One vintage kiddie TV tray: Kinda scary, and not just in a Richard Scarry kind of way

Pictured here is an old and slightly shabby kid's 'Teevee Tray' folding tray table, looking like it may have been manufactured circa 1955 - 1963 or thereabouts.

The short legs suggest that perhaps it was planned for use as an in-bed meal tray, to be placed over a semi-reclining little kid's legs, but my own suspicion is that it's intended for a tyke sitting on the floor and snacking in front of the television.
Could have been both, I suppose...

(Click on image to ENLARGE in a new window)

Regardless, the 'cheerful' illustration on it comes off a tad creepy.
I know I'm not the only one to hold this opinion.

This artifact was passed onto My Friend Topic from a friend of hers, who's husband had grown up with it in his family. (Thanks for sharing, Topic!)
To hear Topic tell it, as adults all could appreciate the tray's kitschy qualities, but agreed it was at least a little bit 'off'.

Certainly the TV clown doesn't help matters, nor does the notion that the Dalmatian puppy might be frightened or angered by it.

The leers of the bear and the rabbit confronting the viewer send it over the edge, in my opinion.

The possible sick-bed use for this old tray makes me recall some early nightmarish days home from elementary school with the flu, running a fever, doped up on cough medicine, and losing touch with reality while parked in front of the television.

Had I been forced to sit alone with this tray in that condition, there would have been trouble...

Also adding to the mystique is it's 'knockoff' quotient.

Setting aside some of its very specific qualities, the illustration is sort of generic for the era.

Looks like they were going for a Little Golden Book feel, though slightly tarnished here.

When I first saw it I wondered if it might actually be artwork by children's book author ⬅ Richard Scarry, or even Gustaf Tenggren ⬇ illustrating in his 'Poky Little Puppy' style of the era.




I have since decided that neither artist created this image, but that whoever did knew what they were doing.

So: Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong!

If you have any information or thoughts to share regarding the origins of this item, please comment or drop an e-mail.
- - Or how about memories? Maybe you lived with a tray just like this once upon a time?

See also two previous posts on this blog:
- 'Excerpts from Richard Scarry's Golden Book Of Manners, 1962'

- 'Gustaf Tenggren's Tell-It-Again Fairy-Tale Illustrations, 1942'

Report From The Road: Archie McPhee is Alive and Well and Living in Seattle

This past weekend I was tooling around various Seattle neighborhoods with a cousin of mine.

It's been many years since I've visited Seattle, and so it'd been just as many years since visiting
Archie McPhee, the retail outlet for the Accoutrements line of novelties and the Archie McPhee catalog.

It had turned into a lovely and warm sunny Sunday afternoon as my cousin drove me around.

First we went to Seattle's Fremont District ('The center of the universe; set your watch back five minutes'), saw the Lenin statue, the Fremont Rocket, and looked at the constant stream of people going to look at the
Fremont Troll residing under the Aurora Bridge and Highway 99.

I was surprised - - but not shocked - - to see how the neighborhood had grown since I was there in the '90's.

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From Fremont we headed over to Ballard (and the inevitable burgeoning 'FreeBall' district) and Archie McPhee's - - home of assorted plastic animals, the Edgar Allan Poe action figure, bacon-scented air freshener and flavorless 'Nihilist' chewing gum.

I knew that I was a little concerned about what I'd see this time around.

Back in the day, the stuff from Archie McPhee's was ever-so-slightly 'outside', their catalog and store even more so, and so a trip to that original store was a unique experience - - not just for the shopping, but simply to witness all those oddities under one roof.

Since then, all across the U.S. it seems like inside any gift shop or card store or kooky boutique you can't swing a rubber chicken without hitting a few of their products.

Upon entering the store, my worries dissipated.

Yes, absolutely, you'll see an abundance of all the boxing nuns, pig launchers and devil duckies that you can see anywhere - - but it's their festive and random presentation of those items alongside all sorts of other oddball 'surplus' goods that make for a fascinating retail experience. (In their neighboring annex, too. So many decorating ideas!)

Glass urinals. Motorcycle chains. Mailbox slots. Metal casters. Plastic letters. Different sizes of traffic light lenses. British Royal Mail jackets. Ball bearings.

Seeing that stuff right alongside bins of super balls, plastic moose, pez dispensers and other novelties did my heart good.

Yes, it may be hard to imagine some of the situations where a person might need some of these things, but you can say that about many retail establishments, and that may not necessarily be the point of visiting the Archie McPhee store.

Next time you're in Seattle, Washington and in need of a 'retail-outlet-as-museum' experience, I urge you to visit and see for yourself.

A Sunday afternoon pilgrimage to Kimono My House

Located in Emeryville, California, for over 20 years, Kimono My House is a very special store specializing in Anime & Sci-Fi Toys.

Though I am someone intrigued by the vast world of Japanese animation and fantasy culture, I remain largely ignorant of many of the details of that world.

- - And so for me, a trip to Kimono My House is like going to an odd museum full of fascinating and cryptic curiosities.

It had been a good long while since I last visited.
Mid-'90's, maybe?

The intrigue begins as you climb a couple of flights of stairs until you emerge outside onto the roof of the nondescript warehouse building where you'll find the store perched.



The sensory overload begins as you enter the door.

Speaking personally, my lack of knowledge regarding most of the items within only serves to enhance the experience.

If I understood all of what I was seeing would it hold the same wonder?



































































































































An Ultraman soap dish and Ultraman bathroom air freshener, a glimpse of McDonald's employee dolls and the mysterious 'Boyfriend Tom', a truly spooky and incongruous
George Burns, a shelf load of Gameras, and SO much more.

What does it all mean?






















































































































































































































































































































































































































































And finally, after much searching and wonderment, a few small choice bits of swag that needed to come home with me.

Essential items, all. ▼

If You're Going To San Francisco, You're Sure To See Some Groovy Places There

Last week and this week I've been visiting friends and family and favorite haunts back in the
San Francisco bay area, where I used to live.

Great spring weather, great food and great fun.

San Francisco is an amazing city well worth visiting, but wherever you live (or used to live) I recommend you play tourist in your own community some time.

The other day I ran around in the city with an old friend of mine.

Eventually we wound up catching the Mary Blair exhibit at the Cartoon Art Museum down near MOMA, and grabbing a superb sushi dinner in the Castro, but the early part of our day was spent walking around the 'hipster-fied' portion of Valencia Street in the Mission.

Starting with the obligatory perfect brunch at Boogaloos, we then took a few minutes to commune with Aquarius Records and Dog Eared Books.

Next we headed down the street to take a peek at (the appropriately-named) 826 Valencia, home of Dave Egger's inspired student writing center project and the Pirate Supply Store that helps support it.

On the way we ducked into the transcendent Botanica Yoruba. While my friend picked up some incense and remedies and learned of their proper spiritual use from Ms. Yolanda, I snapped a few photos.

In regard to my attempts to convey the vibe, let's try and pretend that the slightly blurry, underlit and out-of-focus qualities of these snapshots add to their charm and mystique...
































































































































































































































































































































































































I'm certain that the display windows in front of the X21 / Sultana '20th Century Rarities' Showroom on Valencia had elicited double-takes from me in the past, but I'm proud to say that my curiosity finally sucked me in to investigate what's happening there.

Jeez, what ISN'T happening there?

From their business card; "Vintage office, art deco, paintings & sculpture, industrial design, glass, ceramics, accessories, prop rentals, lighting, stuff you just never see..."

Even if the dream-state feeling of strolling around the explosion of odd treasures in X21 threatens to break whenever you check out the price tag, it still makes for an entertaining and educational interlude when you're in the neighborhood.