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Pair of Matching Antique Folk Art Painted Trade Signs Maine circa 1920 Collection Jim Linderman



Pair of Matching Antique Folk Art Painted Trade Signs  Maine circa 1920 Collection Jim Linderman. The only time I have seen a FLOOR SANDER in a folk art painting or an advertisement for same.   Both for a Maine painter and contractor.

Bill Guernsey's Pinup Painted Duffel Bag Pacific Theater of World War Two





More than a handful of cartoonists, animators and artists of the 20th century got their start painting on duffel bags during World War Two.  They often traded their skills for cigarettes and other essentials.  We will likely never know who painted the pinup on Wild Bill's bag, but he did a fair job.  Bill Guernsey kept track of his travels on the bag, and his visits to unfamiliar islands read like an index to the Pacific.  From Guadalcanal to Guam.  

Interestingly, the duffel bag continued being a part of popular culture after the war.  Surviving soldiers who stayed in the Pacific after serving their country took up surfing, and the bags were soon as much associated with the sport as the war. 

Hand painted and decorated World War Two Duffel Bag, circa 1940 Collection Jim Linderman

The Giant Folk Art Duck Sculpture



Real Photo Postcard depicts the ORIGINAL black duck statue in Black Duck, MN.  The one standing now is a replacement, but this fellow was first.  He was replaced with a "better" one in 1942.  RPPC circa 1930 Collection Jim Linderman

South Road Art and Antiques Susan Wechsler Color and Whimsy









The colorful objects shown all come from the inventory of Susan Wechsler, a seller of objects from beautiful to funky.  You'll see this color and excitement from South Road Art and Antiques all the time...Susan attributes her sensibility to growing up in the seaside carnival environment of Ashbury Park, NJ.   Susan selected a few wonderful pieces to share for this post.

Susan Wechsler is the former director of Photosearch Inc., a photo editing firm that specialized in art, history, and popular culture.  Artist, art critic, author and specialist in contemporary American ceramics, she also taught at Parsons The New School for Design, and in the Cooper Hewitt Masters Program in the History of Decorative Arts and Design.  Her professional life helped hone her eye for art and objects with graphic appeal and direct, honest beauty.  As you can see, she favors whimsical, sometimes nostalgic but always authentic heartfelt creations of folks gone by as well as recent works by prominent self-taught artists.
In addition to her elegant barn/gallery in the Hudson Valley, Susan sells in shops and does shows in the Northeast.  The SOUTH ROAD ART and ANTIQUES WEBSITE is a place I visit regularly. 
 

Large Civil War era Antique Folk Art Whirligig Sculpture Collection Jim Linderman



Large Civil War era Antique Folk Art Whirligig Sculpture According to the seller?

"My grandfather lived near Louisville, Kentucky. In 1971 he was visiting a neighbors residence when they were tearing down an old barn that was built around 1890. When they pried up the floorboards, this whirligig was found under the floor. The family who owned the barn said they thought it was possibly used during the civil war. They said troops would build these and put them up around land where the troops were to make it seem like there were more soldiers in the area than there really were. Whether the story is true, who knows."

Regardless, this is one old and gigantic whirligig.  The body (a log once) is over 30 inches.  With the considerable wear, it makes me wonder about the "19th century" whirligigs and how long they stayed outside.  The figure here has virtually no paint left, several staples around the lips which likely held a moustache...and of course one paddle entirely gone.
Collection Jim Linderman

World War Two Handmade Stamp Corsage Savings Stamps Folk Art



Folk art handmade corsage.  Defense postal savings stamps were issued in 1941 featuring the statue of "Minuteman" by David French which stands in Concord, MA.  The ten cent stamps were redeemable for War Bonds issued by the Treasury.  This handmade corsage is made of nine  stamps (each ten cents) with red, white and blue leaves cut from paper and string stamens.  Originally, corsages were thought to ward off evil.  These did…they raised funds to fight Hitler.

