotted this fellow in a listing along with a bunch of jointed Felix toys and admired him. Never seen the likes of him. I put a watch on it but expected that like many things (I keep trying to get a deal on cat andirons for the fireplace in New Jersey) it would go high and slip away. In fact, I never got around to putting a bid on it.

However, I was at loose ends the other day and a reminder that the he was going live in the auction. I believe I was feeling a bit burned by something I had just lost on eBay and I thought what the heck and put a live bid in just as the bidding was closing. Low and behold – I won Mr. Peanut!

He is an early product of the Schoenhut Toy Company, circa the 1930’s. He is of course, an early example of an advertising to toy crossover. My fellow is missing his cane which would have stuck in one hand. And yes, if I was about 100% handier I could replace it easily! I especially like his blue hat with Mr. Peanut boldly printed! (Was his hat always blue? I think not.) When you look closely at his peanut body you see small black spots to create the peanut shell surface of his body.

What I never knew is that Mr. Peanut was originally conceived of by a 14 year old boy, Antonio Gentile, who won a contest to design a mascot for the company back in 1916. The charming monocle, top hat and spats were added subsequently by commercial artist Andrew S. Wallach. (Fascinating that spats manage to carryover on him – common in 1916 but unheard of now, of course he just appears to be wearing socks.)

To jump down a tributary – it turns out that although Antonio Gentile only won $5 for the contest, it was his lifelong friendship with the founder of the company that was significant. Amedeo Obici befriended the boy and helped put him through medical school. He pursued a life of service as a doctor and surgeon. A moving quote from an article in Smithsonian Magazine, evidently published in a newspaper as part of an obituary article (sadly Dr. Gentile died quite young, only a year after getting married) and is summed up below:

For Dr. Antonio Gentile, skilled physician and surgeon, loved by a paying clientele who admired his ability and his personality, was perhaps held dearer to those who were not a paying clientele, whose money was gratitude only but whom he served as freely, as fully and as willingly as though they had been able to return wealth for service. (The full and rather touching article can be found here.) The Smithsonian owns the original drawings and the dapper cast iron version below.

You may be saying to yourself, what’s up with Mr. Peanut and why, given how much stuff I have found over the years, have I long neglected this particular desire. I asked myself that as well, I admit. My interest in Mr. Peanut advertising predates my current collecting passions. The first time I remember seeing an early bit of Mr. Peanut advertising was on a trip to Paris in my 20’s. I saw a nice early metal one and was entranced but it was too dear for my extremely limited budget, but it stayed with me.

Of course I have encountered this and that small item over time but none really spoke to me. I do remember that on American Pickers once they found the giant Mr. Peanut peanut butter producing machine! Oh my goodness, I was in love! I gather one like it was in use and on display in Atlantic City. Shown below, this one hails from a Peanut Shop in Columbus, Ohio. Their site can be found here and it would be absolutely top of my list if visiting Columbus.

In looking online at Mr. Peanut items I am reminded that even as a child I very much wanted the Mr. Peanut hand crank peanut butter maker. Alas, this was not the kind of toy that made its way into the Butler house (I can see my mom thinking, complicated and very messy) and I don’t believe I ever had the pleasure of acquainting myself with one via a friend in those formative years.

However, if there is a Mr. Peanut item I still long for, it would be that long ago cast iron one in Paris. I found it online and actually, it would appear that it is indeed quite rarified and remains too expensive for me to acquire – certainly in this pristine condition.

Meanwhile, I intend to bring my Mr. Peanut to New Jersey where the heat in the house is less dry than here at Deitch Studio. This in the hopes of keeping his stringing in order. Somehow now that I have acquired him I think more Mr. Peanut may be forthcoming – increasing rather than sated my appetite for this natty fellow.