Miss Penelope Shoo. "The Scarecrow of Tomorrow" stands over the only wheat field in New York City. The wheat field lasted 68 years. Miss Shoo (as is SHOO, birds…SHOO! ) stood over the field of wheat that Continental Baking and their product Wonder Bread planted for the 1939 World's Fair. In front of the field was a building designed by Skidmore & Owings.
Penelope Shoo was created by mannequin maker Jean Spadea, and at least one of her costumes was a fashion design by Hattie Carnegie. When she was removed (or stolen?) in 1930, folks wondered where Shoo went. She was STOLEN by pranksters from Columbia University to be used at the Columbia / Princeton football game. The anonymous thieves returned her, sans arms, to Continental Bakery. A color film from 1939 which documented Penelope is HERE. Original snapshot 1939 "Penelope Shoo" collection Jim Linderman Books by the author available HERE The Birth of Rock and Roll by the author available HERE
An African-American effigy made of cement with bead eyes and gold paint. Circa 1920 (?) found in the Whitehaven neighborhood of Memphis, TN in the mid 1980s. Purchased at an African-American family yard sale. They likely "inherited" the piece, as they said it was "always sitting on the back steps." Inscribed around base "JIM LADY" An early African-American Folk Art Figural Sculpture pieces from the United States. African-American Folk Art Figure collection Jim Linderman See books and Ebooks by the author HERE
Former stud poker "dummy" or "rakeoff man" Reverend McNab Wilson in 1932. He abandoned the gambling houses of Nevada to spread the good word to Blackfeet tribe members whether they wanted it or not. McNab is more annoying than "cowboy poets" who have their annual "slam on the range" discussed every year on NPR. This post also goes on the OLD TIME RELIGION blog. Original Press Photograph 1932 Collection Jim Linderman
The Guardian ran a piece on our new book TIMES SQUARE SMUT which featured numerous illustrations of the "soft-core hard boiled" books you were not supposed to read in the 1950s. Eric Stanton and Eugene Bilbrew covers are shown in the article. See also The Gallery of covers they selected. Times Square Smut the Book is available from Blurb in paperback and ebook download HERE. (Above "OTHER" Irving Klaw models from the book)
A hand carved antique folk art sculpture which replicates the J. & E. Stevens cast iron bank which was patented in 1878. The cast iron toy was designed by John Hall and was sold as The Tammany Bank. The folk art carving is larger than the commercial toy, and functions as a bank too! Metal coin slot, moving arm, original paint decoration. This folk art sculpture is twice the size of the bank toy, and is an accurate and accomplished construction.
Antique American Folk Art Sculpture 19th Century Carved by Hand Fat Man Bank Collection Jim Linderman
Vintage Erotic Folk Art Carving Woman Hitchhiker. I date it to 1935...The Frank Capra film It Happened One Night came out in 1934 and startled the country...women had legs, or at least Claudette Colbert did... Folk Art carving circa 1935 Collection Jim Linderman
Vintage Ventriloquist Vent Dummy (and one in the box) Original Snapshot collection Jim Linderman The BOOK I'm with Dummy is available in Paperback and EbookHERE
A Superman made out of scrap wood. Titled in pencil, date on bottom of base. Superman first showed up in Action Comics 1938, so this is an early piece predating plastic consumer market products by a long time.
I have a trendy "small house" of my own and I am glad to see the trend. Spoiled Americans who think bigger is better end up with bigger bills to pay and bigger places to heat. They also, to use another trendy expression "degrade" the environment. I'm not suggesting we all live like this fellow, but this man cave is outstanding. Caption reads "DALE AND THE PLAY HOUSE HE HAS MADE" and the date 1940. Imagine how proud his family was...and how happy Dale was to have his own place. I hope his father made it home from the war and that he had a great life. Original photograph Anonymous "Dale's Little House) 1940 collection Dull Tool Dim Bulb
