Pam’s Pictorama Photo Post: Despite the lousy condition of this postcard I couldn’t resist it. As in previous posts, I wonder about the addition of Felix. In this case, a very low-rent prop indeed. Of course, part of the whole charm of this photo is the vaguely primitive look about the set.
This couple does not personify what I usually think of as capturing the joy of the moment. Barely cracking a smile, they do, nevertheless, have a gentle look of pleasure when you look at them closely. I cannot figure out what the woman has on her head – a paper hat that waitresses wore as part of their uniform is what comes to mind, although given the circumstances perhaps something purchased at the fair or boardwalk resort where they had the photo taken.
It is not used and there is nothing written on the back indicating where or when it hails from. The photographer was a sloppy sort, to say the least. Overexposed and perhaps a bit underdeveloped, with messy edges around the image to boot. However, saved through many decades, this couple clearly felt it was deserving of being saved, and so do I.
Pam’s Pictorama Photo: I have devoted several posts to stars of film and stage wishing to enhance their appeal by posing with Felix, (see my posts Mistinguett – Felix Goes to the Dogs and Felix Makes the Picture Better among others) however Felix most frequently joined family gatherings in the late twenties and early thirties as shown here. The small photo is a new purchase, from Great Britain. (It is quite small, about 2.25″x3.25″ with nothing on the back.) The beach postcard scene is also from Great Britain I purchased a number of years ago.
So, when I look at the small photo I ask myself – was the family taking a photo that was a knock off of those you paid for at beaches and resorts? Or was Felix just such a part of the family that they spontaneously included him? Their Felix is decidedly smaller than the one in the beach photo. He is a ‘home model’ if you will. Not unlike one (or two) I own. (A frequent fantasy of mine is finding one of these enormous Felix dolls like the ones in the beach photos – some the size of a small person! – and purchasing it. I thought I was on the trail of one once but alas, the trail went cold.) I like the cheeky looking girl in the plaid dress, standing above Felix. Makes you wonder if including him was her idea. And what’s with the kid on the fence a bit further down? Is he part of the family or did he just happen to be on the fence when they took the photo?
The family in the beach photo is more prosperous looking. It is a much larger gathering and everyone is beautifully turned out, despite being at the beach. They have made that lovely sandcastle and I like the way they have tucked Felix in as part of the family (he almost looks like he’s holding the baby!) so it takes a moment or two to even see him at first. There is nothing written on the back of the postcard, but clearly it was a treasured photo of a large family gathering. Who wouldn’t want to join that party? Frankly, I can’t say we ever had family gatherings in my New Jersey childhood that lived up to that. It does set the bar high however.
Pam’s Pictorama Photo Post: This comes with a big shout out to FB friend Stewart Patton who sent this to me recently. He posted it on our page a ways back and I had publicly drooled over it. It is an odd size, 6.5″x 8.5″ and printed all crooked. (I have cropped it a tiny bit to make the crookedness a bit less distracting.) There is no information on it. It is interesting in that from the waist up the little boy is in sharp focus and the rest isn’t, despite the shallowness of the space.
Stewart says this hails most recently from an antique’s mall in Denver, Colorado. It could easily go another way, but part of me feels like it could have been taken in Europe. At a glance, these toys seem to be European brands, although all also sold in this country. Strange how this bookcase of toys seems to be set, freestanding, in the middle of a room – we can see the rest of the room peeking around the back, a spot of sun and a chair in evidence.
The toys are amazing and it kills me a bit that they aren’t in sharper focus! Still, there’s a hot black cat on the top right, a perfectly excellent elephant in front of it, and that righteous polka-dot stuffed toy at the bottom left. The line up of toy elephants and indistinct other animals on the middle shelf, bunnies and a myriad of things we can’t see on the second shelf, give the photo a sense of opulent excess. The multiples of some toys make it feel more like a toy store than one child’s toys. The print on the little boy’s shirt is great and the ball he is holding makes me think he’s literally got the world in his hands. What a very lucky fellow he was indeed!
(To see another photo of lucky childhood toy wonder have a quick look at my Tea Party photo post.)
Pam’s Pictorama Photo Post: Wowzers! Can you image walking into this place and trying to take it all in? Enough eyeball kicks for a lifetime here. I know I purchased this on eBay – not that long ago, but it was at the bottom of a pile that was upturned recently. I don’t remember how I found the listing since it has no easily discernible cats here – some over to the right if you look carefully. It was most likely the Mickey Mouses on the top shelf. It is an 8″x10″ photo, no information or identification on the back.
I believe kits and plans for the ashtray stands were widely available and the stands are very prevalent at flea markets and antique stalls – executed with varying skill. Mine, shown here with Blackie examining it, was purchased at the end of the day at the 26th Street garage flea market here in Manhattan. I had barely shown interest in it (despite what impression I may have given, I actually do try to be mindful that we live in a very small apartment) when the dealer, clearly desperate to pack up less than he still had, threw out some ridiculously low figure and I felt compelled to make it mine. As with most things of this kind once purchased, I have not regretted it.
