Circus Acrobat Nellie Bellmore in Frank Wendt Cabinet Card Photographs 1895

A pair of Frank Wendt Cabinet Card photographs circa 1895 depicting a lovely young acrobat named Nellie Bellmore or Nelli Regina.  One would likely be a stage name (?) but which?  I frequently hear from relatives on this and the other sites, so I always try to include names.  If anyone has information on the performer, please write in.

Frank Wendt was a sideshow and circus freak photographer from the Bowery and later Boonton, New Jersey. 

Link to Collector's Weekly articles

An editor at my favorite Collector's site COLLECTORS WEEKLY wrote to say they had redesigned their pages, with a new layout and more.  Which gives me an opportunity not only to encourage all with an interest in any collectable to use the site (which has grown into a most useful tool no matter your interests) but it also lets me link to the interview and guest posts I did for the site.

Collectors Weekly is paricularly useful for finding popular items up for auction, and it has grown to be enormous database for help identifying things you have questions about.  Their feature articles, written by a serious group of clever and innovative writers, are always a delight. 

Click for my own modest contributions, and add the site to your bookmarks.

Homespun Beauty: Jim Linderman on Folk Art's Authentic Appeal
 
Hellfire and Damnation in Your Back Pocket

Playing with Fire: A Boys Matchbox Collection

Total Immersion Collecting: Baptism Photos

Items from my personal collection on the site

Original Drawing of Lone Ranger Costume from the 1950s. Johnny Depp and an excuse to show Iggy Pop (!)

Lone Ranger costume in Ink Johnny Depp and Iggy Pop ???

Normally, folks post images of Halloween costumes only on the day.  It's a problem with holiday-related collectibles.  For a painter, putting Santa in a painting means no one will hang it…except in December.    There are many serious collectors of Halloweniana (yes, a real word) but they don't collect the plastic masks and costumes much.  I'd like to say because so many burned up, but that would be horrible.

I have a better peg for this drawing here.  It is, of course, the Lone Ranger movie coming out with Johnny Depp as Tonto.  It looks from the previews that the Lone Ranger is dressed pretty much like junior here, but Johnny has opted for a more realistic Tonto.  One accurate and hopefully with more respect to the spirit of the first nations people he is characterizing.  It is a risky and delicate career move, as he will not only be depicting a representative of an entire group of cultures we wiped out, but also one finally speaking up about being stereotyped in horrible manner by the still dominant white culture.  I'll see it just to see if Mr. Depp pulls it off, and I fully trust he will.  Johnny is serious about his craft and an actor we are fortunate to have.  His earlier film on Native Americans is the fantastic but forgotten Dead Man, which in addition to having amazing recreations of North Western tribe material culture, had a soundtrack by Neil Young which never gets tired.

It also had Michigan's own Iggy Pop.  One can NOT go wrong with anything Iggy has ever done,  and his turn as a shaker-bonnet wearing country and western cross-dresser is typical of his artistic output.  By which I mean great. The film also had Robert Mitchum (!) Gabriel Byrne, John Hurt, Crispin Glover, Billy Bob Thornton and more, all of them quirky as hell.  View it.  In fact view any Jim Jarmusch flick. 

There are numerous curse words here.  And a cross-dressing Iggy Pop, fearless as always.  Have the children watch!


The new Lone Ranger, one of a long string of masked men in blue…will be a huge hit

The drawing top is an original ink piece of an imagined Lone Ranger costume produced by an anonymous artist for the Collegeville Costume Company.  I assume it dates to the television show.  It is a small drawing of only  4" x 8" but check the detail!

"Hi-Yo Silver" ink on cardboard, circa 1960?  Costume Company Fashion Drawing Collection Jim Linderman


See also books and affordable ebooks by Jim Linderman HERE

Book of Weavings Fredrich Froebel Antique Paper Designs

A folding book of children's paper weavings (and titled same, simply WEAVING) circa 1880.  Influenced by the teachings and research of Frederich Froebel.   The once humble craftwork is now recognized as among the most important influences on art movements to follow.  Klee and Mondrian come to mind, but still one can find examples of the technique at antique paper and ephemera shows.

Several years ago I posted a pair of large, free-standing works HERE, this is an "accordion" page presentation book with 20 examples mounted.  Last year the Ricco-Maresca gallery exhibited some splendid work, and a set of snowflakes in the same technique are HERE. 

BOOKS AND $5.99 Ebooks by Jim Linderman are HERE

Impregnated Matches of Young Mr. Root

Original Matchboxes circa 1920 - 1930 from the collection assembled by young Lowell Root.  As you can see, Lowell traveled the world with matches.

My second post on the "striking" collection.  See MORE HERE

Books and affordable Ebooks by Jim Linderman are available HERE

Pole Climbing Daredevil Stunt Real Photo Postcard

A pole climbing daredevil makes it to the top with his partner supervising from the platform below.  Click to see spectators at lower right wondering if they are to witness a fall. Pole climbers have been documented for centuries, a few more are discussed HERE.  In this case, an early photographer has positioned himself to capture the moment, but there appears to be few folks for him to sell his RPPC to after the fellow descends.  Location unknown.

Daredevil Real Photograph Postcard Circa 1920 Collection Jim Linderman

EMEZÄRUGYÄR Space Wagon

Of all things to find in Western Michigan, an EMEZÄRUGYÄR Space Wagon from somewhere in the ex-Soviet Union.  I had a friend's child put batteries in it, and it works like a charm.


Space Toy of Tin  Collection Jim Linderman

Another Snapshot of Thing

CLICK TO ENLARGE THING

Another snapshot of THING (this time with hanging laundry) sent over by a wonderful vintage photography dealer. THING and links to friends HERE

BOOKS AND EBOOKS BY JIM LINDERMAN HERE

Untitled "Head" Polaroid Instant Photograph

Anonymous Polaroid Instant Photograph No Date Collection Jim Linderman

The Famous Painting of Professor Woodruff AKA Nude Lady Held Up in the Lake (September Morn)

The Hold Up, Professor Woodruff's masterpiece.  Speculating here, I am going to guess Woodruff painted his dream, or a vision, or an obsession.  I hope it was not painted from life, as it appears to show a man holding a gun on a nude woman, And Woodruff seems pretty darn proud of himself.  I have checked the inventories of some lauded institutions with no luck.  Does anyone out there know where Woodruff's rough masterpiece ended up?
(Just for the record, see the link HERE)

Real Photo Postcard circa 1915 collection Jim Linderman

BOOKS AND EBOOKS BY JIM LINDERMAN (MORE COMING)  
ARE AVAILABLE HERE

Woody the Amazing Articulated Folk Art Man collection Jim Linderman

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Hand-carved articulated figure (doll) with handmade clothes, miniature leather belt and safety pin tie-clasp.  Circa 1940.  Collection Jim Linderman

From the Forthcoming Exhibition "HEADS" Jim Linderman Dull Tool Dim Bulb

Forthcoming HEADS exhibition

BOOKS AND AFFORDABLE EBOOKS BY JIM LINDERMAN HERE

Limited Edition Lithographs Celebrate the Armory Show

CERTAIN to increase in value, Limited Edition Lithographs currently available at 46 cents each.

Books and Ebooks by Jim Linderman available HERE

Gun Culture Vernacular Photographs at the House of Mirth

Collection Clare Goldsmith

That our unfortunate national obsession with guns starts young is obvious, but you will see few better examples than the miniature exhibition HERE on Stacy Waldman's excellent blog House of Mirth.  Stacy curated a show from some prominent collectors, and the images are authentic and frightening.  Great stuff, and the site always is.  Put it on your list of regular visits.

LINK to the House of Mirth is HERE

How Much is a Wiggles Worth? Smith Wigglesworth Sky Pilot Preacher

Reverend Smith Wigglesworth tries a new trick:  dropping his invitations from a bi-plane like the propaganda they were!   Good thing the company now selling his four-pound "complete sermons"  doesn't try that trick…it would be like the time they dropped turkeys from the sky on WKRP.

Anyway, a scarce little pamphlet from the sky which is worth exactly one wiggles worth today…but then find another.
 
Wigglesworth was a plumber who suffered from glossolalia (the clinical name for speaking in tongues)  but it was in the days before medication for schizophrenia, so he became a preacher.  This was shortly after meeting and marrying his wife, Polly Featherstone, a Salvation Army preacher. She taught the plumber to read the Bible, and he always said it was the only book he ever read.  That is typical of his open-mindedness throughout his entire career.
 
What a career it was.  Wigglesworth raised folks from the dead (!) including at one point his now dead wife Polly!  He claimed to have brought no less than three, but maybe as many as twenty-three departed souls back to life.  One of those he brought back was a bitter woman  who,  when raised out of her coffin,  slapped the preacher in the face saying she was having a better time in heaven. 

He was a "laying on of hands" faith-healer, but when Swedish authorities (onto the ruse) denied him, he cured Swede's illnesses by inventing a technique by which the informed could "lay hands on themselves."  He also distributed blessed hankies, but I haven't been able to find out how much he charged for them.

Wikipedia claims Wigglesworth would not sleep at night unless he had saved at least one soul that day.   One night he rose troubled from bed and went out looking for a drunk to convince on the spot so he could get some damn sleep.

There is a website devoted to selling Smith's dribbles, but I'm not going to link to them.  Why help?  I will gladly allow them to use this scarce sky-pamphlet if they can bring either Old Man Smith Wigglesworth OR his wife Polly back to cure my lumbago.
 
Message from Sky Pilot Smith Wigglesworth.  Original "flying tract" announcement circa 1930 Collection Jim Linderman

THIS IS A POST ON THE OLD TIME RELIGION blog as well.

