We're marking the last few days of The Dog Days of Summer (which ends today) with a sampling of our collection of handsome dogs—all currently in-stock at LEO Design.
Here is another charming pair of canine bookends. These were made in the Seventies by "Philadelphia Manufacturing Craftsman." The company was founded by the Startzman family in 1911. Initially, they fabricated metal parts for other manufacturers. In the Fifties, they added "slush-metal" bookends to their production, using old moulds which they had purchased from other bookend makers and some of their original designs. In the Seventies, they moved to Florida and continued to produce bookends.
"Slush-metal" casting is a method of pouring molten metal (often zinc or an alloy containing it) into a hollow mould, allowing the "walls" to cool and harden, then pouring-out the remaining molten blend. This production method allows one to make an economical, 3-D, hollow casting. Unlike cast iron bookends, they tend to be a bit lighter. Some of them were then filled with plaster of Paris which added additional heft (and usefulness) to the bookend.
At LEO Design, over the years, I have been quite selective about which slush-metal bookends I will purchase for the shop. For starters, such bookends were produced largely after World War II—which makes them slightly late for the period I most like to carry. Secondly, many post-War bookends have a "modern cheapness" in their quality: their weight, their coloration, and the attention paid to their finishing detail. Finally, even if they are well-made, they have to appeal to me aesthetically (which, again, is affected by the design trends of the post-war era.)
This pair of brass-plated bookends shows a spunky (and naughty) dachshund, "devouring" a stack of books. They are nicely-cast, well-finished, of good weight, and cute enough (without being saccharine). Click on the photo above to learn more about this handsome pair of bookends.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
To arrange a visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only), please call 917-446-4248.