Cindythings Chrystal Dunninger Museum Page 6

Here is an amusing piece, and also an important one because of its nature as something Chrystal would have personally used. A pair of folding opera glasses in their own little case. The case is about 3 inches tall by 2 1/2 inches wide by 7/8 inch thick; or 7 1/2 cm tall by 6 cm wide by 2 cm thick. The case is padded green plastic or vinyl, heavily embellished with a very art deco floral pattern engraved into the plastic that looks dark now, but shows traces of having been gold. The case has a gold snap clasp and is surprisingly supple, no cracks or stiffness. The glasses are kept folded inside. Taken out, the lenses rotate out from being tucked inside the hollow handle, then flip open from a hinge at the nose. They are very hard, smooth black plastic with a cream veneer inlayed with sparkly gold rectangles and squares, with a very shiny clear coating over the decoration. The bridge of the nose has a little silver arrow inlay on the front, the silver hinge on the inside. At the bottom of the handle is a loop for attaching the glasses to a chain worn around the neck. The inside of the handle is stamped Made in Italy in gold letters. I have 20/20 vision and can't see a thing through these except something a few inches from my nose--the distance goes all blurry. So maybe they are set with prescription lenses? Overall, these have a really fun, retro look, don't you think? They're very tiny, too. The glasses from outside edge to outside edge are only 4 inches/10 cm, and not counting the loop on the handle, 3 inches/7 1/2 cm tall.

This must be the most distinctive piece in the collection. This little sailor boy with his cheerful expression was a souvenir from the cruise Chrystal and Dunninger took on the Aquitania down to Bermuda in either 1929 or 1931. The Aquitania was a Cunard ship, just as fabulous as the Lusitania, a really luxurious, first class liner! These dolls were quite popular souvenirs on ships in that era and I believe this one was made by a famous doll maker in England named Norah Wellings. They are now quite collectible. He's all fabric, his face formed from felt, hand-painted, his outfit velveteen and cotton, his hat twill with a ribbon embroidered with Aquitania. He's quite detailed. He's even got a blue collar with bow, and a rope around his neck, and underneath the sailor cap he's got softly smudged brown painted hair. His clothing has faded to a sort of browny-green, but new he wore bright blue. My records show Chrystal and Dunninger made the trip on Aquitania in July and August of 1931, but someone has written in ink on his cap, 1929, so maybe they made two cruises, or that date was mistakenly written. He stands 9 1/2 inches / 25 cm tall. Here he is! What a charmer.