BOOKS AND Ebook Downloads by Jim Linderman are available HERE

Farming on the MOON by Anonymous Who Painted the Future for Topps? Space Art 1958

Farming on the Moon?  Earthshine love!  All From Target Moon, and I can't find out who painted them.  A hot debate rages in the nerd community about whether the set of Topps trading cards known as Target Moon were produced in 1958 or 1967, with salmon backs or with blue backs, the wrappers they came in, whether gum was included,  how often they were reissued, what countries they were distributed in,  blah blah. I say "nerd" with no rancor, trading card collectors...but you KNOW the only one worth having is Honus Wagner, and he never went to the moon.

But no one identifies the artist!
 
I came across one Chesley Bonstell, who appeared promising…but I think he paints better. 

I mean, come on.  They even know the name of the space dog. 

The set is fascinatingly fascinating…and while one might think them goofy, consider they were done at least ten years before we landed on the moon.  Whoever did them got things pretty close, especially as I don't think NASA was sharing much with the Ruskies back then. 
 
There have even been auctions of the original artwork with no illustrator identified. 

Check out these earthbound goons racing to recover the rocket!  HAW!
 
One of the great mysteries of space!  If anyone knows out there in space art land, feel free to write in.  

BOOKS AND EBOOKS BY THE AUTHOR AVAILABLE HERE 

UPDATE:  Suggestions from a kindly expert, as follows:  Definitely not Bonestell... I think he was too high profile (and priced accordingly) for the cheapskates at Topps. There are at least two or three artists involved... the "Martian Dust Storm" looks like it COULD be Norm Saunders. The rest look familiar, but nothing I can place.

Comic Foreground Novelty Vintage Photographs ARGENTINA TINTAMARRESQUE The New Dull Tool Dim Bulb Book

Argentina Tintamarresque!  Comic Foreground Vintage Photographs.  You know the drill by now.  The newest Book from House of Dull Tool Dim Bulb, and it is only $5.99 in Ebook form, and $21.95 in paperback.  66 pages of fun! Cutout novelty screens were invented by the same guy who first painted dogs playing poker. That astounding fact may just be enough for you to purchase this, the most curious of books, but I will throw in a few more encouragements. One, all the photographs included in the book predate 1930, and two, all are from Argentina. Cassius Marcellus Coolidge is credited with creating "comic foregrounds" which put a sitter behind a caricatured painting. Staple of carnivals, "just off the exit" rest stops and anywhere one wants to have fun looking stupid. Argentina Tintamarresque, as odd as it may seem, collects tons of them.  Why?  Why NOT?

Most are real photo postcards, but there are snapshots.  Not only are the futuristic modes of transportation all wrong, the folks perched behind them seldom smile, as these are so old folks still thought you had to refrain from moving.  In glorious South American sepia, each a little gem.

Argentina Tintamarresque is OUT OF PRINT!  Current books available under the Dull Tool Dim Bulb imprint from Blurb are HERE

Candid Charlie Comic Books Paparazzi Photographica from B. Gordon Guth

Comic Book Photographica  and the first paparazzi Candid Charlie of Target Comics!

For the record, I do not collect comic books, and I do not own those shown above.  For this post, I defer to the experts Steven Thompson and My Comic Shop, though in this case even they don't know too much.  Both are linked below.  Let's call this a query.  Who the hell was B. Gordon Guth, the artist who conjured up "Candid Charlie" a red-headed kid with camera?
 
Every boy with a handheld is Candid Charlie now, but back when these came out, one had to lug it around their neck.  I guess the stereotype of Japanese tourists snapping photos is finally retired too…now that we all take too many pictures with our cellphones.  But back then, a shutterbug was nerdy and with thick glasses to go with his hobby.

By far the best place to find anything about Guth is Steven Thompson's blog Four Color Shadows.  Mr. Thompson is the expert (truly) but even he seems stumped. He does reproduce an entire story HERE. 

Candid Charlie appeared in Target Comics, sometimes as a cover model, and the rest of the time within.  Some of the covers of Target are so cool they almost make me wish I collected them…but not all were done by B. Gordon Guth.  In fact, it looks like once in a while (for "composite" covers) Candid Charlie was drawn by another artist…unless the ginger head bespeckled hero of B. Guth was a generic type.  Note no camera on Charlie on the cover of "4 Most Comics" as he, or his look-a-like is hurled to the sand.

In one issue, a three-headed Charlie has to decide between a dame and his Brownie.  Take the dame Charlie.

There is another Charlie looking dude slumped down after sniffing ether too, but it is drawn by Nina Albright.  Nina was super cool.  Check out this issue of Target with Kit Carter obfuscating the eyes of the bad guy with his sand wedge!

Another Guth cover shows a seemingly now grown-up Candid Charlie shooting a shark while the world's smallest one-man speedboat heads towards shore.

The census lists a B. Gordon Guth of the Bronx born 1910.  I reckon that would be him.

As I said, I'm no comic historian, but Guth seems to have been hooked up with L. B. Cole, who I wrote about HERE and Art Helfant, like Nina both far better known.

Steven Thompson's fantastic comic book site Four Color Shadows is HERE
My Comic Shop (which has a few of these in stock) is HERE



Books and affordable ebooks by Jim Linderman are available HERE