Postcard Image

Postcard Image
As the Victorian era passed into the Edwardian and Roaring Twenties, a market developed for bisque and china bawdy novelties and figurines of women in revealing outfits. Although now most of these figurines seem more coy and cute than ribald and risque, in their time they symbolized the casting off of the perceived restraints of the Victorian era.

These little lovelies included bathing beauties, who came clad in swimsuits of real lace or in stylish painted beach wear, as well as mermaids, harem ladies, and nudies, who were meant to wear nothing more than an engaging smile. Also produced were flippers, innocent appearing figurines who reveal a bawdy secret when flipped over, and squirters, figurines that were meant to squirt water out of an appropriate orifice.

Most were manufactured in Germany from the late 1800s through the 1930s, often showing remarkable artistry and imagination, with Japan entering the market during World War I.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

A Bookish Bathing Beauty

This bathing belle with a book is by my favorite manufacturer, A. W. Fr. Kister.  Although she has been nicely redressed in vintage material, her molded and tinted nipples are visible through her net bathing suit, an anatomical detail typical of Kister.  The molded one-strap bathing shoes with low heels are also a style of footwear favored by this company.  Of excellent pale bisque, she is 5 inches long.


2 comments:

  1. SimJune 18, 2014 at 7:40 AM

    Hello Sharon, I wanted to tell you that I love your blog a lot; that I picked up some images for maybe cutting them out for my collages... Of course if I do so, I'll put a link to your blog under my pics. I love these Bathing Beauties!! :)

    (I've tried to follow your blog, but it appears that I didn't succeed).

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sharon Hope WeintraubJuly 2, 2014 at 3:11 PM

    Thank you! You are welcome to stop by any time. I would like to see some of your collages sometime!

    ReplyDelete

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