Vintage seagulls
It’s a small world — I literally bumped into reader Cindy (center) as I headed to shop in Northamptom this weekend. This is really kind of freaky, because that’s a half hour from her house and an hour from my house, and there are 6,497,967 people in the great Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Cindy had been going to tag sales with friends. She picked up this trio of vintage seagull wall art for $5. I think you’d call them “in the danish modern style” – although it might be more true to say “popular 70s.” I think these are great for patios… I have a brassy seagull wall hanging, also a steal $, above our barbecue in the U-shaped patio at the front of our house. Well done, Cindy. See you at the James Taylor concert at Tanglewood in two weeks!
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Hi Pam,
You were in Northampton,my home town, and you didn’t tell me!! hehe Let me know next time and I’ll give you a tour of my home 4 miles away in Florence. I also work downtown Hamp.
Hugs,John
PS Thanks for posting pics of my home. The carport side is being painted this week.
John – wow, I didn’t know you were that close. For sure, next time, I get a tour!
Seagulls? Nooooo. Not seagulls. M R dux. (Seagulls don’t fly like that anyway.)
Maria and Elaine, as you can see I am not into ornithology. Isn’t that what bird watching is called? Oopsy. I’ll fix the headline
Maria, I’ve been googling M R dux. I can’t see what that means. Can you explain?
Those are geese. I have three of them flying across my fieldstone fireplace. Mine were found at a craft fair about 10 years ago.
They sell really well on eBay too.
pam, i think she means they are ducks???
It took me a bit, but I think I figured it out…M R dux = Them are ducks.
Thanks, Erin!
Pam – M. R. Dux is part of a cute little story (one my father loved and which now that he is gone, is a very special code language for my family) My dad use to call it West Virginia talk (and since he was from WVA, he could say that!). You need to read it out loud to understand it:
C. M. Dux
A. R. Not
S. A. R.
L. I. B.
A. R. Dux
I am also a Kentuckian. I put on my drawl and got it right away. How WONDERFUL. This makes me SO HAPPY. THANK YOU, Alice!
I bought that same set for my brother – although I thought they were ducks, as the three flying ducks motif was a pretty strong theme from the 1930’s-1950’s. I do agree that those have a much more 70’s vibe, though!
those ducks were made by masketeers in the 60s. my aunt and uncle worked for them and oddly enough, i think they may have come from their factory in W.Va. We had a set and i am kicking myself frequently for not claiming them b4 they disappeared. masketeers made lots of funky 60s style wall decorations. those might be geese.
It’s good to know what kind of birds I got at Saturday’s tag sale….they’ll soon have a new home in my retro ranch. You can still see the green price tag :$5 for the set! Tag sales are the best place for retro finds!
These could be ducks or geese. I’m a biologist who studies birds, although I don’t consider myself an ornithologist (…it’s complicated by the fact that I don’t only study birds). Most bird-watchers or birders are not ornithologists and many ornithologists are not birders. See, I told you it was complicated!
N. E. Way, I have a set of 2 that I recently bought at a thrift shop and I like to call them ducks. And I love them so much!
Retro Renovation readers are such interesting…birds. That flock together. I know, very bad puns. But I couldn’t help myself.
I know mine are geese because they have little white chin straps.
jane – that is a wonderful story about the masketeers. M R Dux from W VA, how cool. do you have more info on masketeers? … I will have to add this to my research list. Oh the tangents we get on…
Thanks to ALL for a delightful read!!~
People don’t know what they’re missing if they don’t read RR comments!!
Okay, throw a bone to us non-Southerners (well, So. Cal., but I don’t think that counts). I think I’ve got all but one line:
See ‘em ducks?
(Th)ey are not.
(Y)es they are.
L.I.B. (all I can get is “(H)ell I be!”
(Th)ey are ducks.
I love accents in general, and I’m a big fan of True Blood, but I’m a bit stuck on this one!
L.I.B. = “Well, I’ll Be!”
Yes, this must be our wackiest string of comments ever. S.A.R.
All these comments and not a single “Flock of Seagulls” crack?
Impressive self-control! =-)
HahahahahahAHAHAHAHAhahaha! I went away and came back and look what happened to this thread?! LOL!
Masketeers… Yes, that’s it. I couldn’t remember the brand name. I once picked up this godawful conquistador mask thingie by them at a garage sale. Sold it for some insane amount of money on eBay.
So Pammmmm… Have you watched Fido like I suggested? I keep wondering what you will think of the set design!
Hi Maria, no, I haven’t watched Fido yet. I keep meaning to tell Mr. Retro Renovation to put it on the Blockbuster list. Thanks for the reminder.
