Vintage Paint By Number paintings are an ironic — and iconic — midcentury modern art form. They are really “low brow” — anyone can do one… But, they also fascinate us — there is something “elemental” about their beauty and “democratic” about the fact they even exist. Simple, graphic — and rendered by a normal person, like us!, back in the day when mass prosperity was emerging across America. They were… lovingly crafted… and as a result, they are easy to love, 50 years later. Over the past several years, I’ve seen vintage PBNs become more and more collectible. And on occasion, we see folks get epic with the art form and create their own Paint By Number murals, which are pretty darn groovy. For this story, I found several great resources detailing the history of Paint By Number paintings — including important social history… and we’ll talk about how best to display paint by number art. Actually, display tip #1 and only, IMHO: As Troy has done with PBN dog collection (above) — group your PBNs for maximum impact.
Read on for the fascinating history of Paint by Number kits –>
The history of Paint By Number Kits:
Paint By Number kits were so common, so popular, such a part of the American decorating scheme, that the Smithsonian created a whole exhibit around them in 2001. Their accompanying educational website, still online today, is an awesome resource for Paint By Number history. Their introduction gets right to the point and says that, while Americans loved their PBNs, critics had a snit fit:
Paint by Number: Accounting for Taste in the 1950s revisits the hobby from the vantage point of the artists and entrepreneurs who created the popular paint kits, the cultural critics who reviled them, and the hobbyists who happily completed them and hung them in their homes. Although many critics saw “number painting” as a symbol of the mindless conformity gripping 1950s America, paint by number had a peculiarly American virtue. It invited people who had never before held a paintbrush to enter a world of art and creativity.
The Smithsonian explains who invented the kits — go, Detroit! — and how quickly the phenomenon took hold:
The making of the fad is attributed to Max S. Klein, owner of the Palmer Paint Company of Detroit, Michigan, and to artist Dan Robbins, who conceived the idea and created many of the initial paintings. Palmer Paint began distributing paint-by-number kits under the Craft Master label in 1951. By 1954, Palmer had sold some twelve million kits. Popular subjects ranged from landscapes, seascapes, and pets to Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper. Paint-kit box tops proclaimed, “Every man a Rembrandt!”
Interestingly — and not surprising to me, at all — the Smithsonian says that Dan Robbins wanted the first kits to be exploration of modern art, cubism and the like. No way, said America! Folks wanted cozy landscapes and such. Yes: Colonial and Early American, not those hi-falutin modernist things.
The Smithsonian exhibit also explored the growth of leisure and how that helped fuel pursuits like PBN painting. Paint By Number gets “deep” when considered in the context of the continuing growth of democracy and meritocracy in America. I love this aspect of American culture. Love love love it. The Smithsonian says:
Writing in Life magazine in the late 1950s, cultural critic Russell Lynes set out to describe the popular pastimes of the “new leisure.” He observed that the usual markers of class-education, wealth, and breeding-no longer applied. The one thing that mattered was something that everyone had. That something, Lynes explained, was free time. In postwar America, class had become a matter of how one spent his or her free time.
Over the decades, the Smithsonian curators say, the Paint By Number aesthetic became so ingrained in our culture that other artists began to use it as a political launching point for their work. Kind of Andy Warhol-esque stuff. By around the year 2000, vintage PBNs started become collectible. Today in 2012, I’d say they are super collectible — although prices are still “affordable”, especially if you find these at estate sales where I live, because everyone did PBNs! There are 12 million Craft Master PBNs out there!
According to Wikipedia:
Following the death of Max Klein in 1993, his daughter, Jacquelyn Schiffman, donated the Palmer Paint Co. archives to the Smithsonian Museum of American History.
The Palmer Paint Co. is still in business, and in 2011, they introduced two, 60th anniversary prints, which are still available for sale today. Update: In 2021 I could no longer find Palmer Paint Co. online.
Read the entire Smithsonian history here. It’s a quick read, very entertaining, and lots of photos you can click on and see bigger.
Yes, there is even a book (affiliate link above) written to go with the Smithsonian exhibit.
Dan Robbins website
Update: When I originally wrote this story, Dan Robbins has his own website, book and video. Now I can’t find them; the url I previously had now goes to paintbynumbersonline.com, and I can’t see any association with Robbins on it. Dan Robbins also used to sell giclee prints of important PBNs — including the first Paint By Number design he ever created, Abstract #1. Very cool.
