Sister Gertrude Morgan's Eyes Folk Art Slotin Catalog

I always look forward to Steve Slotin’s auction catalogs and enjoy picking one listing to share on the blog. This time it’s a vivid Sister Gertrude Morgan work with hundreds of eyes…eyes she used to make with a steak bone as a stylus I once owned. I’m including a small picture of it here…A once cherished tool in my collection of her paintings.

Over the years I collected work by the New Orleans preacher and artist who epitomized what this field and this art is all about. I have shared a dozen or more of my former collection of her paintings on the blog, none as good as this one. The Slotin Auction of 900 works is held November 7 and 8. Bidding online is easy and fun. Top-notch.

19th century centenial whirligig folk art sculpture on a stereoview photograph

A really great (and I believe scarce) stereo view photograph of whirligig folk art sculpture dating to 1876. Maybe actually an automaton. Stereographs or stereo views sorta took the country by storm 20 years earlier and were placed into viewer to create a 3-D effect in a person's head. There have been a few other folk art objects captured by the process but are hard to find. A lovely relic. The cards were 3 1/2“by 7” and slightly curved to aid in the effect. Courtesy Box lot on Facebook (follow! I am pretty sure this sculpture still exists somewhere. Jim Linderman / Dull Tool Dim Bulb

AI revives my Warhol / Heinz Tracing Book from 1927 Theory

I was surprised to find AI has plundered my piece about a freebie tracing book published by Heinz a few blocks from where Andy Warhol grew up at the same time. The little book was designed to have children trace the Heinz products so as to brand theIr innocent minds. It worked. The booklet was published a year before Andy was born. I surmised that the roots of his pop art works of Heinz and Campbell’s products could be “traced” to this little booklet which he certainly would have had access to. No, he didn’t own my copy originally. No, he didn’t literally trace these specific images. But he did do remarkably similar works in the 1960s and some are nearly identical. Regardless, there was a good amount of interest when I originally posted this theory with images of the little booklet in 2010. I’ll try to link to additional material in the comments below. Here’s the AI interpretation of my original discovery: AI OVERVIEW The connection between collector and archivist Jim Linderman and Andy Warhol centers on a compelling art-world discovery regarding the origins of Warhol’s iconic commercial pop art. The "Missing Link" Discovery Through his popular art and culture blog, Dull Tool Dim Bulb, Linderman documented his acquisition of a rare piece of ephemera: a 1927 Heinz Kindergarten Book (No. 6). Published in Pittsburgh—exactly one year before Warhol was born there in 1928—the book featured built-in, branded tracing paper designed for children to trace commercial products. Linderman hypothesized that this specific childhood tracing book may have served as Warhol's early introduction to commercial product replication. The Visual Evidence Linderman noted striking similarities between the pre-printed graphics in the Heinz book and Warhol’s later signature style: * The Hand-Drawn Tracings: The 1927 book featured early marketing illustrations intended to teach kids how to trace commercial goods. * The Ketchup Connection: The tracing templates almost perfectly mirror the lines of Warhol's famous 1962 Heinz Ketchup drawing (which famously sold at Christie's for over $1 million in 2009). While it remains an unproven hypothesis, Linderman’s discovery generated significant intrigue among pop art enthusiasts and collectors, offering a tangible look at how early 20th-century commercial marketing might have subconsciously shaped the pioneer of Pop Art. #warhol. #theory. #art. #Linderman.

Reward of Merit 19th century congratulations to a successful student

Reward of Merit issued to a student who successfully completed a program or lesson at Sunday School late 19th Century. Frequently tinted by hand in color, rewards of merit were issued by many educational institutions and are today collected for their variey and color. This is a big one (8.5 “x 4.5”). Most were about half that. Interesting this one is signed possibly by a parent to his child. Collection Jim Lindernan / Dull Tool Dim Bulb

Vingage Carnival Sideshow Ball Toss Game Board Folk Art Original Paint

Vintage Folk Art Sculpture Carnival Ball Toss c. 1940 - 1950 in original paint Collection Jim Linderman Dull Tool Dim Bulb Thanks to BoxLot on Facebook.

Slotin Auction November 7-8, 2026

I always look forward to Steve Slotin’s auction catalogs and enjoy picking one listing to share on the blog. This time it’s a vivid Sister Gertrude Morgan work with hundreds of eyes…eyes she used to make with a steak bone as a stylus I once owned. I’m including a small picture of it…A once cherished tool in my collection of her paintings. Over the years I collected work by the New Orleans preacher and artist who epitomized what this field and this art is all about. I have shared a dozen or more of my former collection of her paintings on the blog, none as good as this one. The Slotin Auction of 900 works is held November 7 and 8. Bidding online is easy and fun. Top-notch.

