- 2008 -
January:
"BIG BOXED HOUSE
Robby Lucke scored this one on ebay last December, and it's a big one in the original box again showing that these big ones came individually packaged and not in sets. It's 9" wide.
The frontal close-up.
Backing off a little to show the box.
Here's a close-up on the front bay and the flag. Robby says not to take that 13-states flag seriously. The original flagpole is broken and it's doubtful the Japanese would ever have used the "Betsy Ross" Original Colonies version of Old Glory.
Out of the box, here. The hand holding it gives some idea of the size.
The ends and other aspects.
Flag or no flag,a remarkably fine-condition piece with the mullioned windows totally intact. Congratulations, Robby in Montana!
February:
"Huge Medieval Cathedral"
This thing is enormous!
In the somber rough-textured gray associated with the medieval castles, and appropriate to the mood of February, this one stands fully 18" high. Not sure of other dimesions, because these are pictures from eBay and are all I have on it at the moment.
The base is missing, and until a complete one shows up we'll just be speculating as to what it was. Note how many pieces it breaks down into to be fit into a reasonably sized box. For a dimestore notion, there's a lot engineering here.
Rear view shows some minor damage, but it also shows that this was a house to be illuminated and not a candy box.
All in all, an amazing large and detailed piece.
March:
"The Bald Padre"
Here's a new figure...the Bald Padre. He's quite detailed - Hand painted with sliver cross and beard. Much more so than the standard "Padre" with black hood, which was fairtly common in the 1930s and appeared again briefly around 1955. This one seems to occur only on one type of church, and one other building which is the same "church" without the steeple, both from same mid-'50s ressurgence I have called "The Last Hurrah." (See the POSTWAR scetion.)
This is the church, one of that group I call the "COTTON-TOPPERS." As with many of this group, it's quite large, standing 18" with the steeple.
Two copies of this building that never had a steeple, but is basically "churchy" looking.
A grouping of "COTTON-TOPPERS" ca. 1955 showing this church complete and one missing the steeple. You can see that the two above were made as they are, because there is no base and cornice for the steeple. Note, also, that the buildings that are different have Santas. The "Bald Padre" seems to have occured on one basic building structure only.
All-in-all a very fitting Lenten offering, I would think.
Thanks to Tom Hull for this most unique contribution.
April:
"Black Coconut"
As far as is yet known, there is only style of house that is black, and this is it - a medium base raked style with oversized porch that came in one of the commoner assortments of 8 sold widely around 1934-35. It is found in both rough black or dark charcoal stucco or actual BLACK COCONUT. Yes, Virgina - there is a black coconut. Not often seen, there are examples of black coconut chinmeys and other features, but this is the only one in which it covers the main body of the house itself. Tom Hull shows two variations, here, and I'll let him take over the telling from here on ...
"I just got in the house on the left today and bought it largely because I noticed it had a foil roof which I haven't noticed before on this not uncommon house. This house almost doesn't vary at all so I decided to get it, and right away I believe you can see some differences. I suspect this is the earliest of this design.
The house on the left is basically all coconut with the exception of the chimney and porch which is the whitish gravel with some black specks in it, and of course the pink foil. It also has BLACK or at least dark gray coconut. Ted was right on this. All the rest of us had, had experience with is the one on the left with the black gravel and apparently more common.
Notice the difference in the expressions of the mouths of the snowmen. Also the location of the tree is behind the porch with a wire trunk unlike the one on the left which is a fairly large wood trunk (original with replacement loofha.)
A close up of the little frowning snowman. I have a theory about this - entirely fanciful and not based on much of anything. But the snowman is sad because he can't go into the house! Were you aware that the Japanese man did not drink in the home? He traditionally (even to this day) did all his drinking outside the house and have often wondered if the so-called "dog houses" weren't in fact little drinking places. I have seen the dog houses with a frowning snowman nearby and wondered if the ol' man were kicked out of the house for being a bit tipsy - all very symbolically of course.
In this example we see pink coconut around the edge of the base which is a departure from the more common type. No doubt carrying the pink foil of the roof into the base. And indeed, it is PINK but the photo is a bit off in color on the left. I believe all this makes a more interesting house.
Notice the drool of gray paint on the foil. The background of the house on both types is this color of gray and is used on the back. This indicates to us that the roof was done before the sides of the house. Notice the warping on the entry way. It appears to have been wet when this was done during construction and I will NOT attempt to straighten it. Nor remove the paint drool. THIS IS THE WAY THIS ONE WAS FINISHED and we need to keep as many original references as possible on a house, even if unique, and this one is in generally great condition.
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This to show the different size window which is the only one that Ted and Kathi didn't reproduce. Since it is all there the ONLY restoration I will do on this house is to carefully back it with new cellophane. Notice the intensity of the red color after all these years!
This photo to show the original "French" door. Also with this photo toned down you can see how splotchy the snowman is. I have NO idea why unless it has a bit of gray paint on it - perhaps the old boy HAD been on a "tear." Ha!" - Tom