The Chicago Tribune interviewed Robbins in 2005. He explained the genesis of the idea for PBNs:
“The idea was an evolution,” Robbins said. “It was a gradual process of exposing this idea, then that idea, then another. I recalled reading about Leonardo da Vinci, and when he got large and complicated commissions, he would give numbered patterns to his apprentices to block in areas for him that he’d go back and finish himself. From there, it was a matter of proving the concept to see if it could be done.”
In the Tribune article, I learned that the company Craft Master was sold in 1959, and over the years passed through a number of hands. Today, the brand and designs are owned by Craft House, the 1995 article said, and indeed, I found some Paint by Number kits — including some vintage-y looking ones for sale at CraftHouse.
The Paint by Numbers Online Museum
AND, woah Nelly: There is even an online Paint By Number Museum — an amazing archive created by a collector in Massachusetts who wiki says has assembled some 6,000 PBNs. The PBN Museum is darn impressive — you can search and see all the kits and catalogs. There’s a great library. And, there’s a page on artist Dan Robbins with more history, pointing out:
Who is the most exhibited artist in the world? The work of paint by number designer Dan Robbins has been displayed on more walls than that of any other artist. This was true in the past, is still true today and is most likely a record that will stand in the future.
Collecting and displaying vintage Paint by Number paintings
As I mentioned at the top of this article, I am a 100% believer in grouping small painting collections like this, for maximum decorative impact. When Todd lived in his first place, he had the dogs in a grid on one wall. When he moved to his Eichler, Troy came up with another variation on the “grouping” idea: Arranging the collection of dog paint-by-number paintings as a gallery along the hall.
Above: Crown Prince of Kitsch Cullen‘s kitchen — I’m not sure if he really has a many PBNs up on that wall, but this is a great shot to illustrate two ideas. (1) Again, the effectivess of creating tight groupings to display your collections of like-pieces. And (2) While Troy collects just dog PBNs — which makes for a fun collection, Cullen collects pieces according to a theme that includes other varieties of art and collectibles.
Above: Collect cowboy stuff? Add a cowboy PBN. That Betty Crafter knows how to stage a photo…
Finally, how is this for “some therapy”: Apartment Therapy profiled two people who created paint by number wall murals onto their walls — entire walls. The stories are now gone, but Wow. Atomic Ranch also had a story in a recent issue about someone doing this. Seems like the basic how-to is: (1) Find a PBN you like, (2) Scan it in very high resolution, (3) Print onto a transparency, (4) Project the transparency onto the wall, (5) Outline the colors and as you go, write in the color numbers, (6) Figure out which colors go where, (7) Drop out of civil society as we collectively know it and paint until your eyes bug out of your head, (8) ta da, celebrate your epic achievement, but don’t look too closely at your errors. Not Perfect is the New Perfect.
Michele says
I have four. I got interested in them a few months ago and didn’t think I would find any here. Those crazy decorating Gods came through… I have one of a horse I found at a local Bissel centre for a dollar (a dollar!). The frame was in rough shape, but my hubby fixed it right up and spray painted the frame black, which looks great with the blue sky. I have three of landscapes – two a friend bought for me at a different Bissel centre – and one I bought at an antique store. I love them and have been wondering how/where to hang them. I’m going to group them after reading this great article…
pam kueber says
Cool! Bissel Centres?? A Canadian thing?
Michele says
Hmmmm, foolish me…I didn’t know the answer to that, so I looked it up online. I think the Bissel centre is only here in Edmonton, Alberta. People, correct me if I’m wrong… this is the link in Edmonton http://bissellcentre.org/….I bought one of the paintings (the horse) at a place called “Find” that has ties to the Bissel centre, Habitat for Humanity, John Howard etc….I love this place. I go there a lot; to find glassware, furniture (bought a great old dresser there), records (my 14-year old son loves old records) and sometimes just to see what’s there! http://findedmonton.com/ …so there you go, I know a little more today than I did yesterday ( a little… :0)).
Rita@thissortaoldlife says
I love this post, Pam! We only have one PBN (which we love and you can see here: http://www.thissortaoldlife.com/2012/04/16/thrift-store-art/) mostly because they’ve gotten pretty spendy here in the Portland area. The one we’ve got I found for $10, but they’re often closer to $100. Maybe PBN would be a good subject for one of your gallery collections? Would love to see what others have.
pam kueber says
$100 in Portland! I’m going to start buying them up here in Mass. and exporting them to Portland for sale! I’ll be rich rich rich! Yes, uploader to come!