Schoolgirl and Schooboy Folk Art Drawings in New Jim Linderman Book Antique Children's Drawings of the 19th and 20th Century from Blurb.com

Japan Baseball Cards AKA Menko Cards

As we have started the process of final games to determine who is in the “World” series (meaning no other country but US) I was looking around for a baseball post, If I had to start all over with my collecting habits, I might just buy a few of these Baseball Menko, an early type of Japanese baseball cards originally designed for use in the children's game of “menko” but now avidly collected by baseball fans and card collectors. These cute little cards were used in a game I don’t quite understand but involving slapping your card against that of another player. I just find them colorful and darling! They have a rather long, convoluted story I won’t go into here. Still, great colorful little things! Check out the wikipedia page on them for more information. Groups of Baseball Menko from Japan Dull Tool Dim Bulb the Blog

Horrid Folk Art Sculptures in a Junk Roadside Attraction with a Monkey

I tried to improve this photo with my cheap scanner. Eh. Still the only sign one can make out is the TIP THE MONKEY FOR A PICTURE A so I guess this worked on the honor system. No idea where it was but I hope it’s gone. I don’t see anyone reaching into their pocket, but mqybe the guy who snapped the pic did. Tip the Monkey pile of folk art junk sculpture. No date, circa 1940ish. Original snapshot collection Jim Linderman / Dull Tool Dim Bulb.

Death Penalty the Firing Squad an historic photograph A practice banned in Mexico but not in the United States from Original photo 1927 Collection Jim Linderman Dull Tool Dim Bulb

A historical image from my collection. So Capital Punishment is legal in 27 states, and five of them allow the firing squad. Tennessee in their great wisdom tried to put a woman to death yesterday but failed two attempts with injection…she is still alive as I write. Put me down for stopping the death penalty. I can’t see how thousands of poor souls overdose to death every year, but they can’t do it “right” institutionally. When I published this photo on the blog back in 2009, it was picked up by the great photography magazine Foam and published in a 2010 issue. My original post on the blog received comments from family members of the deceased despite it occurring more than half a century ago. General Arnulfo Gomez "El Hombre Sin Vicios" had shaved to prevent recognition, but was tracked down nonetheless. Condemned to death in Tepcelo at one in the morning and shot as the sun rose hours later. He had two requests. First, that his eyes be covered. Second, that the command to fire be silent. The commander had no problem with either. He raised, then dropped a silent hat to signal. Gomez...Fue aprehendido y fusilado por las tropas federales en 1927. The Photographer is unidentified, as is the artist who cropped the photo with such a heavy hand the original image is all but gone. I imagine Mexican photographic facilities in 1927 were less than ideal. Was the film carried across the border to be developed and enhanced? Gomez is a footnote in the troubled history of Mexico. He is mentioned on page 222 of "Mexican Suite: A History of Photography in Mexico but I do not know if the working photographer who took this photo is mentioned anywhere. “Newpapers were touching up photographic images for publication long before the fashion industry started slimming down models with an airbrush, but seldom has a press photo been so heavily embellished. The end of Arnulfo Gomez is an original press 1927 photograph capturing a firing squad precisely at the moment of death. Gomez is reported to have had one final request - that he not hear the command to fire. Granting his final wish, Col Manuel Limon, at right, silently drops his hat to signal his gunmen. A striking example of documentary photography and at the same time an example of extreme retouching” It should be noted that Mexico BANNED the death penalty in 2005, and the last military execution occurred in 1961. In the United States, 21 states allow it. It is an abomination. January 2025, the incumbent signed an executive order to restore and accelerate the enforcement of capital punishment and authorizing firing squads. He had earlier purchased full-page newspaper advertisements in May 1989 demanding the return of the death penalty following an attack on a female jogger in Central Park, although the 5 suspects arrested were not guilty of the crime. They were released from prison when the actual Killer confessed to the crime years later. To this day, he has not apologized or altered his position on capital punishment. "The end of General Arnulfo Gomez" Heavily embellished press photograph, 1927. Collection Jim Linderman Dull Tool Dim Bulb the Blog

Plywood Religious Garden folk art environment in Michigan

Lund's Plywood Garden of Maple City, Michigan old time religion. E.K. Lund was a part-time magician who lived to the age of 100. From the looks of these rare postcards, that is about one plywood figure a year. Photo Postcards from Lund's Garden, formerly installed in Maple City, Michigan. All collection Jim Linderman / Dull Tool Dim Bulb the Blog #folkartenvironment #michigan

Cowboy Magician from Arcane Americana: Vintage Photos from the Jim Linderman Collection

Anonymous photographer circa 1920? Now in a private collection.

