1899 "Simple Fable." Dessin de Henri Dangon. Back cover. Le Sourire No. 440, April 4, 1908. 9½" x 12". €10 at Clignancourt, July, '19.
A hungry wolf is here, and someone is seeking adventure. I myself am not too sure who is the wolf and who is the lamb in this attractive sketch. I also have a crazy sense that we have this illustration already somewhere in the collection, but I cannot find it.
1983 "Russian Folk Tales"(?) Set of ten oversized illustrations by E. Rachyov, with a Russian text. Various authors. Moscow: Malvish (?) Publishers. $19 at Fairy Tales & Dreams, DC, Dec., '91.
This excellent illustrator (named Rachyeva there) is responsible for excellent books of Krilov's fables done in 1965 and 1983. Here we have tales by O. Kapeetsa, M. Boolatov, and A(leksei) Tolstoy. The tales seem to be: "The Fox and the Wolf"; "The Goat and the Wolf"; "The Cat, Ram, Goat, and Bear"; "The Bear and the Little Girl"; "The Fox, the Cat, and the Rooster" (see Harvest [1967/70], 123); "The Bear and the Man"; and on the covers "The Rooster, the Hare, and the Fox." Rachyov's style is distinctive and engaging.
1978 "Russian Folk Tales." Set of ten oversized illustrations by Veniamin Losin, with text. Various translators. 11½" x 16¼".Moscow: Malysh Publishers. $6.48 at The Book Center, SF, Jan., '91.
#8 and #1 illustrate FC. Note that #8 pictures the first phase of the fable, while #1 pictures the second. Large, colorful folk art.
1900? Postcard "The Man Who Chases Fortune." F. A. Gorguet. Braun & Cie 7355. $7 from HipPostcard, Oct., '24.
Here is a surprising French postcard found in Cluj, Romania. La Fontaine's long fable ends up saying that Fortune has been sitting in front of your home while you have been chasing her around the world. Notice the figure chasing off -- after Fortune? -- in the upper right.
1922 "Renouvelé du Loup et de l'Agneau." ("Repeat of WL"). Emile Lapellaro. Les petits bonshommes, No. 29. August 17, 1922. €10 at Clignancourt, July, '23.
"The fat Monsieur, furious: 'Say, when have you finished sticking your feet under mine?" This is the wolf accusing the lamb of muddying his water. It fits perfectly! He has been stepping on her feet the whole time.
1992? "Reineke Fuchs." 32 plastic-coated cards featuring a backing, numbering system, Kaulbach image, and two or three lines from Goethe's text.
There are eight "quartets," each presenting a phase of Reynard's story. The numbering system assigns a numeral in a circle within the black-and-white image on each page for the quartet—from "1" to "8." Above this, outside the image, is a set of from one to four symbols like asterisks. So each card is unique: the second card, e.g., of the fifth quartet. The backing of each card presents the same set of six fox images in a checkerboard pattern balancing light and shadow. I believe that Herr von Fuchs arranged for the production of these lovely laminated cards himself. I am sorry that my favorite image of the cat attacking the local priest is not here. Perhaps the most graphic of the cards here is the third card of the sixth quartet, in which the severed head of the rabbit is brought forth from the wallet.
1990? “Rabbit at Rest.” Mort Gerberg. New Yorker. Xerox copy. Unknown date and source.
In 1990, John Updike published his fourth novel about "Rabbit" Angstrom, titled Rabbit at Rest. I presume that Gerberg is having fun carrying that book back into the fable. Well done! In fact, this particular cartoon was discussed in a famous retrospective conversation with Gerberg.
1949 Two-page article (from Illustration Magazine?) "Parade des Vitrines" by Amélie Anderson. Pages 662-663. 1949.
Apparently the stores and shops in the Faubourg St. Honore and its adjacent streets at this point in history put on grand shows of coordinated windrow dressing. In June, 1949 that effort focused on the fables of La Fontaine. The pre-title of this article is "La Grande Saison de Paris." This is one of the few objects in the collection that has been harmed since it came to us. There is water damage that hurts the images, but -- happily -- not the text. I have sought for a replacement, but so far in vain. Apparently the shops focused on culture at the time of La Fontaine, including furniture, books. Each window focused on one fable of La Fontaine that had something to do with the objects offered by that vendor. A corset-maker focused on OR! "Bend, do not break!" A specialist in tricots took Perrette from MM. A frame-maker chose "The Lion and Artist" and "A Man and His Image." Photos from the actual windows contribute well to this article. Where is another copy?
1904 "Oh! Ces Auteurs!" Dessin de H. Gerbault. Front cover. Le Rire Nouvelle Serie No. 63, April 16, 1904. 9" x 12". €10 at Clignancourt, July, '19.
I have no idea how "tourte" (meat pie) figures here. I gather he is asking what her costume represents and she is answering first "a La Fontaine fable." Then to his silence she further responds "The Jay with Peacock Feathers." Is she calling him a "dummy"?
1990 “Odds on the TH Race.” James Stevenson. New Yorker. Jan. 29, ‘90. Xerox copy.
It does not look good for the tortoise with these odds announced before the race!
1912 "Number by Caption." The number in the series here appears in the upper left below the banner at the top of the verso. There are larger and more elaborate floral patterns in both upper corners. Within the banner we read not only "100 Designs in Set" but also "Series I." Complete set for £140 by mail from Murray Cards International, Cecil Court, London, Oct., '06. Complete set of 100 missing only card #36 for £32.10 from John Whitehurst, Staffordshire, England, through eBay, August, '03. Card #36 from Murray Cards International, London, for £3, August, '03. Extra copies of #20, #33, #41, #45, #46, and #77.