Not long after, I attended one of the Pier Shows dedicated to antiques and saw a stall of what must have been thirty or more, all variations on the cat design, lined up together. It was a magnificent display and when I win the lottery and retire very wealthy I fully intend to recreate it. There is something about these wooden cut outs which does make a group as a whole more impressive, perhaps than the parts alone.
My affection for this genre has extended beyond cats and below I share the other two I own. The parrot, which holds my house keys with a nail, my addition, has been my key holder for more than twenty years. He was purchased off the street some place, as was the other bird acquired subsequently, which has never quite found the right spot in the apartment. He (or she) is actually a tiny shelf.
Whirligigs seem to fall loosely into this category too – and I have adored those since I was a child! There was a man in a neighboring town who made ones for the backyard to move in the wind, set on a pole. We purchased a much beloved little man sawing logs. I think he may have met his end in one of the many hurricanes or nor’easters of my childhood. There’s a Felix version that I admit to having my eye on, but again, we do live in a very small apartment…
Pam’s Pictorama Toy Post: A few weeks back while I was doing some research for my post Going to the Dogs – Bonzo I discovered that the fine British toy makers of Chad Valley made a vast variety of delightful Bonzo dog stuffed toys! And me being me, I had to have one. I also found out pretty quickly that Bonzo toys are rarefied items and do not go cheap! As I have noticed in some early Felix toys, there seems to be a lot of variation in these toys, many sizes, but their expression as well, so not just any one would entirely do.(For more on my ode to the Chad Valley fine makers of Hygienic Toys, see Felix for a Cause.) All this has culminated in this wonderful Christmas gift from Kim – welcome to our home Bonzo! Thank you Kim – you’re the very best husband!
As you can see, Bonzo has a bit of sleep sand in his eyes – this seems to be on most of them. Bonzo was, after all, a sleepy fellow. He still has his great little Chad Valley identification button and his Hygienic Toy Made in England Chad Valley Co Ltd tag. This fellow came from a lovely eBay seller in Belgium who took excellent care to ensure that he reached our shores safely.
Bonzo is now enjoying a special spot on a shelf with his earlier shown Bonzo brethren. In the interest of further Bonzo education I offer one of the great color full-page spreads snatched from the Google image file and a cartoon below. Ho, ho, ho!
Pam’s Pictorama Photo Post: Another fine example of an item where Kim and I disagree! He’s never been fond of this triptych of toy photos, but I have always liked it since buying it many years ago on eBay. In recent years I have allowed it to be replaced on the wall by some images that we are more mutually fond of, but I stubbornly continue to champion it. My guess is that the small cat toy – barely visible here and in the lower right corner, is how it came to my attention. It really is all about this enormous, lovely teddy bear however. What a lucky little girl!
The background shifts a bit with each subsequent shot until we end up with that interesting bit of advertising featured behind her in the third shot. I will admit that these are somewhat inept from a technical point of view, going from slightly over exposed to too dark in the third shot. I am in love with the idea of a series like this though.
As the child of a man with a masters in film and a news cameraman (his entire career spanning more than thirty years spent at ABC News) you would think I would have been subjected to projects such as this. He did labor over his photos and I have memories of what seemed like endless adjustments of the light meter at a variety of family landmark moments while we stood impatiently. However, such a formal approach never appealed to him. I offer a Christmas snapshot of me as a tiny sprout with my favorite dog toy, dubbed Squeaky, one Christmas morning, who incidentally I still own. I think we can see early signs of a nascent toy collector in this one!
Pam’s Pictorama Photo Post: (Christmas shopping tip included!) As I have said occasionally in prior posts, sometimes it is hard to explain why a given photo attracts me, but when I see them I have to have ’em if at all possible. This photo postcard of a chicken is one of those. It was never used, no clue as to when it was made or why – or why it was kept pristine all these years. What a perfect looking little hen! Proudly perched on this cage. There’s just something very right about it. Reminds me of stories my mother has told me of people she who keep them as pets – yes, in the house. Evidently they are smarter and more charming as a pet then you might think – and live longer. Regardless of whether or not we want to live with one in our tiny Manhattan abode, there is something undeniably proud and perfect about this chicken. Makes me pleased to know I am a vegetarian.
This put me in mind of several years ago when I first purchased a stunning stuffed beaver toy made by the Hansa toy company. I don’t remember how the beaver originally came to my attention, but it was clearly a very exquisitely made toy. I was deeply interested in beavers and scooped it up. Once I saw how beautiful it was I located the toy company online – a stuffed animal paradise. Following in the tradition of early Steiff, Dean’s, and Chad Valley there is beautiful construction, but also a look of intelligence and life in some of these toys – they have knowing eyes. They tackle animals from the everyday and domestic to the exotic – even extinct. Each is perfectly executed – need a stuff wombat, flying squirrel or nice executed life-size German Shepard? These are your people. This hen just seemed extraordinary and Kim purchased her for me. She has a prime spot in our living room. (A quick look on the site today left me imagining a young Pam begging for a 40 inch ride-on reindeer, on sale for $591.92, or life-size buffalo for $2,495! Mom, Dad, look! Free shipping!)
