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The Yo-Yo Story
The yo-yo, like many other things, has been around for so long that we tend to take it completely for granted, not thinking about how it originated or, for that matter, how it got its distinctive name. But now that the yo-yo is becoming something of …Read more.
Recollecting and Collecting Mutt and Jeff
Even today, more than a century after they entered the realm of popular culture, this comic-strip team's name is part of the common vernacular — put a tall guy and a short guy next to each other and they'll almost inevitably still be called …Read more.
For Collectors, the Milkman Cometh
You may have noticed that glass milk bottles are gradually reappearing on supermarket shelves, bringing them back into the modern era. But for people of a certain age, there is still no sound quite as nostalgic as the clink of milk bottles jangling …Read more.
Ma Bell Collectibles
What with land-line phones rapidly becoming an endangered species, it's not surprising that the standard phones of both the recent and distant past are evoking a large measure of nostalgia and growing interest among collectors.
Not surprisingly, the …Read more.
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FDR'S Fala and the Fad for ScottiesThere has been any number of well-known presidential pooches in modern history, including Richard Nixon's infamous spaniel, Checkers; LBJ's beagles, Him and Her; Gerald Ford's golden retriever, Liberty (much spoofed by Chevy Chase in the early days of "SNL"); George Bush Sr.'s Springer spaniel, Millie; Clinton's chocolate Lab, Buddy; and the present, long-anticipated Portuguese water dog, Bo. But none was nearly as internationally famous as Franklin D. Roosevelt's Scottish terrier, Fala. Fala was born on April 7, 1940, a gift to the president from his cousin, Margaret "Daisy" Suckley. He was initially called Big Boy, until Roosevelt renamed him Murray the Outlaw of Falahill after a Scottish ancestor, John Murray. From the moment he arrived, the energetic little canine was always at FDR's side, traveling with him to conferences in Newfoundland, Mexico, Quebec and elsewhere, was referred to in political speeches ("Fala hates war," the public was told) and was familiar to every man, woman and child in America. He was so popular, in fact, that he received thousands of fan letters and had his own secretary to answer the mail. In 1942, a movie was made about the dog and his life in Hyde Park. It's not surprising, then, that the Scottish Terrier, which had already gained enormous popularity in the 1930s, became top dog of the period, the particular favorite of the Hollywood community, including the Barrymore brothers, Humphrey Bogart, Charles Boyer, Bette Davis, Dorothy Lamour and Ronald Reagan — who had a pair named Scotch and Soda — as well as such other celebrities as Charles Lindbergh, Dorothy Parker and James Thurber. But it wasn't only flesh-and-blood terriers that were omnipresent. Their distinctive form was reproduced in and on every material from brass to copper to wood to plastic to images on cloth and paper, and there was scarcely a little girl alive at that time who didn't have a Scottie-decorated handkerchief attached to her Peter Pan collar with a Bakelite Scottie pin. Because of the nostalgia they evoke, there is lively interest in the collecting of Scottie memorabilia; they are by far the most popular breed among collectors.
Banks and bookends were among the many forms the square-snouted breed took. These can be found in brass, cast iron and other metals, ceramic, composition wood, and clear and slag glass, as can decorative statuettes. Pens, pencils and their holders, paperweights and pencil sharpeners brought Scottie onto the desk, while lamps and figurines were found in the living room, and all manner of Scottie-shaped and decorated objects were made for the kitchen, including cookie jars, plates, bowls, salt and peppers, trivets, condiment shakers, glasses, pitchers, cocktail shakers, cookie cutters, chocolate molds, cutting boards and trays. And these weren't all cheap or flimsy souvenirs. Some of the finest porcelain manufacturers — including Doulton, Royal Doulton and Rosenthal — employed the Scottie motif, with services of children's china particular favorites. Since FDR was seldom photographed without a cigarette and long holder, it was fitting to find his favorite pet depicted on all sorts of smoking paraphernalia. Included in this category are pipe rests, ashtrays, cigarette lighters, match safes, matchbooks, humidors, and cigarette boxes and cases. There was even a Scotty Cigars brand made by the Barry Cigar Factory of Quebec, whose tins are highly collectible. Several administrations later, George W. Bush had two black Scotties, Barney and Miss Beazley, but they had nowhere near the impact of Fala. Linda Rosenkrantz has edited Auction magazine and authored 18 books, most recently "Beyond Ava & Aidan: The Enlightened Guide to Naming your Baby" (St. Martin's Press). Visit her baby names website at http://nameberry.com. She cannot answer letters personally. To find out more about Linda Rosenkrantz and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com COPYRIGHT 2010 CREATORS.COM 
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