World War Two Postal Stamp Handmade corsage.  Circa 1941.  Collection Jim Linderman

The Good Ship New York Antique Folk Art Sculpture


Folk Art sculpture.  The Good Ship New York is circa 1890 and is three feet long.
Folk Art Ship Model with original paint.  Collection Jim Linderman

Old Folk Art PIgs on Broomsticks Parade Staffs



Pair of old folk art pigs on broomstick parade staffs.  Circa 1930.  Children's parade animals.  Each 40 inches long.  Painted cloth with repairs.  See also Jim Linderman BOOKS The Birth of Rock and Roll and more.

Old Folk Art Hand Painted Wooden Signs Antique Collection Jim Linderman


A Pair of early 20th C. (circa 1920) painted by hand folk art signs advertising F. E. Slater's store.  The signs were preserved by being used as shelves in a cupboard for nearly 100 years.  Four pieces, total size of the two signs is 42" x 24". They were likely topped with "distance indicators"  before being placed near the road.
Western Michigan origin.  Collection Jim Linderman

See also Jim Linderman BOOKS The Birth of Rock and Roll and more.

Old Folk Art KING KONG IN CHAINS Carving Sculpture Circa 1935 Collection Jim Linderman



Old Folk Art KING KONG IN CHAINS Carving Sculpture Circa 1935.  The stop motion model seems to have stopped for good...but I've yet to see much better in the films generated by computers these days.  Kong was a huge film and inspired an anonymous carver to lock him up for good. Collection Jim Linderman

Handmade Folk Art Saw Axe and Log


Handmade Folk Art Saw Axe and Log.  Fraternal piece?  Large paperweight?  Award?  Entirely made by hand (forged) with portion of a hacksaw for saw.  Collection Jim Linderman

The BIG HEADS of HARRINGAY Satan on Tandem and Cannibal Kings




Here comes the scary part, kids.  SATAN ON TANDEMS!  Well, the UK had been through one tough war and the kids needed some lively entertainment.  The big heads of Harringay!  T. Arnold Harringay Circus performed at the Royal Albert Hall in 1952.  Look at the line up...Big heads abound! 
Original T. Arnold Harringay Circus Program circa 1952  Collection Dull Tool Dim Bulb.

Country Stoneware Auction c. 1940 "Clifton Sells" Snapshot Collection Jim Linderman



A Country Stoneware Auction c. 1940  Caption (continued on reverse) reads:  "Clifton auctioneer at farm.  Clifton in his warm farm clothes for auction sales.  He was preferred for he knew many people by name.  Wore Borcelans Hats."

Circa 1940 snapshot collection Jim Linderman
 

BENLEE Fite Back Bag for Children. Child Size Boxing Bag for Puny Pugalists



BENLEE was apparently a brand of boxing equipment from the 1920s which lasted enough rounds for Rocky Marciano to endorse them in the 1950s.  Today BENLEE is a trademark of Everlast.  I presume they absorbed BENLEE as companies here often do.  Rather than compete (like Rocky) they simply bought up the competition!  Ben Lee went from champ to chump! 
   
Fite Back is a child-sized heavy bag!   I can find no picture of this puny pugilist trainer online, so it must be scarce.  It is about 20 inches long, and with the attached primitive "arms" slightly longer.  When punched, the padded fists flail around like a real champ! Junior has to get in and out quick, or he might take one in the face.  Has anyone ever seen this toy before?  Circa 1940 or so is my guess.  Any information would be appreciated. Could it have been a limited quantity display item to keep a boy entertained while Dad shops for boxing gloves?   
 

BENLEE Fite-Back Bag.  Circa 1930 - 1940?  Collection Jim Linderman


Traveling to Unusually Named Cities? Send me some ART MAIL Farmers and Battle Postmarks






Pair of hand drawn cachet art on mailed envelopes.  Note postmark for each.  Early mail art.

Two original drawings on envelopes 1950  Collection Jim Linderman

Newest Book The Birth of Rock and Roll available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Direct from Publisher Dust to Digital.