Ballerina puppet handmade carving 30 inches tall Early 20th Century?

From 12 years ago. Large puppet (ballerina) Photo Dull Tool Dim Bulb Archives. Now in a Private Collection

Homemade and Handmade Paper Dolls

Two handmade paper doll sets early 20rh Century from the book Antique Children’s Drawings of the 19th and early 20th C. By Jim Linderman. (225 pages, available from Blurb.com) Collection Jim Linderman / Dull Tool Dim Bulb

Robert Howell Man on a Horse Outsider Art Sculpture

Robert Howell Yard Show in Virginia 1992. I never went back,it was too scary. Original photograph 1992 Robert Howell Folk Art Environment by Jim Linderman #folkartenvironment #yardshow. #folkart

Living in the Stump House? Two views of the Stump House in Edgewater Washington c. 1900

Two original images of the Stump House which was built (or rather grown)in Edgewater, Washington around 1900.There is a third image in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art taken in 1901 by photographer Darius Kinsey in 1901. Original photo / Real Photo Postcard of the Stump House c. 1900 Collection Jim Linderman / Dull Tool Dim Bulb.

Original Snapshot of Rufus Petersen's Rock Garden from 1967. A Folk Art Enironment made of stones. LOTS of Stones

Original 1967 snapshot of Peterson’s Rock Garden in Oregon.Rastus Petersen starting building the place (or thing) in 1935 and it arew into a 4 acre environment! He passed on in 1952 and the family took controluntil selling it in 2003. Despite considerable repairs it closed in 2016, but it was added to the National Registry of Historic places and was repaired and reopened in 2026. So it’s still there. Postcards abound, but this was the first actual snapshot I’ve ever seen. It’s a rock fantasy…and now the place survives through tourist visitors…and they sell rocks. Located between Bend and Redmond Oregon. Original snapshot photograph of a castle and lake at Petersen’s Rock Garden dated 1967. Collection Jim Linderman / Dull Tool Dim Bulb. Folk Art Environment, Roadside Wonder, Outsider Art.

Putting a Hex on Hex Signs

Well, I know a bit about folk art ,but I know absolutely nothing about Hex signs. In fact, the first article I found about them said “yes, Hex signs are still used and professional Hex sign artists still paint them. Well,there is no such thing as a “professional” folk artist. By definition, folk artists are amateurs so I smell a barn rat. I think we have to label them craft. Or “tourist art” might be more appropriate. As for their significance and function (other than decoration) I have no idea, Superstitions maybe? A hex sign is primarily decorative these days, but they used to ward off witchcraft, fires and farm failure it says. Who am I to doubt? I guess they work as there seem to be some old barns with them wearing the signs.

Primitive folk art Barnyard Puppets circa 1950.

A motley crew of puppets depicting farm creatures with Fido the Farm Dog. Handmade and hand sewn. Homemade farm puppets collection Jim Linderman / Dull Tool Dim Bulb

Antique Children's Drawings from the 19th and 20th Century NEW BOOK

Ferocious Bear attacks Man with Knife (or vice versa). Original Drawing by D. B. Webber 1907

Folk Art Finder and sublime Seller Critical Eye Finds run by Kate Hackman did it again with a group of drawings from 1907 Ipswich, MA artist D.B.Webber. Bears are on the move here, as forest land disapears to copy cat mega-mansions of drywall and Data Centers. They are on the news daily somewhere, climbing trees to escape man and terrified mothers. I've been ten feet from a bear and her cubs as a friend and I climbed a ridge to see a mother bear and her young ones lumbering along. She didn't chase us, but we ran back down as fast as we could anyway I think Mr. Webber exaggerates a bit, but at least he does it with an ink pen. Creative Eye Finds posts new treasures on Sunday. Each week is a pleasure. Man and Bear drawing by D.B Webber 1907. Collection Jim Linderman / Dull Tool Dim Bulb

Life size Folk Art Carving of Man in a Derby Hat

Life size Folk Art Carving of Man in a Derby Hat. Circa 1940 Collection Jim Linderman / Dull Tool Dim Bulb