Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-10
MAKING MASCOTS
FOR MOTOR CARS
Worker in a Curious Trade
Tells of Good Luck
i
Symbols.

Yes. the making of motor mascots is
my business-those little toys and fig
ures motorists carry on the front OF their
cars to bring them luck You can get
them at all prices. 1 will make you a
little gold Rilliken for $50. or you can do
as chauffeur of my acquaintance tells
me his employer did. When trying a new
car his wife suddenly remarked:
"Oh, l did want you to get mascot,
dear Something nice and ugly to sit on
the radiator cap
Look here, Mary" was the determined
answer, IF l hadn't sworn that I'd spent
was going to spend, l would cheerfully
buy you a penny gollywog But l ii see
what l can do
In ten minutes the mascot was ready
grotesque doll made with a stick, tufts
of grass from the roadside, some string,
and the chauffeur's tartan handkerchief.
Perhaps I'm prejudiced, but / disapprove
of that kind of mascot. But, on the
other hand. / can't really recommend
gold one. L made a few some years ago,
a detective to watch It,
The most expensive one l ever made,
little gold dancing girl on pedestal
studded with enamels, suddenly disap-
peared during a ten-minute stop outside
a country inn.
There was a small craze for costly
mascots-chiefy of silver-a couple of
years ago, but even the most extravagant
of customers are growing cautious. Mas
cots used to disappear by scores day.
The most popular mascot at the moment
is tiny aeroplane propeller, which whirls
around as the car travels The Bllliken,
or the Billiken twins, comes good sec
ond. A tiny policeman with large up
raised hand regulating the traffic is also
pretty popular. Gollywogs are bit old
fashioned now.
Brass is the usual material, though
sometimes silver is wanted to match the
nickel mountings of a car. A good mas
cot of solid brass costs, say, from half
sovereign up to G5. 1t is skilled trade,
the making of mascots. l put lots of
work into my little figures. They are
carefully chased and engraved, and 1
never repeat design. sell some of
my work through the motor shops (my
workshop is near Long Acre. in the heart
of London's motor land, but also de-
pend a good deal on casual customers.
I get strange orders sometimes. l was
once asked to make small brass
model of the customers wife-he came
provided with photographs. One GUS
toner who evidently took the SUBJECT or
mascots very seriously used to come and
watch me working on the pattern from
which the casting was TO be struck. The
idea was very elaborate, with horseshoes
galore and commanding inquire of the
devil. This central figure he kept urging
me to make 'Iifelike-lifelike.' / had
TO laugh in the end, and point out that
had never seen the gentleman In ques-
ton, and was doing as well as l could
without the aid of a trustworthy photo
graph He went away Tuning. Within
a week he was killed in his car at
level crossing in France
No. | haven't a particle of superstitious
faith in my mascots. 1 have had lady
customer stop her car outside. march in,
and throw her mascot on the floor as
useless. l have also had notes of thanks
for the good luck my mascots have
brought My experience is that men are
more superstitious than women In the
there is hardly an aviator flying today
who goes up without his mascot Some
people's wants in the mascot line are
very eccentric One world famous dancer
has a beautiful little figure of herself
dancing on the front of her motor, with
the one word below ii. Moi myself).
King Georges motor mascot is a beauti-
full little representation of st. George
and the Dragon.