No, this isn't an early Valentine's Day post. This is a Victorian era portrait pin, aka a mourning pin, or brooch / button, (also referred to as a sweetheart token), and she possesses one of the most other-worldly profiles from the past that I've ever encountered. That haunted, longing stare from over a hundred plus years gone... who has a good, melancholy tale to tell about her?
Not that every other month around here doesn't have its fair share of bare flesh, but February at AEET tends to be even friskier than most other months. Case in point, this revealing, sexy set of 6 Penthouse Pets "Swizzle Strippers!" Just get 'em wet and watch 'em strip! I actually attempted shooting some video to show exactly how well they work, unfortunately, a few of them aren't in the best condition and started to fall apart the very second liquid touched their bodies! Oh well, the hand on the box cover shows you how to do it, and all of that white overlay turns completely invisible, I assure you! Ahem. Soooo, mix up a couple of your favorite cocktails, and mix in a couple of gorgeous 70's Penthouse Magazine "Pets of the Month" as well! Hell, to be completely honest though, just about anything would make disgusting alcohol taste better!
Time to check in with gorgeous girl detective, Lucky Dale, as she sets sail on the high seas of action 'n adventure! She's one tough lil cookie, and wearing a red dress that seriously seems to have a mind of its own! You'll see what I mean as this early Warren Kramer (really?!) classic thrills, chills, and probably even titillates you with an over abundance of revealing good girl art, plus some hilarious tough guy dialogue too. From Avon's The Saint #4, published in 1948.
The other day I found one of the many interesting toys (un-used even) created for young girls during the Carter Administration-- it's, the Amy (Carter) Paper Doll (1977), which to me sort of has a 70's underground comic vibe in not only the colorful box art design, but even in Amy herself, (that smile on her face harkens a bit to a certain Devil Girl by R. Crumb!) And yes, you'd be as surprised as me if you knew this cute lil thing even existed, let alone the other toys created in her image (google the astounding Amy Carter Love Doll from 1978 by Tom McPartland, for example!) They really played up the "Peanut Power" angle with this paper doll though, (I was barely a pre-teen during this era but I'll never forget that slogan), highlighted by a nutty, toothy peanut mascot among the other groovy 70's clothing choices to dress her up in. So what'll it be? A sailor? A dutch girl? The president's funkadelic daughter? "Hours of fun" it says right there on the lid...
It's not every day that one of these beautiful, 1940's countertop mannequins show up around these parts, but I'm sure glad I was in the right place and at the right time when one did! Venus is a shapely, 30" tall female display mannequin statue, and fashionably posed to model actual miniature versions of Venus brand products made of real fabric (in this case a skin-tone corset, see photo close-ups towards the end of this post below.) Her overall body form is composed of a molded Rubberlite material, hence the extensive cracking all over, likely from years of sun and heat exposure in store front windows, as well as other various destructive display and storage elements. Her base is even a little warped as if at one point she was possibly melting sideways (!!), and as you can see, a previous owner attempted to fix her by adding a slanted piece of wood underneath said base. It sort of works. Sort of. Anyway, a few of my friends believe that her cracking condition gives her extra story and character. I think it sort of makes her look like she's carved out of wood, and when I initially set eyes upon her at the antique mall, I imagined a much more attractive mash-up between the mounted ship figurehead of Hera from Jason and the Argonauts (1963), with the living wooden figurehead from The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973.) Check out another va-va-va-version of Venus from a 2017 auction site, by CLICKING HERE!
I found another great, late nouveau era match safe this week (my third this year!), and as much as I'd like to believe that it's Satan, it is obviously more along the lines of a satyr, probably even The Great God Pan himself (see his curled ram horns, cluster of grapes, and flowers in his hair.) Made of heavy duty cast iron, he's an imposing face of freaky fertility glaring down from the wall. And though meant to be mounted by a fireplace (because it's a match safe after all), I think he compliments my framed antique print of the ever fertile "Enchantress" by Rolf Armstrong a bit better, --and I especially love the shadowy lighting and highlight assist from my office lamp below...
