1991 El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos), Fábula. National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh. Oil on canvas, photographically reproduced as a postcard. Sent by Gert Jan van Dijk.
Gert rightly asks "Which fable?" One possibility might be the Bidpay fable about the busybody bird who bothers the chimpanzees trying to blow a glow-worm into a flame. The apes eventually grab the intrusive bird and choke it. At any rate, one of the two men seems to have a flame in a protected surrounding, to be blowing on it, and to be about to light a small candle from it. Another man and a monkey look on.
1933 Ein Kalender für das Jahr 1933. Mit Fabeln nach Aesop und Anderen (Cover: Klingspor Kalendar für das Jahr 1933). Gedruckt und herausgegeben von Gebr. Klingspor. Holzstiche von Willi Harwerth. Hardbound. Offenbach am Main. $49.50 from Lee Jay Stoltzfus, Lititz, PA, through eBay, May, '04.
This is one of the happiest finds of my twenty-five years of collecting. I first knew of this book from Anne Stevenson Hobbs' book on books in the Victoria and Albert Museum. I had it in my hands when I visited the museum. I presumed that I would never have a chance at finding a copy for the collection. Germany after 1933 was not a good place for preserving ephemera like a calendar. I was amazed when the book came up on eBay and more amazed when no one bid against me! This hardbound book about 4" x 7" begins with a page for each month (2-13). Each page has a bird illustration at the top appropriate to the season. What follows is the liturgical calendar of saints and Sundays, with the Sundays printed in red, and phases of the moon noted. There follow then nineteen pages of fables, about one to a page, each with an illustration (14-32). Hobbs chooses well when she selects the woodcuts of "Der schöpfende Hirsch" (16) and "Der Fuchs und die Schwalbe" (23) for her book. They are exquisite. Her version of the former is colored, while none of the woodcuts here are colored. FC (18) and FK (26) are presented with figures situated at the top and bottom of the page, respectively, with text in between. BF (22) is another excellent woodcut. The woodcut for "Der Bauch und die Glieder" (29) is appropriately macabre. What a treasure! Formerly in the collection of Carl and Margaret Rollins.
1959 Eight Hungarian stamps of various value celebrating children's stories. Among them is a GA stamp for 60 filler. The stamps are on a FDC envelope, canceled in Budapest, apparently on December 15. Each of the stamps lists "Eva Gabor," presumably the artist. From Waynesboro, PA, through eBay.
A jaunty grasshopper artist, with scarf and perhaps jacket, seems to stride across a wintry landscape. In the background stands an ant with hands on hips in a gesture of displeasure.
1920’s to 1990’s Eight French cheese labels from a variety of regions, all displaying some form of FC. $6 each from Bertrand Cocq, Calonne-Ricouart, France, Sept., ’20. Different Ligueil label for €7.50 from Albert van den Bosch, Antwerp, June, '23.
Like so many things in French culture, there is a strong and tasteful use of color in these labels! My favorite here has the fox playing a guitar to charm the crow!
Eduard Prüssen, FC, woodcut. 7" x 10¼". Beilage zu Illustration 63, Heft 3. 1980
A beautiful ink drawing on fine paper featuring the fox and the crow, who are the main characters of Jean de la Fontaine’s fable, Le Renard et le Corbeau. The expressions on the faces of the fox and the crow accurately depict the emotions of the story.
1895? Three colored cards on poor stock presenting La Fontaine's fables: "L'Avare qui a perdu son Trésor," FC, and "Le Rat et l'Huitre." 2½' x 3 7/8". The uniform verso on all three cards advertises a competition "Concours du Petit Ecolier" organized by the Café Imperial in Dreux (E.-et-L.). Printed by Éditions Wartel, Paris-Lille. $15 from Bertrand Cocq, Calonne-Ricouart, France.
These cards have turned out well--and lasted a while--despite the poor stock on which they are printed. The miser image looks to me as though it is strongly influenced by Grandville. The verso offers a wide variety of prizes for the competition and announces that everybody wins. The fact that these three cards are labelled as fables suggests that other literature may have been included in the series. Two of the three cards are inscribed twice each by Marie Therèse Baileau, but she uses the accent aigu--in one case twice--on her middle name.
1995 Six maxi postcards, about 4" x 6", each offering a different illustration of the scene shown on its stamp. Each cancelled with a first day postmark on June 24, 1995 at Chateau-Thierry. Éditions Philatéliques, Nice. $15 from Topical Paradise through eBay, August, '11. Extra copy of GA for $12.50 from Loic Marchat, Villeurbane, France, Nov., '05.
These postcards may be other than the official French sets. Each bears a title, between two foxes with top-hats, of "Les fables de La Fontaine." The images can be found at only one other place among the extensive printings celebrating the issuing of six stamps in 1995, namely on the hologram envelopes with golden dentils.
1995 Six envelopes, about 3¾" x 6½", each offering a different illustration of the scene shown on its stamp. Each image has a border made up of animals against a differently colored background for each envelope. Each cancelled with a first day postmark on June 24, 1995 at Chateau-Thierry. Premier Jour d'Emission/First Day Cover. Éditions Philatéliques, Nice. $15 from Topical Paradise through eBay, August, '11.
The images on these envelopes are the same as on the postcards by the same publisher. Each bears a title above its image of "Les fables de La Fontaine." The images can also be found at on the hologram envelopes with golden dentils.
1913 An Edison Blue Amberol " cylindrical record, "Fables Roberts" (#1632 G-324). Lyrics by Jeff Branen. Music by J. Fred Helf. Sung by Bob Roberts. With the lower part of its cylindrical cardboard storage chamber.
Now here is a surprising find! One might expect, as I did, a telling of some fables. What is actually here is a song just short of four minutes in length that makes fun of "stories meant to deceive," the kinds of things husbands and wives tell each other. The repeated refrain is "In the olden days they called them fables, but they're nothing but doggone lies." This Youtube video presents the full lyrics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEiBPWIS7LU&feature=youtu.be. This theme is of course not original. It goes all the way back to the most curious element in the description of a fable by the Sophist Theon: a fable is a "lying story that images the truth." Bob Roberts had a long career of making recordings for various companies. This was apparently his last recording for Edison. I appreciate the research work of Susan Carlson in finding helpful information about this specific cylinder, and I appreciate Sonja Carlson's good advice about handling this extremely fragile object. Click on any image to see it enlarged.
1975? Ed-U-Cards Junior Classics Picture Puzzle: "The Tortoise and the Hare." 10" x 14" picture. Aesop's Fables with Story Booklet (booklet and two pieces missing). Over 100 pieces. Series No. 3901. NY: Ed-U-Cards Mfg. Corp. $9 from Tony Niehart, Vermilion, OH, through Ebay, Jan., '20.
I needed to see how many pieces were missing, so I did the puzzle myself. The artist seems to be "Aliki." And now I wonder: Are there more fable puzzles in this series? And now, one day later, I have found one of the two missing pieces! Maybe I'll still find the other one!
1975? Ed-U-Cards Junior Classics Picture Puzzle: "The Raven and the Swan." 10" x 14" picture. Aesop's Fables with Story Booklet (booklet missing). Over 100 pieces. Series No. 3901. NY: Ed-U-Cards Mfg. Corp. $2 from Barb Girt, North Canton, OH, through Ebay, Nov., '00.
The picture is rather simple and static: a swan and raven face each other. The artist's signature seems to be either "Alihi" or "Aliki."