Checked eBay, didn’t find any Conquistadores, but look at these wonderful penguins!
http://tinyurl.com/neyqe5
Oh no, I’m on a roll now: Check these ??gazelles??: Item number is 300339853687.
Wow, Maria. Thanks for the Masketeers links on ebay. Another thing to collect. Drats.
Hey John in Florence…Off subject-but take a drive down Middle Street #17. I took a an 1880’s mill house and transformed it into a Greek Revival 10 years ago.
My NEW house is a 1939 “House of the Future” which was open to the public the first year erected. Lots of work…but I am bringing it back!
Hi Gavin, where do you live? Are you in the Pioneer Valley as well?
Long story short….When I was eleven I discovered the house one door from my own….and fell in love with it. I announced to my family that someday I would buy it. Guess what?
Couldn’t be happier and (get me on the couch…) and putting it back exactly as I remember it in 1964. It was MUCH abused for forty years! I once again have: Chickering in the corner, pale aqua everywhere, lots of Kittinger furniture. Do you remember Steiger’s? Albert Steiger, Jr and his family lived her from 1945-58. It was so innovative for its’ time.
On a similar note…..I distinctly remember this house as a child AND the homes of my friends. (I showed Mrs Ryan across the street my set of Franciscan Autumn dishes and said “These were your dishes in the early 60’s”….she had forgotten…but her kids were amazed that I remembered.
The ducks above…and they are ducks…graced the cut stone fireplace wall of the Roncalli family I block away….in their Danish Modern living room in 1965.
I am now living in Sixteen Acres, Springfield….a wilderness in 1939.
Wow, Gavin, that is quite the story. I do not live far away. I would love to come visit sometime.
ok, now I have to phone Auntie and get the whole scoop on the ducks. She started my love for collecting at her knee, literally, as we cruised antique shops in my long ago girlhood. She has an almost encyclopedic knowledge for all things collectable, and would be thrilled to answer any questions about Masketeers. She recently gifted me with an entire set (service for 12!) of beautiful LuRay pastel China. I would love her to pieces regardless, but wow, i can’t thank her enough. will send a photo of that for a new thread.
Hi, I am Jane’s “Auntie”. Masketeers was started in New York City in the 50s by Edward Gilbertson and Al Croce. The name came about because the original product was wooden masks made to hang on the wall. The designs expanded to include other wall decor, made mainly from oak and brass, with some walnut. One of the most popular lines was antique replica wall maps made from baraboard. My husband went to work for them in 1961, and they were already making the flying geese and flying ducks. In 1965, Gil bought out Al’s share and moved the company to Belington WV ,and we came here with them. My husband became plant manager at that time. The popularity of the flying ducks outlasted that of the flying geese, and were still being made when the factory closed in the middle 80s.
Before 1970, a line of children’s furniture was added and marketed under the “Laurel Mountain” label. It consisted of tables, chairs, toyboxes, waste baskets, lamps, with nursery rhyme characters, and a sentry-box storage cabinet with a Buckingham Palace type guardsman on it, all silk screened in bright primary colors.
Joyce, THANK YOU so much for this information. How kind of you to take the time to share this!
P.S. Originally, the brass parts of the Masketeers designs may have been solid brass, but the later pieces were brass-plated steel. (I am a stickler for being exact.)
To Cindy,
Masketeers made a piece that consisted of oak cattails with metal stalks and brass leaves which complement the flying ducks and geese. It is about 30″ tall, and you should really look for one to hang below your geese. It gives the display a finished look.
Okay, I should have consulted with my husband before I pronounced the waterfowl as being geese. He says they are the Ibis, and they were sold to the Top Value trading stamps company exclusively. Top Value bought thousands of sets. I did have the time period correct. Sorry about that.
Woah, thank you for that detail, Joyce!
These ducks were on a wall in a scene on MAD MEN last week!!!
I caught them on Mad Men, too!! Mine have found a happy home flying on a living room wall!
Here’s a map by Masketeers on eBay:
http://tinyurl.com/ylp2stx
It’s called “Latest Discoveries World Map 1628″. Buy It Now, $249, plus $25 shipping.
Wow, Janet, that map is wonderful!
OK, my colleGe roomates, mom told it to us like this!
MR DUCKS
MR KNOT
OSAR
CM WANGS?
O MR DUCKS!
Thanks for the memories!! ANd I love this place!!
You got a great deal. At this site, they are asking $35 each!
http://www.spottdesign.com/?p=productsMore&iProduct=926
Hi, My grandfather Austin “Bud” Blake worked for them in Belington, WV. It closed in the 80’s. I think my grandmother has the geese hanging in her house and my brother has the toy soldier cabinet in my nephew’s room.