Hearing Pinky and Blueboy, Somewhere, USA, 1966
Honey blond stained wood paneling absorbs as much light as it reflects behind a bespectacled, graying couple of terry-topped-vinyl recliner sitters clad in warm weather casuals. She crosses left, he crosses right. He is wearing a hearing aid not an iPod. Between them a circle of plastic skirts a lamp off-centered atop a mod, two-tiered end table shelving various periodicals and publications stacked like they’re being enjoyed. Married on the wall above them hang mass produced fancy framed, and picture-lit paint-by-numbers of Pinky and Blueboy.
The original Pinky was painted in 1794, Blueboy, in 1770, both in England. They weren’t married until Southern California railroad and real estate magnate Henry Huntington put them on display together in the 1920’s, at his namesake Library and Gardens in San Marino, CA, where they hang to this day. When Huntington bought Blueboy in 1921 for $182,000, it was the highest price on record for a painting.
In the 50s the fine art superstar couple became pop art icons when they were mass produced as paint-by-numbers and prints that hung in countless American homes. In the realm of pop culture couples Pinky and Blueboy rate right up there with Lucy and Ricky, Sonny and Cher, Barbie and Ken and Mickey and Minnie.
I remember when I was a kid seeing the originals for the first time while on a school field trip to the Huntington Library. We walked into the gallery. There they were in all of their glory and there I was, a chubby third grader wearing husky boy bell-bottoms from Sears. It was my first fine art moment and I’ll never forget it. I have enjoyed seeing Pinky and Blueboy ever since – the originals, the prints, and the paint-by-numbers! But I now refer to them simply as Pinkboy. You know, like Brangelina.
Here’s to the couple, Pinkboy and YOU!
My Grandmother had Pinky and Blue Boy, and as a small child, was always intrigued by them. As a young adult, visiting the Huntington for the first time and seeing them in person, was like seeing celebrities! It was very exciting. There’s the real ones! I also remember seeing them hanging in the Cleaver’s foyer, on my favorite tv show of all time, “Leave it to Beaver”!
Mr. Pitzer, thanks for the quote from Bob and Ray, two of the funniest performers of all time! Ray has departed the earth, but I think Bob Elliott is still with us. For people who don’t know who these guys are, Bob is comic/actor Chris Elliott’s father.
They look like a nice couple, like someone’s grandparents. Hope you have a good Labor Day weekend and keep up the good work on the slides.
In the 50s the Huntington library – with special focus on Pinky & Blue Boy – was on the free attractions out-of-towners tour for my folks when relatives visited. Another was Forest Lawn (expurgated David) and Last Supper reproductions. The tour ended with some low culture and a visit to Grauman’s Chinese Theater courtyard (compare footprints) and then Knott’s Berry Farm Ghost Town – the only thing they charged for was the train ride.
Very Fun Charles, your descrtiption of your experience seeing pinkboy pretty much sums up the experience of most of us… and yes, this looks exactly like families around me when growing up in good old Ogden Utah… Cheers, Terry
Charles:
Hi! I saw you in Denver recently, and I am dying to visit LA for a few days. I am working on it.
I thought of you when I saw a fascinating documentary about the life of collector curator. Sam Wagstaff. He is probably most famous for the Black, White and Gray art exhibition in the late 50s or early 60s.
Talk with you soon —–
Aitch
I agree, a classic slice-of-life shot reflecting the decor and fashion details of the era. Very, very nice. And here’s to YOU, Charles!
A few Halloweens ago, I procured a hilarious parody framed print of Blueboy in zombie form. It’s just cheap plastic, with a skull-and-bones frame, but I laugh at it every time. It used to hang in my library at the old house; he hasn’t found a home here yet. It reminds me of the paintings that age into corpses at Disney World’s Haunted Mansion!
I am like you. I love PINKBOY. Not sure why, just do. I remember the first time I saw them in person at the Huntington too, only I was much older than you were at the time.
What I love about this slide is the plastic on the lampshade.
What a hoot!
Hey Charles, Alisa here! I so look forward to your weekly slides, and this one is just great! When I’m not painting I am working as a caregiver for the elderly, and this is usually the scene I walk into. I love how the lines are crossed between Gramma’s frilly sensibilities and Grampa’s need for a man cave. See how the vinyl chairs have towels over the backs so they don’t get sweaty! LOL thanx!
My approximate recollection of one of Bob and Ray’s radio skits, where they’re dimwitted policemen searching an unoccupied house:
“Hey, look at that picture on the wall. Do they have a son living here?”
“I didn’t know anything about a kid… they sure dress him up funny.”
“It says, ‘Gainsborough’s Blue Boy.’ And these people are named Henderson.”
“I dunno… maybe it’s a neighbor kid.”
“Oops. Nailed by my own arrogant vanity! My “is” is refering to a plural form. I believe that should be, “are”… JOHNSON!”
LOL, Jerry
I’ve always felt that “ASSEMBLY-LINE-ART” was “TACKY & CHEAP”. I’ve yet to meet anyone in my family or those in others THAT KNOW, OR APPRECIATE, ANYTHING about the “bluelight-specials” they bought at K-Mart or Carpet Barn.
Decorations meant to infer… “CLASS” is all most of these poor reproductions have every been.
The MOST INTERESTING HOMES that I’ve visited didn’t have mass-produced artwork. The walls of these very unique homes were attired with either the family’s personally painted works or what I found EVEN MORE INTERESTING… “MEMORY BOARDS”!
These Memory Boards were colorful montages carefully crafted from THAT FAMILY’S OWN PHOTOGRAPHS (not, something bought at a department store or garage sale to suggest that, “We am a classy family Johnson!”
Long after the “artist” that had crafted the Memory Board was gone… THEY WERE STILL SPEAKING TO ME OF THIER LIVES… JUST LIKE THE WONDERFUL PICTURES THAT CHARLES SENDS OUT FOR US TO “REMEMBER & ENJOY THE THREADS THAT BIND US ALL TOGETHER AS AMERICANS”!
Great picture and story Charles. Not being a student of art, this was some great background on two famous works of art.
Yep. I love the plastic hanging off the lamp shade. That makes the vintage look!
Funny, I always refer to the sweet painted duo as “Blinky”.
Those krazy kids, always hanging around in San Marino!
My mother had crap like that back in the 60′s. I always wanted an atomic glam pole lamp or a Jacobsen egg chair, something sexy, even as a 6 year old. Not this mass produced chintz. I was considered a weird kid. My how things change.