Another neat old curio recently added to the permanent Karswell Collection is this Kindel & Graham Cigarette Dispenser from late 1920's San Francisco CA. Still in decent shape for being nearly 100 years old, and still works too, apparently, though I have yet to officially test it. Just lift the lid, fill up her head with cigarettes, and when you push the little button on the front near her chin a cig will drop down and then dispense right out from between her circularly pursed lips. I'd show you how it works, but I don't smoke, (of course), so I have no cigs to even load her up with-- wahhhh! Researching her online it appears she came in a variety of head dress styles and assorted, beautiful antique bling attached. Some versions of her "gypsy" face are painted quite differently as well. A few listings also mention her being a "fortune teller" of some kind, but I couldn't begin to tell you how that works here, --hmmm, unless instead of cigarettes, you rolled up little fortunes etched on paper! Yes, I may have to try this, and after I do I will absolutely report back...
6 comments:
Hm. can't quite put my finger on what this reminds me of. It sure is well made, and I love the starfish in her scarf. I'd also like to see a model in the cigar-holder size, please.
..."rolled up little fortunes etched on paper!"
That reminded me of the rolled up horoscopes that were sold in convenience stores and dollar stores many years ago. I think they were slightly larger than cigarettes so they may work instead of tobacco filled coffin nails.
And now the mystery-where have you been hiding, wooden lady of time long ago? Were you in an attic, a cellar, or were you the favorite item of a tobacconist put away and forgotten about?
A mystery for the ages.
The paint job on that thing is really good -- I wonder if somebody restored it? I get the fortune teller part, it does kind of look like a Zoltar (not Zontar, don't google that by mistake!) head dress.
There's a lot of components to this, it couldn't have been a cheap piece at the time.
Nothing is restored. It’s all original
Out of curiosity, was there anything on the bottom? A label or makers mark perhaps?
This is such a hauntingly amazing item it could feature in a horror tale, or tale of mysterious fiction.
There’s nothing on the bottom, all of the info I found online about it is in my introduction
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