George E. Studdy
Encyclopedia
George Ernest Studdy was a British
commercial artist. He is best remembered for his creation of Bonzo the dog
, a fictional character
in the early 1920s that first appeared in The Sketch
Magazine.
His Bonzo character was a chubby little white pup with sparse black spots, a stubby tail and big blue eyes. Bonzo became the inspiration for much commercial merchandise, such as cuddly and mechanical toys, ashtray
s, pincushion
s, trinket boxes, car mascots, jigsaw puzzle
s, books, calendars, candies, and a profusion of postcard
s.
Bonzo, wearing a set of headphones
, became associated with the "Crosley Pup
", an affordable mass-produced AM radio introduced by Powel Crosley Jr.
in the United States
in 1925. Years later, both Bonzo commercial items and Crosley Pup radios became valuable as collectible
s. A paper mâché Crosley Bonzo is on display at the Smithsonian Institution
in Washington, D.C.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
commercial artist. He is best remembered for his creation of Bonzo the dog
Bonzo the dog
Bonzo the dog is a fictional character created by British artist George E. Studdy in the early 1920s. He was a chubby little white pup with sparse black spots, a stubby tail and big blue eyes...
, a fictional character
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the early 1920s that first appeared in The Sketch
The Sketch
The Sketch was a British illustrated newspaper weekly, which focused on high society and the aristocracy. It ran for 2,989 issues between February 1, 1893 and June 17, 1959. It was published by the Illustrated London News Company and was primarily a society magazine with regular features on royalty...
Magazine.
His Bonzo character was a chubby little white pup with sparse black spots, a stubby tail and big blue eyes. Bonzo became the inspiration for much commercial merchandise, such as cuddly and mechanical toys, ashtray
Ashtray
An ashtray is a receptacle for ash and butts from cigarettes and cigars. Ashtrays are typically made of fireproof material such as glass, heat-resistant plastic, pottery, metal, or rock....
s, pincushion
Pincushion
A pincushion is a small cushion, typically 3–5 cm across, which is used in sewing to store pins or needles with their heads protruding so as to take hold of them easily, collect them, and keep them organized....
s, trinket boxes, car mascots, jigsaw puzzle
Jigsaw puzzle
A jigsaw puzzle is a tiling puzzle that requires the assembly of numerous small, often oddly shaped, interlocking and tessellating pieces.Each piece usually has a small part of a picture on it; when complete, a jigsaw puzzle produces a complete picture...
s, books, calendars, candies, and a profusion of postcard
Postcard
A postcard or post card is a rectangular piece of thick paper or thin cardboard intended for writing and mailing without an envelope....
s.
Bonzo, wearing a set of headphones
Headphones
Headphones are a pair of small loudspeakers, or less commonly a single speaker, held close to a user's ears and connected to a signal source such as an audio amplifier, radio, CD player or portable Media Player. They are also known as stereophones, headsets or, colloquially, cans. The in-ear...
, became associated with the "Crosley Pup
Crosley Pup
Crosley Pup was an affordable mass-produced AM radio introduced by Powel Crosley, Jr., in the United States in 1925. Competing with other products which were priced in excess of $100, the popular "Pup" model priced at $9.75 helped Crosley Radio Corporation in Cincinnati, Ohio, become the largest...
", an affordable mass-produced AM radio introduced by Powel Crosley Jr.
Powel Crosley Jr.
Powel Crosley, Jr. was an American inventor, industrialist, and entrepreneur. He and his brother Lewis were responsible for many "firsts" in consumer products and broadcasting. He was the builder of the Crosley automobiles. He was the owner of the Cincinnati Reds major league baseball team for...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1925. Years later, both Bonzo commercial items and Crosley Pup radios became valuable as collectible
Collectible
A collectable or collectible is any object regarded as being of value or interest to a collector . There are numerous types of collectables and terms to denote those types. An antique is a collectable that is old...
s. A paper mâché Crosley Bonzo is on display at the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....