So here he is.
Sold as a Fidel Castro doll, I purchased him in Havana, Cuba, July 1959.
This is not Che.
This is not Che.
His moustache fell off years ago but otherwise he is correct including the made in Cuba label.
The badge on his left arm, 26, refers to July 26, 1953 when the Castro lead revolution began. The date became the name of the revolutionary movement who in January 1959 succeeded in ousting the dictator, Batista.
so, the back story:
My mother had family in Cuba she had never met. As children under 12 could travel half fare back in the 50's and my 12th birthday would be September 1959 that summer my mother and I went to the US and Cuba.
July 26 was a great national Holiday that year, the first since the end of the fighting. Every one was for Fidel at that point and he was on TV live, giving a speech that must have lasted 24 hours.
There was no hint yet of either communism or American boycott, this was a time of National rejoicing. A few years later all my Cuban cousins, aunts and uncles would be in the US.
July 26 was a great national Holiday that year, the first since the end of the fighting. Every one was for Fidel at that point and he was on TV live, giving a speech that must have lasted 24 hours.
There was no hint yet of either communism or American boycott, this was a time of National rejoicing. A few years later all my Cuban cousins, aunts and uncles would be in the US.
It was the end of this trip on the return to the UK on BOAC that those ridiculous paper aeroplanes of mine you blogged came from.
Terranova47
NYC
NYC
Absolutely stunning collectible, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI agree. Amazing that you still have it. Cuban holidays in the Fifties must have been a rarity too!
ReplyDeleteJudging by the reaction when we went for VISA's nobody from the UK went there, or knew where Cuba was for that matter. The actual country was full of Americans for whom tourism was easy. Gambling was legal in Havana. I think exterior filming for the Alec Guiness movie "Our Man in Havana" took place while we were there.
DeleteAt the time in the UK Matchbox cars cost 1/- (a Shilling) in Havana they were $1 ( about seven shillings then)
Was Havana already full of big American cars Terran back then? I associate Havana now with ageing Oldsmobiles and Cadillacs. I'm probably wrong.
DeleteThere were no British cars that I saw. Aside from Mercedes everything was American. One aunt drove a '57 Chevrolet which is one of the much sought out cars of the 50's now. 1960 models were probably the last imported there before the US embargo began freezing in time road transport.
DeleteAt one point in the 60's British buses were traded for sugar but if memory serves the boat they were on mysteriously sank before delivery.
Fascinating Terran. What's the current US-Cuba relationship like?
DeleteWell Trump only wants to be friends with Russia, so probably Cuba is like the rest of the world in Trump's eyes.
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