Saturday, December 10, 2005

Collections: Ephemera ~ Paper Fans






Top left: "I'm someone's little child
please drive carefully" Painted by Mabel Rollins Harris, who was active in the 20's and 30's. The picture shows a young girl eyeing a robin on her nest, surrounded by automobile safety rules. The reverse is an ad for Chevrolet, especially touting the safety features found in Chevy autos, by J.W. Hollowell & Son in Federalsburg, MD. I love the one that says "keep yourself physically fit and mentally alert"!

Middle: Painted by Charles Mark Relyea (1863-1932), the scene is a campfire beside a lake on a full-moonlit night, and the men are dipping snuff - W.E. Garrett Snuff - Man's Best Chew! Note the canoe at the edge of the lake and the moose standing on a spit. It appears that the man standing up is reaching for his rifle....Surely he wouldn't shoot the moose, would he? Garrett's Snuff was made in "the largest snuff factory in the world" in Memphis, TN. It was called Scotch snuff, according to the story, that a merchant in Ireland had some snuff in stone jars exposed to the heat of a fire on his premises, and as he could not afford to throw it away he sold it to his patrons without mentioning that it had been scorched by fire. Much to his surprise, his patrons began to demand more of that scorched snuff....and the name was confused....and it became "Scotch". The calendar at the top is dated 1936, and so the company must have appropriated the Relyea painting for the fan after the artist's death.

Bottom: a photograph of two small children, with their cocker spaniel, saying grace over their dessert table. The rear advertises Arthur Foust's Atlantic Service Station, 702 E. Market St., Greensboro, NC, Phone 9443. Their motto: "Our Service is Measured by Satisfied Customers".

24 comments:

Lazy Daisy said...

What great pictures. I remember as a little girl using fans at church with the local funeral palor name on it (country church with no air conditioning!)

Michele sent me!

Lazy Daisy

kontan said...

i love things like this! so much about history can be revealed in the simple things.

here via michele

Lisa said...

Hi Judy! I'm here via Michele's today. I always enjoy seeing the pictures you post of the fans. Also, the story about your friend "L" was fantastic. Very heartwarming. ENjoy the rest of your weekend!

Pirate said...

i like this stuff. i see it in antigue storea all the time.

OldLady Of The Hills said...

Hi Judy...Nobody sent me, but me! (lol)
I cannot get over how beautiful the art-work is on all these fans. These painters were all wonderfully talented! I can't remember if I asked you this before...have you ever looked up any of these artists to see what their history is? I'm always amazed how beautiful the shapes if all your fans are...you have a terrific eye for this 'art', and it is ART! By the way...the 'answer' is posted now on my blog!!!

srp said...

Now I remember the ones like the last one with the curved wooden handle attached. These were the kind they kept in the campmeeting tabernacle when I was a kid. It wasn't a tent but rather a cinder block front wall with the platform and poles down the side, across the back and up the middle to hold up the permanent roof but with the other three sides open. At first I don't know if it even had a concrete floor, just sawdust scattered under the chairs. Boy, it was hot. We sure needed those fans.

Jean-Luc Picard said...

Wonderful images; they tell so much about history.

Michele sent me here.

Tammy said...

Great pics (and history!), as always.

Michele sent me...today. :)

fred said...

Love the fans--Alabama air conditioners. However, since I can't return mail to your comment address from Fragments, re Pandora and off-topic your post here:

Type in the song name first, then choose MS from the drop down list of artists--this is the way I got there, at least.

FF

carmilevy said...

Things really were different then: people - and companies - cared. This is as great a glimpse of that as I've seen in a long time. Thanks again, Judy, for taking us on these richly unique journeys.

Our buddy sent me today. I can't believe she's waited until this late in the weekend to do so! I'll definitely have to catch up.

poopie said...

These are gorgeous..I love traveling back in time like this!

Carolyn said...

How cool are these! Are they yours? I think my favorite is the bottom one w/the dog at dessert table. They are so unique :)

Cool Dad said...

I am always shocked when I visit here. These really are exquisite and a lot of fun. Here from Michele's but I catch you a few places in between.

Juggling Mother said...

I'm always interested in your fan posts - are you likely to run out anytime soon?

Michele sent me today, but I come when I have time anyway:-)

OldHorsetailSnake said...

Fascinating stuff, Judy. You got a whole trunkload of this stuff?

craziequeen said...

wonderful pictures, Judy :-)

I always wonder what you'll come up with next?

cq
Over from Michele's place...

Anonymous said...

New fans! And a new favorite- the little boy and girl saying their table prayer. The simplicity and lack of color (as Hoss would say, oh har de har har) make this a beautiful fan. The top one is sweet but just think- cars went about, oh, 20 miles per hour back then. If only the poor girl knew what was coming!

Anonymous said...

I just love your collection. Do you collect NEW paper fans or only old ones? I love a functional collection! (Well, not this time of year!) Have a fantastic week, Judy!

marlynn said...

Cool fans! Michele sent me today :)

OldLady Of The Hills said...

Hi Judy...Was here much earlier and now, Michele sent me back! You were anxious to see the answer to the 4 things on my blog....it's there, my dear.
Still think these fans are truly beautiful in every way. GREAT Colection!!!

Bec said...

I always love your collection posts and am very taken with the notion there is/was such a thing as "Man's best chew"!
Michele sent me tonight and I'm still keen to know about seven-layer cookies...

dena said...

I just love that bottom one. It's so sweet.

flatlander said...

These are really cool fans! Long live snuff!

Anonymous said...

I HAVE A GARRETT'S SNUFF FAN AND WAS WONDERING WHERE TO FIND OUT MORE INFO ABOUT IT. (WHAT I'TS WORTH ETC.) CAN YOU TELL ME WHERE TO FIND OUT ABOUT IT? E-MAIL ME AT shamay71263@yahoo.com
THANKS,
CHARLENE