In the mid to late 40s, Hartland Plastics seemed to be looking for a market. I've purchased numerous Gag and Novelty Catalogs from around that time, and the country was apparently very willing to buy statues that would be considered politically incorrect by todays standards. Race and religion were fair game along with about any other kind of distasteful subject. This page shows a few of them that I have been able to find.
Kilroy was Here: This standing figure may have been Hartland Plastic's very first small sculpture. Most of them lack any form of mold mark, however a few have surfaced with the Diamond I marking. References to Kilroy were common in the mid to late 40s and it appears that Hartland was just riding the wave. The standing figure can be found in several pastel colors. Some have paint in the lettering as shown on the swizzle stick. The Swizzle Sticks shown to the left came in several colors such as red, blue, pink & green.
I have never seen the one on the right, but it just about has to be a Hartland! The bases and lettering are in the same format as the Rabbi and Kilroy statues which have been confirmed to be creations of Hartland Plastics. Ironically, the company went right in to making a complete line of Religious Statues. I went through several years of newspapers from the Hartland area, and it was noticeably a very Catholic community. You would have to wonder how the company was being accepted in the early years in their home town!
Text & Photographs Copyright Mike Jackson 1998-2002
Kilroy was Here:
