Who is Tony Sarg?

c.1926

Tony Sarg wore many ‘hats’ -

he was a puppeteer, illustrator, toymaker;

a window designer, author and fabric designer.

A children’s ‘flap book’, 1932

I discovered him when I saw a few of his

alphabet page designs.

I was immediately enthralled!

These pages are from an Alphabet book 

in the permanent collection of 

The Metropolitan  Museum of Art.

Anne Stoddard wrote the verses.

Tony Sarg was born as

Anthony Frederick Sarg, in Guatemala

to his German consulate father and 

his English mother

in 1880.

c.1925

When Tony was 7 the family moved 

back to Germany. (1887)

At age 15, with war coming,

the family moved to England.

By 1915 Tony had a wife and a daughter.

Due to anti-German attitudes,

he moved his family to

New York City, New York USA.

Tony Sarg, 1939 gelatin silver photo

Courtesy Media Storehouse USA

In New York City he quickly became distinguished with his hobby of Puppetry.

By 1917 Puppetry was his main profession.

Today he is still known as

‘The Father of Puppetry in the USA’

2 puppets from the Opera dei Pupi

Courtesy Enrico Manino 

In 1920 Mr. Sarg became 

a naturalized citizen of the USA.

Tony Sarg wrote many books on Puppetry and Marionettes. He loved them,

and wanted to share them with as many as possible.

Excerpt from Tony Sarg’s Marionette book

In addition to Puppetry,

Mr. Sarg was a prolific illustrator,

writing and illustrating children’s books,

magazine covers, guide books and

co-animator for many films (primarily 1921-1923).

Pinterest, contrarymary credited

And then in 1928 something magical happened.

Macy’s had a Thanksgiving parade.

And…there were balloons!

Huge, flying balloons!

Tony Sarg had created a phenomenon.

He started an ongoing tradition

that is still loved today.

Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade

After the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair

he stopped competing with other puppeteers 

and focused on his illustrations.

Through Fairy Halls, c.1920

Illustrated by Tony Sarg

Mr. Sarg wrote and illustrated children’s stories.

He designed posters for hospitals and fund raisers.

He created illustrations for newspapers, 

magazine covers and billboards.

In 1942 Mr. Sarg had an emergency appendectomy.

3 weeks later he was dead.

However, his legacy lives on through his

books, numerous illustrations,

children’s stories and of course every November

with Macy’s Thanksgiving parade balloons!

‘Til next time,

inkspired

Kaleidoscope by inkspired and KaleidoCam 

 

Mary Quite Contrary Nursery Rhyming Fun

sanibonani

Zulu 'hello' for multiple people

translates to 'we see you'

and you should respond with

yebo

'yes'

Mistress Mary,

Quite contrary,

How does your garden grow?

With silver bells,

And cockle shells.

And cowslips all of a-row.

from An Alphabet of Old Friends by Walter Crane,mid 1800's

How does my lady's garden grow?

How does my lady's garden grow?

With silver bells and cockle shells,

And pretty maids all in a row.

 from The Baby's Opera by Walter Crane (circa 1877)

from Walter Crane's book

The only explanation I found for this rhyme is that

apparently it alludes to Queen Mary and

her preference for pretty female staff.

- reference by Jessie Prince,

found on Mama Lisa's House

Mrs. Mary, Quite Contrary

How does your garden grow?

With silver bells and cockle shells

And so my garden grows.

That version contains 2 lines that are different.

The first one, which ALSO can be said

"Mistress, Mary, Quite Contrary

and the last line, which Kate Greenaway's version (1881) says

"And cowslips all of a row."

This one, from Kate Greenaway, says the rhyme in a slightly different version!

Sounds to me like it was a popular little ditty,

and when people started writing it down,

they wrote what they had heard as children.

That's a whole 'nother topic!

I have a couple of friends that will keep us in stitches when they start

'singing' the hymns from church. The difference from what is written in the hymnal, and what they had 'heard' as children.

Two very different 'versions'!

Jessie Wilcox, illustrator

I have always loved the illustrations that have the little lady heads

as parts of the flowers. I don't know why, but it still makes me smile.

I love the 'singing' flowers in Alice in Wonderland, Disney animated version too.

from turkeyfeathers.typepad.com

Shall we do a little planting/watering in our garden now?

thanks for sharing, Dover Publications!

This is from 58 earthenware tiles made by Doulton, 1900

http://www.vam.ac.uk/

Oh no!

Now Ernie wants to help Bert water the garden...

those silly Muppet guys!!!

Here is Kate Greenaway to save the day...again...

vintage Kate Greenaway illustration

I think little Mary would have liked a garden that looked like this-

lots and lots of flowers - How many colors can you use to make this beautiful?

c.1889

One super thing about researching different nursery rhymes

is that I get to see so many wonderful illustrations

and paintings, and even clip art!

illustration by Moffat



That's it for today!

I do want to at least mention a

BIG THANK YOU

to the 50 countries where different people have enjoyed

puttering around my blog.

I think that is perhaps the best thing about the Internet:

We can all connect with someone from a different country

who dresses different

talks different

their culture and traditions are different

and we can get along!

I really do LOVE learning about different countries

and the people that live there.

I have ever since I can remember.

:0)

1922 illustration

Search for singing ladies today!

Grocery store line?

At the gas station?

On a street corner?

A neighbor mowing the grass?

Fun Fun Fun

that is what I wish for you today!

inkspired

http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/

http://www.inkspiredmusings.blogspot.com/

and a really really really easy

way for you to leave comments!

Love to hear from you....

http://www.mamalisa.com/?t=heh

Mama Lisa's House is a wonderful web site with many many nursery rhymes,

including recordings of many!

