I found this interesting, an old sale listing. It was described as JFK sat in his rocking chair but the backing card make no mention of JFK, just the chair.
Oddly enough the maker appears to be Hush Up toys. Maybe they hushed up JFK on their own toy!
I think there may be something like this in my Bill Breugman Toys of the 60's book. I'll have a gander and report back.
Anyone know this toy or collect JFK?
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JFK CHAIR UPDATE:
spurred on by Paul A's comments here's a few more images of the JFK Chair in toy and model form borrowed from Worthpoint and Hakes.
The Aurora box art
The Aurora kit built-up
and a musical rocking chair by Kamar.
I wonder what the music is?
Have you any JFK collectables?
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ADDENDUM
Hi Woodsy
After seeing the fame that the chair JFK was sitting in, and the multiple versions of it available, I decided to see if I could find any more information - which proved really easy.
First up, from this site - https://www.kennedyrockers.com/history-of-the-kennedy-rocker.php
I bet you never thought when you founded this site on space toys that you would end up doing pieces on wooden chairs and American Presidents.
Even the JFK Presidential Library has a long entry on these chairs with several photos - there were several chairs, one with the insignia of the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk. Who would think chairs could be so interesting ?
Hope this is of interest.
Paul Adams
New Zealand
In 1965 Aurora introduced a plastic kit of JFK. This had the President sitting in that very same rocking chair by a fireplace, with a painting of his WW2 torpedo boat PT-109 on the wall (a copy of the Revell box-art). According to my copy of Aurora Model Kits by Thomas Graham, the kit was 1/8th scale, it was available 1965-68, and had black plastic clothing, white body parts, background, and base, with a cloth US flag. There are photos of both the built-up model, and the box-art. The Hush Up Toys version, which has Buy Mego on the card, shows the chair in a much more domestic setting. Was there also a Presidential version, with the JFK link mentioned ? There was only one other kit in the Great American Presidents series, George Washington. That is one really famous chair, is it now in a museum somewhere ?
ReplyDeleteFascinating Paul. So it is JFK. Why don't Hush Up say so? Is it copyrighted in some way do you think. Surely presidents and chairs are in the public domain?
DeleteI actually have one, it was bought from WT Grant department store it was an Aurora factory built model they set up for a display model once a month my mom had to have it so she bought the display I’m guessing in the mid 60s
DeleteAn aside, the Hush Up Toys card says "Buy Mego" like the box of the Space Tract, a version of the Project Sword Space Glider. Does that refer to the Mego we all know, and what is the connection?
ReplyDeleteThats a good question Arto. I have a feeling the two Mego's are the same. I wonder if the Mego Museum site would know?
DeleteI have no idea about the chair or its history, but I am astounded that there are at least three different models of that little rocking chair. Are there any more out there ? Does Moonbase Central have any furniture experts who could tell us more ?
ReplyDeleteThere is an excellent history of Aurora models on Youtube (and other manufacturers, mostly American), which includes this figure.
ReplyDeleteCheers Andy, I'll check it out. I'll wave to you next week. We're staying in Kings Lynn!
DeleteOh, and "hush up toys" -is there another Kennedy conspiracy theory here?
ReplyDeleteYou could be right Andy but then again the file on this is top secret, kept in Roswell and guarded by aliens.
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