The Brillo Pillo

I was in my mid teens when I first really stumbled upon Andy Warhol. Although I knew the name and remember seeing his TV show on MTV as a kid, it wasn't until I saw a photo of him in a room surrounded by Brillo boxes that I really took notice. From that moment on my obsession with Warhol and Brillo took off. 

Warhol Brillo Boxes

To this day I have yet to ever use a Brillo pad, but I find the packaging amazing. It's total pop art without ever intending to be art at all. It's bold and flashy, yet so simple, and when marketed as an art piece it goes to a whole new level.

When the manufacturers of Brillo saw what Warhol was doing with their product, it's no surprise that they decided to hop on the pop art band wagon. I found these inflatable Brillo boxes about ten years ago on eBay.

Brillo Pillo's

They are a huge 24" x 24" air pillow that I've always assumed were supermarket display pieces, until I stumbled upon this ad in an old issue of Life Magazine from 1968..... complete with Peter Max style art work

1968 Brillo Pillo Ad

For just $1.00 and one specially marked Brillo Pillo end package you could own...... "The Latest In Groovy Pop Art". They are "A Great Conversation Piece For Your Living Room Or Den!". How cool of them to just embrace it and try to make money off of someone who was making money off of them. So now I'm on a quest to find a third. (Just because I like things in groups of three)

Merry Mouse

Salt and Pepper shakers and Cocktail Kibitzers from the Holt Howard "Merry Mouse" line. The salt and pepper shakers squeak when you shake them and the cocktail mice have replaceable toothpicks for tails used to hold olives and cherries while they hang on to the rim of your glass.

"For every house we've got a mouse! Don't be nervous, they're made for service"

Holt Howard Merry Mouse

Manufactured from 1958 until 1960. The cocktail mice came in a set of 6 and there were other pieces like a cheese crock, match holder, and desk set.

Candy, Candy, Candy

Hazel-Atlas candy jar to go along with the Salem's North Star pattern

Hazel-Atlas North Star Candy Jar

Mid-Century Music

The Zombies - She's Not There

Number 2 Hit From 1964

Starburst Clock And Matching Sconces

My uncle cleans out houses for a living and sometimes finds some real treasures. So far he has brought me home some stained glass windows, an undertakers tool box from the 50s, cool old bottles, and a few other things. Imagine my surprise today when I stopped at my grandparents house today and was greeted with these.....

Welby Starburst Clock and Sconces

I have been trying to track down a set of those sconces at a cheap price forever, imagine my surprise to get them for free along with the original matching clock. They were sitting in someones attic for years. The brass is a bit rusty on the little balls but they cleaned up quite nice.

Welby Starburst Clock and Sconces

Coffee

Salem North Star Coffee Pot and the matching Sugar & Creamer

Salem North Star Coffee Set

North Star Coffee Mugs

Salem North Star Coffee Mugs

"Style With A Smile"

Pixieware Hors d' Oeuvres from the Holt Howard company. These things are God's gift to appetizers! You fill the bottom tray up with crackers, cheeses go on toothpicks in the little holes, and you stack pretzels on top of their heads. I still have not had the perfect small party to use these yet, but it is definitely overdue. They came out in 1958 and are two of the most sought after and expensive Holt Howard pieces (who wouldn't want them?!?), there's even a super rare Australian one that is orange in color.

Boy and Girl Pixieware Hors d' Oeuvres

Image from Holt Howard Collectibles by Walter Dworkin

Image from Holt Howard Collectibles by Walter Dworkin

For more info, Price Guide To Holt Howard Collectibles is a great book