Laurie V says
I love PBN. I have some that my father did that I cherish, and that got me started collecting a few more. I have 3 fabulous 50s street scenes of Paris. The Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, and I think a bridge. The colors are so vivid and the people in the scene are fantastic. I only have 13 or 14, but I would love to have more.
pam kueber says
“Only 13 or 14”? That’s a pretty good collection!
Laurie V says
Well, yes I guess it is. Just that I want to be a PBN horder, so years from now they will find me under a pile of horse and covered bridge PBN pictures. ; )
Annie B. says
I spent much of the ’50’s as a fairly sickly, only child. The paint by numbers kits kept me happy while indoors as I recovered from one thing after another.
The florals were my forte. It was so fascinating to see how all the little numbered areas of color came together into your very own masterpiece. I can still smell the PBN paints in my olfactory memory.
Thanks for a sweet memory, Pam.
Mary says
What a great story!! My first recollection of paint by number back in the 50’s was the pair of framed ballerinas oil paintings in the living room of my childhood home. Money was tight for home decor so my Dad created his own. Was never quite sure why he chose ballerinas. Many years later when my Dad retired and was bored in the Winter he liked to do hobbies. Hand building and crafting amazing ships was his love but when he ran out of room to display them he had to stop crafting them so I started buying him paint by numbers for his birthday. I wish I had the patience he had for this hobby. I have so many wonderful paint by number works of art in my home thanks to my Dad. I also have a couple of unopened paint by numbers I bought him that never got done as his health failed and he passed on. I am hoping to someday open them and do them myself. They won’t be as good as my Dad’s though. What I wish I had is the original ballerina ones from the 50’s. I did see a finished pair on Ebay once but it wouldn’t have been the same as having the ones my Dad did.
pam kueber says
What a sweet story, Mary. 🙂
Jeremy says
When in Louisiana, check out the Abita Springs Mystery House, which houses the world’s largest collection of paint by numbers works. That roadside attraction is the cat’s pajamas! http://abitamysteryhouse.com/
thatmidcenturyfella says
These had always had a special place with me. My generation never seemed to get into paint by number, buts my grandparents were fans. I can still remember their work hanging in the hallways. I would love to find them and put them in my home. For now, I seem to find these at thrift stores and antique fairs quite often for pretty cheap. They are a nice addition to a mid-century home for someone on a budget!
living with lindsay says
I love this, Pam! Great write up. I’m a “collector” of dog PBNs, but my collection is FAR smaller than Troy’s. In fact, I don’t have them hanging anywhere because I don’t have many at all. I find the dog ones are hard to come by (locally, at least).
Sheri Hunter says
I remember my mother painting The Last Supper when I was little and it inspired me to try pbns myself. I loved the Craft brand (NO paint mixing) and I have found every single pbn that I ever painted at the Paint By Numbers Museum online! Why doesn’t somebody reissue the various Craft pbns? With the quarantine, pbns have become the rage again and I HATE the new pbns on canvas. (I don’t want to iron the creases out of my pbns; I want pre-printed ARTBOARD! And if you buy them “framed,” the price goes up $20.) There’s a company in western Massachusetts (and I think the link to it is in this article) that seems to be affiliated with Craft and they sell a small amount of pbns. Their phone number is 1-800-628-1910. Maybe if enough of us call and request them to reissue all of those amazing kits from when pbns were so popular, they would do it.
pam kueber says
Hi Sheri, very cool. Yes, I see I have the Craft patterns link in my story, but here it is again:
http://www.crafthouse.net/PABN.html
puddletowncheryl says
Yup, I sure did them in Jr. High. I wasn’t that good at them because I’m more of a paint outside the lines kind of girl. But it did inspire me to take real painting classes and I eventually went to art school and became good enough to regularly show my assemblage pieces a local gallery. It was the start of my evolution.
Janet says
Pam, this is such a wonderful addition to the “reminisce” department! There were five kids in my family and we all did paint by number paintings! My father removed the TV in the late fifties; it was strange to all of our friends that we did not have a TV, but even stranger because my father sold furniture, appliances and televisions! So we found other avenues to amuse ourselves and spent much more time outside playing or inside with craft projects than most kids did. I also had about six plastic birds which I painted. They stand on a tree branch and I remember how I HATED having to dust them! When we cleaned out the house, we found them in the attic so I still have them! I never would have thought PNB’s would turn out to be collectible; I am sure none of ours got saved.