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Figure Name:
Major Johnny Jordan
Created by: Olga and Martin
Stevens
Used by:
Tommy Windsor
Unique Feature: Natural Legs
Trivia:
1. Major Johnny Jordan is a plastic wood figure, created by
Olga and Martin Stevens and used by Marietta, Ohio ventriloquist
Tommy Windsor.
2. The Stevens' Studio was in Middlebury, Indiana.
3. Windsor gave detailed instructions on how Johnny was to be made
and asked that the Stevens's break the mold after he was finished so
that duplicates could not be created. The Stevens sent a letter to
Windsor stating that this what done and that Windsor was the sole
copyright owner of the figure.
4. When the Stevens and Windsor were corresponding about the
construction of the figure, Martin Stevens described how he planned
to build the body of Johnny. He wrote: "One
of the things I don't like about dummies is that they haven't any
bodies under their clothes, and they look it. Mostly they look like
they were suffering from infantile paralysis or the rickets or
something...What I should like to do with Little Tommy is make him
some legs that will look like something under his pants, and with
controlled hip and knee joints that won't dangle like loosely
stuffed stockings when they are moved about." Windsor allowed
this unique construction.
5. Windsor sold the figure to La Wain's House of Magic, and in 1959
Vent Haven Museum
founder W.S. Berger purchased the figure from the House
of Magic.
6. In September of 1959 Berger sent Windsor a letter stating that he
had purchased the figure from La Wain's House of Magic. Windsor
wrote back, "The LaWains wrote me about you buying the
'Major'...There is no one in the world I would rather have own this
figure."
7. Jane Jones, the
December 2005 Figure of the Month, was used by Windsor's
wife, Jeanne.
8. This figure is on display in Building Two of the museum, but it
cannot be seen from any of the
Quicktime Virtual Pans of the
museum.
Do you have additional information about this
figure? Do you have a suggestion for a future Figure of the Month? Is there a figure
maker whose work you would like to see featured? Let us know by emailing
the Vent Haven staff. |