Hi attic-ites!
Ok, maybe that isn't the best name. I'll work on it.
Anyway, this week we have an item that I picked up at a flea market a few years ago. It dates from the late 60s and celebrates one of America's greatest accomplishments...and it was made in England.
Here it is!
Yes, it's a pretty heavy, black and gold Apollo 11 mug! As you can see, it was designed by John Cuffley (who apparently isn't a drummer but, rather, an artist and sculpter). It was released by Portmeirion Pottery from Stoke-on Trent, England. I had never heard of them, but they also make Spode and Royal Worcester , so they ain't too shabby. They also made other styles that included astrological signs and Elvis. Ok, maybe not Elvis.
Anyway, I paid around 10 bucks for it, but it seems that they go for 40-50 normally, so I did ok. I really like it because it has a good feel to it. I think it would be good to drink Tang out of...with maybe a little shot of vodka to pay tribute to the second place Russians (Space Race reference).
Anyway, I really like it. It's a good relic from a time when Space was where it was at, baby! Maybe I'll go try my Space Race drink right now...
Until next time, keep searching for treasure!
...One giant leap for coffee beans.
ReplyDeleteI remember that day very well. It was exciting to watch on TV and to go outside and look up at the moon, too. An historic moment that doesn’t seem so long ago, though more that 50 years have flown by.
Fun mug! Thanks for sharing, Stu.
—Sue
I remember it well too. We ate at our pastor's house (my dad was the minister of music and they were good friends) and then watched it. I can remember having a burger with tomatoes, (which is weird because I don't really like tomatoes) and it was good. Later, I remember walking to the car and looking up at the moon and thinking "There are people up there right now!" It's weird how our memories pick out strange details...
ReplyDeleteSame here. A time when real cool things happened and everyone had a stake in it. If I remember correctly, we watched it on our color TV and the black and white videos were so exotic and wonderful. And looking up at the moon was that moment that Sue mentioned.
ReplyDeleteDon't like tomatoes either. I use avocado on my BLT.
PS That 50 years went by in a flash from my perspective now. So weird.
So true on the time situation, Dr. Goat. My kid is grown and my grandkids are half grown. It's strange.... Not bad, just...strange...
ReplyDeleteThat really is a treasure! Great design, and it looks nice and solid, too. I have a friend who collects Portmeirion dishes, but hers are all floral-patterned. It always makes me think of Portmeirion, Wales, the resort town where they filmed the TV series "The Prisoner."
ReplyDeleteThe moon landing was a bit before my time, but when I visited Kennedy Space Center as a kid, they had a photobooth type thing with a replica of the moon's surface, an American flag, and a headless mannequin in a space suit. You could climb up these steps behind it, stick your head into the helmet, and act like you'd landed on the moon for the camera. When we got the pictures back, they had such terrible red-eye that we looked like some kind of moon monster taking over the body of a hapless astronaut.
One thing I like about it is that it is very solid. There's a nice "heft" to it!
DeleteThat's great about becoming a Moon Monster! I see a whole new line of space toys here! They could tie in with Major Matt Mason or something!