1951 Little Lulu Kleenex Advertising Display
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GUEST:
This is an advertisement for Kleenex tissue. I think it's something that they used to use in drug stores to advertise for, to get people to buy Kleenex tissue. I'm going by the advertisement, the tape that goes around that describes and everything about Kleenex tissue.
APPRAISER:
Well, I mean, as an advertisement, it's kind of dull. I mean, there's no real light. So let's turn it on and see what it looks like once it starts moving. Now, where did you get this wonderful sign?
GUEST:
It was left in a house that I purchased.
APPRAISER:
Mm-hmm, and what did you think? You just went down and found it in the basement or...?
GUEST:
Basically-- that's exactly what it was, okay?
APPRAISER:
Now, do you know who's on the front of it?
GUEST:
I was told that the little girl's name is Lulu. I'm not sure what the little boy's name is. I think somebody told me that his name was Ivan. But I'm not sure about that.
APPRAISER:
Well, you're pretty close. Little Lulu Moppet and her neighbor Alvin Jones. And Little Lulu was a comic book character that was created in 1935 by Marjorie Henderson Buell. She appeared primarily in "The Saturday Evening Post" for a number of years, and then in 1948, she kind of branched out, got her own comic series and things like that. In the late '40s, early '50s, she became the first mascot for Kleenex tissues. And there was a huge advertising campaign. There were little comics with her and the other characters from the comic book in "The Saturday Evening Post." And there was even a huge animated sign in Times Square
with Little Lulu. This piece is from 1951. You've got Marjorie's signature on the front. It says, "Marge." Marjorie Henderson Buell was the original artist and creator of Little Lulu.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
But around, I believe it was right around 1947 where she stopped drawing them entirely. And then there was a whole stream of artists who came after her who would draw Little Lulu in the style of Marjorie, and sign it "Marge." It's a wonderful sign. The thing I enjoy the most about it is, it covers a lot of ground. Not only is it comic-book advertising art, it's also Kleenex advertising, it's also drugstore art. And it's animated, and it lights up. So it has a lot of interest in
it. The cabinet is in fantastic shape. Usually when you find something like this sitting in the basement for a number of years, it's got water damage or cracks. There is none of that here. And the ribbon across the front isn't torn at all. It's got a little bit of a tension issue, which is why you have that little wobble as it goes. But a lot of those times, these are sun-faded or torn or nonexistent. So the fact that this works completely, with the fluorescent bulb, is astonishing. It's a fairly desirable piece. I talked with a couple of my colleagues, and they were all very excited about this, too. It's just a tremendously fun piece. And we would give an auction estimate for this piece at $1,000 to $2,000.
GUEST:
Is that right?
APPRAISER:
Yes, sir.
GUEST:
Okay, well, that's, that's great.
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