(click image to enlarge)
While in recovery from injuries during the First World War, Bruce Bairnsfather created his most famous character, the pipe-smoking Tommy ‘Old Bill’. After the war the figure had so taken on a life of his own that he continued to appear not only in periodicals and books, but also on stage and screen, and through a range of merchandise.
Car mascots such as these were manufactured in bronze and sold exclusively through Smith & Sons of Portland St, London. Hood ornaments were typically used as signifiers of wealth and luxury for particular brands, but were also used to personalise a vehicle. Later, they became increasingly popular as collectible art objects. On this original mascot you can find the registered design numbers stamped underneath his scarf, and it has been mounted onto a wooden base, rather than the hood of a car, for display.
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