1942? "No Sour Grapes in This Bunch…they're all honeys!" Advertisement for TruVal shirts, pajamas, and sportswear. Unknown magazine. $10 from an unknown source, Feb., '24.
The black-and-white fox here appears elsewhere and even in color in further TruVal advertisements. Notice the urgent plea for experienced seamen for the Merchant Marine. Does the magazine insert this kind of extra invitation into someone else's advertisement?
1971? "No act of Love, however small, is ever wasted. Aesop." K(athy) Davis: Sweet Nothings. Recycled Paper Greetings. Gift of Mary Pat Ryan, July, '86.
Here are two pages of a card sent to Mary Pat by a friend. Mary Pat framed it for me. I am unsure of how the two pages fit with each other: most probably the "Aesop" and "Thank you" sides were #1 and #3 of the four-sided card. The saying raises a question for me: from where in "Aesop" did this saying come? I presume LM. Even more I am asking "In which version of Aesop in English" did this saying appear? It would make a fascinating but wide-ranging project to track all the sings which people attribute to "Aesop"! I have found Kathy Davis on the web and her signature, but I have not found this dear ephemeral card!
2023 "Mr. Fables" T-shirt.
The seller quotes "People like Mr. Fables- People like yoooou!" Mr. Fables was a chain of cafeteria-style family restaurants located throughout Western Michigan. If you grew up around the area you probably have rosy memories of their huge onion rings and awesome Mr. Fabulous burgers with their "secret recipes." Alas, they fell victim to the national chains and the last of them vanished in the late 90s." I thought the composite photo on Etsy also too good to miss!
1982? "Mr. Fables Family Restaurants" travel mug. Grand Rapids, MI. Whirley Industries. Suitable for dashboard use. $16 from anythingeverythingandmo through Ebay, Oct., '22.
There is a sticky adhesive patch on the separate red bottom-piece to hold it onto the dashboard of a car or truck, and then one can slide the mug into this holder. The seller emphasizes that "This is an extremely collectible Mr Fables travel mug, and probably quite rare in its unused condition." See also the sets of gift certificates from Mr. Fables restaurants.
1998? “Memories.” Bill Keane in the series “Family Circus.” Unknown newspaper. Unknown source.
A colored version of this appeared in 1998. The wordplay on “hare” is ever recurrent!
1922/80? "Love at First Sight" movie poster. "Fables Pictures, Inc., presents Aesop's Film Fables. Cartoonist: Paul Terry. Pathé Distributors." The original of this poster was released on 4/11/22. Matted and framed. $11.90 from Bob McDaniel, Lima, NY, through Ebay, May, '99.
A cat with roller skates and a sombrero serenades a lovely female cat on a balcony. What might this scene have to do with Aesop? I think I can discern a signature of "Morgan" from Cleveland in the lower right of the lithograph; I presume Morgan was the printer of the poster.
1950? "Les Grenouilles qui Demandent un Roi." Biscottes L'Angevine. Angers. 5¼" x 6¾". Printed in Nantes. €1 from French Vintage Shop, Paris, through eBay, Feb., '13.
The crown and regal garb distinguish this king. The frogs are generally in mid-leap into the water – all but the helpless one caught in the king's beak. Lively colors mark this blotter.
2000? "Les Fables de la Fontaine: le Rat de ville et le Rat des champs." Soft sculptures. Écommoy, France: Jemini. Made in China. Unknown source and date of acquisition.
Two cute little fellows, nicely contrasted with each other. The back of the packaging displays at least three other pairs in the series, and I have seen yet another that was once available on the web. "Collectione les tous!"
1878 "Les Deux Chevres." Charivari, Paris, November, 1878. Russia and England will hurt each other fighting over Afghanistan. €4.50 from lycoum2 through Ebay, March, '22. Second copy from an unknown source, July, '22.
Alas, how many international conflicts follow the pattern of this sad fable of two enemies meeting on an bridge large enough for only one. Does the impact of a cartoon like this depend utterly on the audience's knowing the fable beforehand?
A handleless bowl 6" across featuring "Les Animaux de La Fontaine." The lines on the back are "Ecoutez humains/Vous verrez que chez vous/J'ai puisé ces leçons." The illustration shows a child sitting before a large gathering of animals with the camel and elephant at their center.
1863 "Le Satyre et le Passant." (Jean) Pastelot. L'Illustrateur des Dames: Journal des Soirees de Famille." 3rd year, No. 43. October 25, 1863. Front cover. 10¼" x 14".
This rendition of the fable is more active than some others. The satyr is actively dispelling the visitor or, perhaps more accurately, warding him off from his children and wife. The attractive woman balances the male satyr nicely. I cannot tell whether we are in a cave or a woods: perhaps that is the point!
1955? "Le Renard Se Modernise." "Ric et Rac," Fabrications Françaises KAOL, a manufacturer of shoe polishes. The illustration is signed "Pol Pab" or "Pol Rab." 8½" x 5 3/8". $5 from Mme Denise Debuigne, Rennes, France, May, '02.
Here is a simple blotter with brown ink on a light pink background. The left section of the blotter consists in a traditional sketch of FC. The fox is, however, asking the crow to pass the Ric et Rac, and then he will be the most brilliant inhabitant of the forest. I gather that the crow is holding not a cheese but a can of shoe polish! The bottom lines have a nice jingle: "Your shoes creek, your shoes crack./Polish them with 'Ric et Rac.'"