Henpecked? Old Folk Art Sculptures of a Family




I was surprised to see the phrase "henpecked" shown in online dictionaries without calling it outdated and offensive slang.  Most words describing women as animals seem sexist to me,  especially "cougar" which is the name of a dating site.  Still with father here clenching his throat and the women in his life twice his size, they might be capable of ganging up on him a bit.  Tallest female is 18 inches while dad is half that.  He isn't "tied to her apron strings" which is another phrase drifting away, I think...but we also have an apron here.  "Led by the nose" hardly applies, as Dad's nose is flat as a piece of plywood. 

Folk Art Family in Original Paint circa 1940 Collection Jim Linderman 

African-American Folk Art Sculpture Lucy Robinson of Baltimore 1921-2012





African-American Folk Art Sculpture by the late Lucy Robinson of Baltimore collection Jim Linderman


Unusual and dramatic work created by the late Lucy Robinson, African-American b. 1921, Baltimore, MD.  Ms. Johnson was self-taught artistically, and she invented a form of sculptural art in which crepe paper was twisted tightly into cordage and applied to bottles, cardboard, tree branches and found objects.  The work here dates to the mid 1970s.  The "God is Love" globe is 1.5 feet tall, and measures some 50 inches around at the widest point.  Much of her work incorporates text, abstracted human figures and design elements of her own creation.  A good share of the pieces are religious.  The artist passed away in 2012, and a relative asked a Baltimore woman to administer the collection.  At the time of the artist's death, an exhibition was being planned, but to this day her work is shown publicly only in offices of Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.  These are works the artist gifted to the staff.  

I acquired the works shown (top) from the Phoenix, Arizona based Nowhere to Land shop in Tucson, AZ.  The bulk of the remaining work is cataloged and stored, but at the time of this post several pieces are being offered by the seller HERE.  Among the available works is the enormous "Zodiac Horoscope" globe shown below:



Biographical material below was taken from the Obituary website with minor changes.  It is the most complete information on the artist:


Lucy Ellen Robinson was born in Baltimore, Maryland on June 22, 1921 and departed gracefully on March 4, 2012. She was the daughter of the late Arthur Raison and Alice Beal Robinson (nee Lomax). She was ninety years old. Lucy was affectionately known as "Sister" to her family, friends and everyone who knew her. born in Baltimore, Maryland in the old "South Baltimore," she grew up learning to cook and clean before she could even read. Lucy was the oldest of four children; the lat Alexander Raison, the late Jeanette Robinson, and the late Flora Mae Claiborne. Lucy attended the Baltimore City Public School System but had to leave while in high school to help out at home. this however, did not deter her from her dreams. Lucy worked several jobs while growing up but her passion was art and music. she recorded several songs in the 1070's including a Christmas son song titled, "Daddy, Please come home for Christmas." She also had numerous copyrighted poems and books. Among them were, "The Witch from Creeky Hollow," "The Roach from No Man's Land," "Yes there Is a Better way," "Christ is coming Back Again," and "If I Could end This War Today." In the early 70's while recuperating from a surgical procedure, Lucy developed her own unique form of art. She was able to create beautiful pieces of colorful crafts from recycled materials such as rocks, seashells. empty soda and glass table tops, water-cooler containers and fish tanks to name a few. She would take different shades of crepe paper, transform it into a rope like material by hand, and use her wonderful imagination to turn it into something spectacular. She taught her amazing art form at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School's Summer Arts Program until 1977. Lucy's work has been sold at numerous craft shows and flea markets throughput Maryland, but she was so generous that she gave her art away as gifts. Over the lat thirty-five years she has made and given gifts to too many people to count. Among those recipients were President and Mrs. Barack Obama, governor Martin O'Malley, the late William Donald Schafer, Oprah Winfrey, Ray Lewis, and Dr. Benjamin Carson. Her work adorns the shelves and desk of numerous offices of the Johns Hopkins Hospital, the Afro-American Newspaper, City Hall, and Margaret Brent Elementary School. At the time of her death, she was patiently awaiting a possible exhibition of her work at the Reginald f. Lewis Museum. Lucy continued to create her magnificent and beautiful crafts until her untimely death.




Group of five original works by Lucy Robinson circa 1975 "God is Love Globe" and four vessels.  Collection Jim Linderman