Hi Woodsy, great Jules Verne thread!
Speaking of Sutcliffe toys, I never had the Nautilus because I didn't like the mint green colour scheme (much like Dinky's SHADO interceptor!) BUT my father did pick up a Sutcliffe Valiant Battleship in an antique shop in Australia.
It was always featured prominently in his living room. It was always agreed it would be mine one day and I even found a Sutcliffe gun boat to match at a Sydney swap meet.
All that nearly changed when my father took the photograph of a prominent (and particularly odious) NSW QC "Destroyer Lawyer". He posed the man with a chess board which perfectly summed up his attitude to his work - it was all a game that he intended to win.
My father often tried to ingratiate himself to the famous and powerful and asked me if I'd let him give the Sutcliffe to his latest buddy.
I replied with a resounding NO, which is why I still have it to remember him by.
Here it is alongside some pictures of my dad as a younger man and one of him with his long time friend Barry Humphries admiring one of my Art Toys!
Cheers
Looey
OZ
So your dad was a friend if Barry Humphries (aka Dame Edna Everage).
ReplyDeleteWas he in the media industry too Looey ?
He did a lot of theatre photography in the 60s. Guiness, Bates, O'Toole, Hurt etc etc! He also photographed Clint Eastwood in costume during Where Eagles Dare.
DeleteAll in all, a very impressive C.V. but it was all over by the early 70s, so we came to live in Australia with a new life for all of us...
Sorry ... friend OF Barry Humphries.
ReplyDeleteThat was a very close call. Good thing he asked first. A lovely old ship, and a fine toy.
ReplyDeleteA good call Looey - your dad photographed some of the industry greats and some of the not so great, but infamous! And one of the most iconic shots of the sixties too!
ReplyDeletehttps://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/the-making-of-an-iconic-image-christine-keeler-1963
Well done keeping hold of your Valiant Looey!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful ship! Great that it's still with you!
ReplyDelete