Mike Jackson’s Hartland Photos:
ROY ROGERS AND DALE OLD PHOTOS
 
All scanned images copyright Mike Jackson 1997-2001 and not to be used by others

Text & Photographs Copyright Mike Jackson 1998-2008


Champ Roy and Dale:
This display is similar to the one in Gail Fitch’s Hartland Horseman book (1999 Schiffer Publishing Ltd.) in the historical photo on page 123. That photo also shows O’Rorke, Chief Thunderbird, Tonto, Champ Lone Ranger (both sizes) along with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans.

About the only difference would be the artist’s retouching of Dale’s face for this photo and the fact she seemed to be wearing a red shirt in the other photo. That combination can be seen in a photo from the Roy Rogers Museum, shown below. I would date this photo as late 1954, knowing the sets would then show at the New York TOY FAIR in 1955 as announced in the dealer brochure below.
If anyone has one of the displays or knows more about them, please let me know!!!!!
Early RR Dealer Sheet:
This is probably the first photograph used to advertise Roy Rogers. It is not dated, but I am fairly sure it would have been produced just before the NY TOY FAIR in 1955 as indicated in the lower right corner. This piece is identical to the pieces shown in the historical photo in a hotel room, probably room 1430 of the Hotel New Yorker in 1955. Since 1939, the TOY FAIRS are held in February in NY. By the time the sets were finally produced, the silver martingale was changed to blue and the silver trim around the saddle was eleminated. This saddle can be seen in the photo from the Roy Rogers Museum in California. Those production pieces were available in the fall of 1955 in the Wards and Sears Christmas books.
Roy Rogers and Dale Evans at the Roy Rogers Museum:
This photo was taken by Sande Schneider at the Roy Rogers Museum in California. It is more or less a missing link connecting the early prototypes to the photos in the historical TOY FAIR photos mentioned above. The Dale sets in the historical photo show a darker shirt for Dale (probably red), though Trigger had the silver martingale as shown in the Dealer Sheet above. The silver trim on the saddle in that sheet shows up again here. Dale Evans is a stock early Champ Cowgirl except for the green pants.
Early Champ Style Dale Evans:
For promotion purposes, Hartland used to “modify” photos to suit their needs. In this case, they superimposed a better likeness of Dale Evans’ face over an early style Cowgirl. I’ve never seen one that looked like this! (The photo on the right is a close-up of the full shot) The green outfit did match the later sets and also what we now call “The Early Champ Style Dale Evans” set. This was the set shown in the Wards and Sears catalogs in 1955. I would date this photo as late 1954.


Prototype New Versions of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans:
This is the photo used in the first brochure from 1955. I believe that brochure was printed in the middle of the year, in time for packaging the sets being shipped off to the catalog stores like Sears and Wards for the 1955 Christmas season.

I believe these two sets were “illustrated” and not photographed. It is even more apparent when viewing actual 8" x 10" photos of this piece. Both Roy and Dale’s face are drawn and airbrushed. The breastcollars shown on the horses were never produced and I’ve never seen the top strap of the bridle on any production piece, as shown on Buttermilk. Dale is also shown here with the Champ style saddle. Her final saddle didn’t show up until the newer saddle for the Lone Ranger was produced.

(Thanks to Bruce Schwartz for sending a great black and white photos! Also thanks to Sande for the color photo!)