Charles Addams was one of several New Yorker cartoonists who designed vintage scarves for Richard Farrar. Addams collector Joel Jacobus has contributed three photographs of the full scarf (and one of a sketch which will appear here soon). He writes:
The black and white version of this scarf appeared in the October 1951 issue of Quick. Addams Family members were not given names prior to the premier of the television show in 1964. Therefore, the character we all know as Morticia is referred to simply as Addams' "witch lady" in the article.
The May 1953 issue of Look includes an article on Addams. The photo of a picnic at the beach contains four Addams scarves and assorted "creepy crockery."
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I don't know the date it was first available for sale, but I do know that it was pictured in an October 1951 issue of Quick Magazine and again in May 1953 issue of Look magazine. I also know that there was an Otto Soglow Farrar scarf and an Anatol Kovarsky Farrar Scarf produced at roughly the same time. I've heard that there was a Helen Hokinson Farrar scarf but I've never seen it.
The Addams scarf came in at least the following four color combinations (and possibly more):
- gold & black & brown,
- blue & gold & white,
- red & black & gray & white,
- black & white.
Here then is the scarf in red and dark gray plus black and white:
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Charles Addams
Scarf design for Richard Farrar
From the collection of Joel Jacobus
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| Charles Addams Scarf design for Richard Farrar
From the collection of Joel Jacobus
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| Charles Addams Scarf design for Richard Farrar
From the collection of Joel Jacobus
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The black and white version of this scarf appeared in the October 1951 issue of Quick. Addams Family members were not given names prior to the premier of the television show in 1964. Therefore, the character we all know as Morticia is referred to simply as Addams' "witch lady" in the article.
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| Quick, October 1951
From the collection of Joel Jacobus
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| Look, May 1953
From the collection of Joel Jacobus
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Joel goes on:
I suspect that the licensing deals involving several New Yorker artists, for several early 1950’s products, were made through the New Yorker because of the similarity between the basic designs, the manufacturers, and the time period.
I’ve seen Charles Addams, Helen Hokinson, & Richard Taylor plates, bowls, and ceramic ashtrays all made by Atlas China. I’ve seen sets of Charles Addams & Richard Taylor highball glasses made by an unknown maker. I’ve seen a Charles Addams scarf design & two Otto Soglow scarf designs all made by Farrar. They all came out at roughly the same time. It makes me wonder if there were also plates by Soglow, glasses by Hokinson, and scarves by Taylor that I just haven’t stumbled across yet. Taylor also licensed several sets of cheap metal ashtrays at roughly the same time but I think they were a side project that the others weren’t involved in.
I’ve had both the scarf and the Addams sketch for more than a decade. The scarf came from a seller on ebay who had TWO of them! A gold Addams scarf and a red Addams scarf. I would have tried to win both if I could have figured out how to rob the local bank, but happily the seller sent the wrong scarves to each winner so I got to see the gold one in person before sending it back in exchange for the red one.
Foolishly, I didn't take any photos of the gold scarf. Still kicking myself.
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Just when I thought this was the only version of the Addams scarf online, I found these photos of the black and white variant posted on Collectors Weekly by luvskitsch:
February 2, 2021 Update: The black and white Addams Family scarf appears in the forward to The Scarf (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1989) by Andrew Baseman. It is in the author's collection.
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Charles Addams
Scarf design for Richard Farrar
Photo by luvskitsch
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Gomez corner detail
Charles Addams
Photo by luvskitsch
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| Lurch corner detail Charles Addams Scarf Design for Richard Farrar
Photo by luvskitsch
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| Chas Addams' printed signature Charles Addams Scarf design for Richard Farrar
Photo by luvskitsch
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February 2, 2021 Update: The black and white Addams Family scarf appears in the forward to The Scarf (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1989) by Andrew Baseman. It is in the author's collection.
June 12, 2022 Update: Joel Jacobus has brought to my attention that the Addams scarf in the colors gold and brown plus black and white was listed on eBay just last week. It has since been sold. That listing included Joel's magazine photos from this post, uncredited, of course; I do not need to repeat them here.
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| Addams Family scarf Gold and brown plus black and white |
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| Uncle Fester with unfortunate runs through his face |
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| Charles Addams's signature below a distinguished Gomez |
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| Pugsley and Morticia |
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| Richard A. Farrar label |
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| Charles Addams eBay listing ended June 5, 2022 |
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| Charles Addams eBay item description |
June 15, 2022 Update: The new owner has gone public on Instagram.
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| https://www.instagram.com/p/CeytIE3uD-T/ |
September 14, 2022 Update: Roz Chast with her scarf, photographed by Liza Donnelly.
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Photograph by Liza Donnelly https://michaelmaslin.com/weekend-spill-latest-addition-to-the-spill-library-fave-photo-of-the-week-the-tilley-watch-online-september-5-9-2022/ |
Note: Fashionable readers stylish enough to wear cartoon accessories are invited to contribute photos of the blue, gold, and white Addams scarf, of any other color combinations, and indeed of the other vintage scarves designed by New Yorker cartoonists for Richard Farrar in any and all available color combinations. Vintage ads for these scarves, if they exist, would be of great interest. Further print documentation of these scarves, like those provided above, are, of course, eagerly sought here.
But it doesn't have to end there. Joel Jacobus, who kindly provided this blog with all the photos and detailed information found at the top of this post, has, as you can tell, a broad-ranging interest in Charles Addams memorabilia. He writes,"I'm trying to compile a collectors guide to Addams artwork and licensed products (I have over two thousand entries thanks to the various tv shows, movies, and musicals his artwork has been involved with)…" Let's help him out. Please submit images and info on any rare and intriguing Addams and Addams Family goods in your possession. Have you got "creepy crockery" at home. I would be happy to forward to Joel relevant photos and information on such items in private collections, or to post them here if appropriate, or both.
Joel's Addams sketch will appear here tomorrow.
Charles Addams
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Really enjoying this post. So much information! I knew I found a little treasure when I came across this :) I am going to sell this, but have no idea what to price it at. Any insight? Thanks again, Lisa
ReplyDeleteI've no idea, but it's lovely.
ReplyDeleteI have one of the gold black and white scarves that was given to me when I was 17. I love it.
ReplyDeleteI have an addams scarf in gold black and brown that I received when I was 17 and I love it.
ReplyDeleteSweet! Could you send a photo or two?
DeleteI have the black and white one. Has anyone found a resell price?
ReplyDeleteJoel left a comment on the Collector's Weekly site in which he discussed the unpredictable nature of prices for Addams memorabilia. These scarves are rarely on the market and few people know of them so they really don't have established track records.
DeleteI picked one up at an estate sale last weekend and will be putting it up as an ebay auction. this is an amazingly helpful article. thank you for sharing this info on my favorite family
ReplyDelete