So during this holiday season, I leave you with this top notch helpful hint for that hard to buy for person on your list.
Pam’s Pictorama Photo Post: Let us return once again to Felix, one of my favorite subjects. These two outstandingly unusual and interesting photo postcards capitalized on Felix’s appeal to attract an audience for their respective hospital fundraisers (Something in my role as a professional fundraiser I can really get behind.) One can only imagine they did brilliantly – after all, who could resist Felix?
The top card, and the first I acquired, was postally used, but has lost its stamp and postmark. The following (some writing faded or rubbed away) was written on the back in pencil, addressed to Mrs. J. W. Stoodley, Folly Farm, Crewkerne, Som (which appears to be short for Somerset):
Dear Mother, ….. am glad it is much cooler now but our place is cooler inside than out. The children had their carnival yesterday, but this is the one. Will
One can’t help but wonder if you got to ride with Felix in that nifty sidecar motorcycle if you attended? I cannot answer that question, but much to my great surprise, I found a few minutes of footage of this very Carnival in June of 1925 to support Coventry Hospital and I offer it here:
While it is minus Felix, if you watched you did see that motorcycles seem to play an interesting role. The other pressing question – is that an enormous stuffed Felix (like someday I might find for sale on eBay and mortgage my house to purchase?) or a rather excellent Felix costume? (Which I would, of course, also be willing to go into hock to acquire.)
Then, just when I thought I would never see another postcard that was comparable, the second one showed up on eBay. While it is hard to see, if you look carefully you find out that each Felix is a tiny photo of a stuffed Felix toy, collaged on. I have supplied a photo of one of my beloved Felixes of the same type, an early addition to my collection, below. I adore this particular style of Felix and much to my surprise I came across someone with an entire basket of them at the Atlantic City antique toy show. That person told me that they were prizes at fairs in the twenties and thirties. They seem too well made for that, and I remain curious but have never heard anything more on the subject.
I cannot find any reference to this event – no idea what the ladder is about or what the 250 (bps) refers to – a prize of some sort. This one is unused postally and there is nothing to indicate a date. The person I bought it from said he had no idea what it referred to nor had he ever seen anything like it. (He was entertained by the image of the other one I emailed him however.) All this to say, call in Felix when you want to attract a crowd.
Pam’s Pictorama Post: I never understood the importance of Pluto until we got a very nice disk of early Mickey Mouse cartoons issued a few years ago. (In fact I think I had Pluto and Goofy somewhat merged in my mind – what was Goofy all about anyway?) As Kim says, Pluto appears in the series and there is a whole new life to it. Suddenly I became a Pluto fan! Still, that doesn’t mean I meant to go out and start collecting Pluto toys. However, not long after, when I saw this hot Dean’s Rag Company Pluto go on auction (Morphys I think, maybe Hake’s) a few years ago I decided that I would scoop it up if I could get it for the right price – and here we are. Pluto, a lesser Disney character, was a bargain and now mine.
In the second photo I wanted to show his wonderful label on the bottom side – Dean’s Rag Company always does a nice job with that – and you get to see his paw pads and the nice leather collar he wears this way. He is a very well constructed toy and there is something very Pluto about him – the magic of the folks at Deans, in my opinion one of the greatest toy makers ever. Founded in 1903 Dean’s has been in continuous operation ever since, although they make only teddy bears today. Their first product was cloth books, marketed with a hygienic toy label. I scooped the following quote from wanderingbooknut.weebly.com talking about Dean’s:
Pollocks Dictionary of English Dolls,The colours were fast, the produce certified as hygienic. The pages could be washed without damage, and sucked with impunity: perfect, in fact, for children who, in the words of the rag book’s originator, “wear their food and eat their clothes”.
The other Pluto came into my collection in an interesting way. I was watching American Pickers and Frank found one on a pick. As I occasionally do when there’s a really cool toy on their show, I looked it up on eBay and that night there was this nice, if slightly battered, example. Bam! On a whim, he was mine. He does rollover – somewhat laboriously in his case, and I do like to return to my wind-up toy roots occasionally.
Last, but not least, I have included an example of a 1931 Pluto and Mickey cartoon. Enjoy!
Pam’s Pictorama Toy Post: I bought this earlier this week on eBay. I must say, I don’t exactly know what I was thinking, but no one was bidding on it and it was very original. Now that I have it I love it! It makes a loud beep that annoys the cats – as shown with Cookie below, which is always entertaining. I particularly like the sort of hand painted, not-quite-Felix on it.
The wood inside is interesting and have shown you so you can get a sense of it. This was a time when a cheap toy was really made of something! I assume it has seen some high old times – halloween parties, maybe the occasional New Year’s celebration. I intend to keep it handy for any celebration that comes along.
Pam's Pictorama 