Here is her little rhyme:

A rabbit loves his carrots,

A kitten loves her mouse,

I hope you like the silly rhymes

In Mama Lisa's House!

3 Little Kittens Nursery Rhyme Fun

Meooowww...

(cat language for, well, we never really know what they're saying!)

3 Little Kittens

WARNING!!!
cutesy pictures are included
in today's blog!

Oh, those naughty little kittens!

into everything

being adorable

spilling over plants

being super super cute

getting stuck in tiny spaces

and being just pretty much darling.

http://www.docholidaymolds.net/

1942 illustration by Masha, Little Golden Books

This '3 Little Kittens' nursery rhyme was published in 1912,
'The Little Mother Goose'
illustrated by Jessie Willcox Smith:

 The Three Little KittensThree little kittens they lost their mittens,
And they began to cry,
"Oh! mammy dear,
We sadly fear,
Our mittens we have lost!"
"What! lost your mittens,
You naughty kittens,
Then you shall have no pie."
Miew, miew, miew, miew,
Miew, miew, miew, miew.

The three little kittens they found their mittens,
And they began to cry.
"Oh! mammy dear,
See here, see here,
Our mittens we have found."
"What! found your mittens,
You little kittens,
Then you shall have some pie."
Purr, purr, purr, purr,
Purr, purr, purr, purr.

The three little kittens put on their mittens,
And soon ate up the pie;
"Oh! mammy dear,
We greatly fear,
Our mittens we have soil'd."
"What! soil'd your mittens,
You naughty kittens!"
Then they began to sigh,
Miew, miew, miew, miew,
Miew, miew, miew, miew.

The three little kittens they washed their mittens,
And hung them up to dry;
"Oh! mammy dear,
Look here, look here,
Our mittens we have wash'd."
"What! wash'd your mittens,
You darling kittens!
But I smell a rat close by!
Hush! hush!" Miew, miew,
Miew, miew, miew, miew.

public domain vintage illustration

I found a few different versions of the nursery rhyme.

The original is thought to have been written by Eliza Lee Follen

printed in her book "New Nursery Songs for All Good Children."

Ms. Follen referred to the rhyme as "traditional".

Here is her version:

 

Three little kittens lost their mittens;

And they began to cry,

O mother dear,

We very much fear

That we have lost our mittens.

Lost your mittens!

You naughty kittens

Then you shall have no pie

Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow.

No, you shall have no pie

Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow.

The three little kittens found their mittens,

And they began to cry,

O mother dear,

See here, see here;

See, we have found our mittens.

Put on your mittens,

You silly kittens,

And you may have some pie

Purr-r, purr-r, purr-r,

O, let us have the pie,

Purr-r, purr-r, purr-r.

The three little kittens put on their mittens,

And soon ate up the pie;

O mother dear,

We greatly fear

That we have soil'd our mittens.

Soiled your mittens!

You naughty kittens!

Then they began to sigh,

Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow.

Then they began to sigh,

Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow.

The three little kittens washed their mittens,

And hung them out to dry;

O mother dear,

Do not you hear,

That we have washed our mittens?

Washed your mittens!

O, you're good kittens.

But I smell a rat close by:

Hush! hush! mee-ow, mee-ow.

We smell a rat close by,

Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow.

vintage illustration

I found some of this information on

http://www.mamalisa.com/

Check her site out for tons of nursery rhymes, vintage illustrations,

recordings of nursery rhymes, and some coloring pages also.

From this out-of-print book, here are some kitten cuttings for you!

I have enjoyed cutting all of these,

and mounting them on different papers for the backing.

Take a picture of yours, and show me!

My 'leave comments' has become much easier to use.

If you have tried in the past, and it was a BIG PAIN,

try again!

:0)

http://www.lovesadaf.blogspot.com/

Here is another version of 'The Three Little Kittens':

Three little kittens have lost their mittens;

And they began to cry,

    Oh Mother dear, we sadly fear

        That we have lost our mittens.

What! Lost your mittens, you naughty kittens!

Then you shall have no pie

    Mewo, meow,meow.

                No, you shall have no pie!

The three little kittens found their mittens!

          And they began to cry!

            See here, see here’

      See, we have found our mittens.

Put on your mittens, you silly kittens,

          And you may have some pie.

     Purr-r, purr-r, purr-r,

                   Oh! let us have some  pie,

                       Rurr-rr, purr-r, purr-r.

3 little kittens crying

an embroidery pattern courtesy of turkeyfeathers

a Danish language children's book,

for sale at http://www.cgi.ebay.com/

http://www.makinglearningfun.com/

and here are some kittens that we don't normally think about

with this nursery rhyme, but

they are 3 'little' kittens!!!

photograph taken by Dumith Fernando in the Phinda Game Reserve,

KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

vintage ad, http://www.graphic-design.tjs-labs.com/

vintage illustration, public domain

Disney's 'Aristocat' 3 kittens: Marie, Berlioz and Toulouse!

vintage 3 little kittens eating pie - with those mittens!!

Here's another 'learn to draw' from Dover Publications.

Perfect traveling in the car activity!

1953 illustration for 'Mother Goose' by

Eulalie Banks

That's it for today!

Use the nursery rhyme to help little ones learn their number!

Use the coloring pages for them to practice their fine motor skills!

Use the embroidery pattern for more fine motor skills!

Try the scherensnitte to practice scissors skills!

but

mostly just have fun!

see you tomorrow!

inkspired

http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/

http://www.inkspiredmusings.blogspot.com/

use the comments section to contact me!

:0)