1970? Fables de La Fontaine. Eight cards of La Fontaine's fables with photographed scenes of plush animals and dolls. Numbered among a set of 114. Studio J.M. Piettre. Imprimé en France.
The photographs show Steiff-like stuffed animals and dolls engaged in the scene. All three Crucy cards contain messages from Gentilly (one is dated in 1975) written in the same hand and signed with the same name (Camard?). For me the effort to be cute costs these scenes heavily. Perhaps the most intriguing shows the two mice of TMCM dealing with wine and sausage.
1885? 8 colored cards (apparently from a series of 8) used for J. & P. Coats Spool Cotton (unnumbered, with advertising and the fable text in various formats on the back), McPhail Pianos (each marked with the same simple number "32" and only the fable text on the back), Emerson Pianos, Eureka-Maryland Assurance and other advertisers (with various numbers introduced by "No."). Some also appear blank. 3" x 5". Multiple copies of each card, and reverses of three, as seen below.
There is an advertising booklet for Wright's Indian Vegetable Pill Company that uses seven of these eight fables and their illustrations, excluding only CP. Curiously, I purchased a set of seven "J.P. Coats" cards from Sherry Sonnett, Los Angeles, in May, '11, and CP is again the one missing card.
1970? Bas-relief of FG carved from bone. Albania. Modeli 8. Scene 3.5” high. Whole piece 4” high. Unknown source.
Was this someone’s souvenir from some foreign travel? The cut marks on the back suggest that the material was chiseled rather than poured. The Albania label is surprising. The scene itself shows fine work, especially in dealing with the grapes, leaves, and vines. A quick search on the web reveals many similar carvings.
1996? Photo of the Ivan Krylov memorial in the Summer Garden, St. Petersburg. 4” x 5.7”.
This is an impressive monument and I have wanted to visit it and St. Petersburg generally. I came close in Scandinavia but could not fit in the ferry trip to spend a day there. This photograph is on paper lighter than we would use for a photo.
