BALLINA, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA – Coasters

Posted on March 18, 2015 by Frankie

PLACE REPRESENTED: Ballina , New South Wales, Australia

ITEM: Coasters

NOTES: Ballina on the NSW North Coast is a small, urbanised, seaside town, hence the, perhaps, unspectacular pictures on the coasters.

I note the bikini swimmer on two of the coasters seems to be the same girl, albeit in different bikinis. Must have been the photographers girlfriend? I think I saw her the last time I was in Ballina.

Most people head off to the beaches of nearby Lennox Heads or Byron Bay.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970s

MADE FROM: cork

MADE IN: Australia

MANUFACTURER: Murray Views

DIMENSIONS: 28cm x 9cm (packet)

NORFOLK ISLAND, AUSTRALIA – Kitchenware

Posted on March 4, 2015 by Frankie

PLACE REPRESENTED: Norfolk Island , Australia

ITEM: Creamer

NOTES: Milk creamer with sailing ship probably the Endeavour as Captain Cook stopped at Norfolk Island (and named it) for a nano second in 1774.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970s

MADE FROM: ceramic material

MADE IN: unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 9cm high x 11cm from edge to handle edge x 7cm diameter opening.

OAHU, HAWAII, USA – Wall Hanging

Posted on February 22, 2015 by Frankie

PLACE REPRESENTED: Oahu, Hawaii , USA

ITEM: Wall Hanging (picture)

NOTES: A nice bit of rustic kitsch. A wooden panel with a picture of Oahu beach with liberal lacquer applied. It certainly looks water proof – I reckon it would float in the tub.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970s

MADE FROM: wood

MADE IN: unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 21.5cm long x 18cm high

ISLE OF WIGHT, ENGLAND – Ornament

Posted on February 15, 2015 by Frankie

ISLE OF WIGHT, ENGLAND – Ornament

PLACE REPRESENTED: Isle of Wight , England

ITEM: Ornament

NOTES: Curious – a spinning wheel to pick lotto numbers, a curious elf, and a small picture of a pier on the Isle of Wight. Maybe only the locals could explain this to me.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970s

MADE FROM: wood , plastic

MADE IN: unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 11cm across , 17cm high

TIROL, AUSTRIA – Wall Ornament

Posted on January 28, 2015 by Frankie

PLACE REPRESENTED: Tirol , Austria

ITEM: Small wooden display plate.

NOTES: The region of Tirol (or Tyrol) exists in both Italy (Tirolo) and Austria (Tirol). The spelling indicates this is from the Austrian side but the wooden plate and rustic feel of it reminds me of Italian trinkets. I wonder if the flowers depicted are region specific or just random? These plates are everywhere in Europe and are clearly machine shopped, somewhere, before someone added whatever place name, decorative touches, and painting to them.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970s

MADE FROM: wood

MADE IN: unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 9.5cm diameter

NORWAY – Ornament

Posted on January 11, 2015 by Frankie

ITEM: A Viking boat in steel.

NOTES: “Norge” equals Norway in Norwegian.

Norway and Vikings ….what else? This should have been a Viking boat in wood but it’s a nice little steel trinket that could double up as a small paperweight.

It won’t float, that’s for sure.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970s

MADE FROM: steel (pewter tin I think)

MADE IN: Norway

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 7.5cm long x 6.5cm high

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, USA – Bell

Posted on December 21, 2014 by Frankie

PLACE REPRESENTED: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania , USA

ITEM: Ornamental Dinner Bell

NOTES: The Liberty Bell becomes a dinner bell. It makes sense sort of but the thought of a revolutionary call to arms for freedom, liberty and independence being reduced to a call to come and get your sausage and eggs is a truly kitsch moment. And, the Liberty Bell isn’t red in colour. Maybe the glass maker was left leaning or he was fond of Red Bell beer from Pennsylvania (which postdates this trinket).

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970s

MADE FROM: ceramic material

MADE IN: unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 9.5cm high x 6.5cm diameter

ROTTWEIL, GERMANY – Display Plate

Posted on November 12, 2014 by Frankie

PLACE REPRESENTED: Rottweil , Germany

ITEM: Display Plate

NOTES: Rottweil is a city in south-west Germany.

Founded by the Romans it was a Free Imperial City (some self autonomy) for nearly 600 years. It’s appearance (at least in the old town) has changed very little from the 16th century. To the front of the plate is the marktbrunnen, or market fountain, in the heart of the old town which dates back to 1540 or thereabouts. Rottweil is also famous for the rottweiler dog bred here.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970s

MADE FROM: ceramic material

MADE IN: unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 25cm diameter

SWITZERLAND – Decorative Ornament

Posted on November 2, 2014 by Frankie

PLACE REPRESENTED: Switzerland

ITEM: Decorative cow bell.

NOTES: This looks suspiciously similar to the Austrian decorative cowbell. My cynicism should be put to one side though because Switzerland and Austria are neighbours so there are bound to be similarities … in decorative cow bells at least.

The manufacturer has gone to the trouble of writing “Gruyeres” on the bell. Gruyères is in the west of Switzerland, hence the French sounding name. Of course the Swiss-German populace have a different name for the town, Greyerz.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970s

MADE FROM: steel , leather , material

MADE IN: unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown.

DIMENSIONS: 14cm high (including strap) 6cm wide (bell)

AUSTRIA – Decorative Ornament

Posted on October 22, 2014 by Frankie

PLACE REPRESENTED: Austria

ITEM: Decorative Cow Bell ornament.

NOTES: Austria and cow bells?

For sure.

Austria is Alpine and there is truckloads of grassland and pasture so cattle farming and dairy production are important agricultural production sectors.

There is something ye olde worlde and distinctly middle European about cow bells.

Isn’t there?

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970s

MADE FROM: steel , material

MADE IN: unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 11cm top to bottom x 4.5cm across

TRAVEL TRINKETS

Tourist souvenirs from around the world

Tag Archives: 1970s

BALLINA, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA – Coasters

NORFOLK ISLAND, AUSTRALIA – Kitchenware

OAHU, HAWAII, USA – Wall Hanging

ISLE OF WIGHT, ENGLAND – Ornament

TIROL, AUSTRIA – Wall Ornament

NORWAY – Ornament

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, USA – Bell

ROTTWEIL, GERMANY – Display Plate

SWITZERLAND – Decorative Ornament

AUSTRIA – Decorative Ornament