Winner Winner Chicken Dinner
Do I like chickens? Not particularly. But when you own a property that was once a Quaker Oats chicken research farm, it is hard to avoid poultry. Not only gifts, but art in many forms. This collection is decorating a “chicken” themed bathroom, and, before you ask, yes, I did hang the toile wallpaper featuring chickens. I couldn’t resist. In the spirit of “if you can’t beat ‘em join ‘em”, I have gathered (mostly black and white) chicken artwork in many forms, and display them in this bathroom.
I have gathered a large collect of Ful-O-Pep brochures, printed by Quaker Oats. Some came with our property but others were purchased on eBay years ago. The two inside the black shelf are some of my favorites due to the amusing artwork, and these images are reduced sized copies of the (larger) originals. These brochures have provided interesting tidbits of information about the research farm Quaker Oats was running on our property (1922-1965). Quaker Oats was looking for a way to sell the byproduct from manufacturing oatmeal, and the solution was to market it as a fortified animal feed, primarily for chickens. The feed was distributed across the country, and marketed to families that maintained backyard chicken coops. These brochures, as well as a weekly radio show, Man On The Farm, were part of that marketing.
The middle rooster artwork in the black shelf is a small watercolor I found at a thrift shop, as is the framed chicken artwork on top of the display. The black and white oil painting hanging on the wall beneath is also a thrift shop find. He is actually signed “Betty Kingsbury 1987”. Amusingly, the price sticker is still on the back from the thrift store – I paid a whopping $2.00. He is a dapper rooster, nicely done in a folk-art style.
The black framed art work on the top of the shelf is an eBay purchase from years ago. It is a very old photography postcard, with a cancelation stamp saying “Dunkirk, NY April 8, 10am 1906”. For those interested, Dunkirk is up on Lake Erie, south of Buffalo, NY. The actual stamp has been removed, and the writing is badly faded as it was in pencil. The only word still legible is “birthday”, but in very faint printing, the front says “Easter Greetings” along the top edge. I do not know the type of photographic production used, but the piece is likely from 1890 or so, and has a lovely metallic sheen.
The middle piece on the shelf was my mom’s, and I recall it was in our kitchen throughout my childhood. I believe it is a Portuguese pottery tile, but I do not know why my mother had it. It is a bit peculiar in its humor – the image is of a cooked chicken “dish” with the saying “when the cock crows our love will be over”. The implied message is the darn rooster is now cooked so not likely to actually start crowing again – but what a twisted comment about love.
This last piece is on the wall in the guest room just outside the bathroom. My daughter created the artwork in elementary school art class. How could I not display this charming rooster awaiting the sunrise?! I paid to have it professionally matted and framed, and each day I see him, I smile at his charm. Thankfully he is not able to crow, but not because he’s been overcooked. He is a silent reminder of my daughter’s childhood joy in the creation of art. As well as the peculiar saying her trainers would chant when she continually won horse competitions: Winner, winner, chicken dinner! According to The Oracle, this originated by gamblers, trying to win $2 to cover the cost of their dinner in Las Vegas. Over time, it became a phrase to use when celebrating a victory. Time to go make a chicken dinner.
