Looks like an old Pink Floyd album cover
I knew there was an album cover with that!!!
I was thinking âthe Stonesâ album[emoji106]
Thanks Louie
I love it. There are modern versions kicking around, notably from âDesign Toscanoâ of Illinois since 1989, but that looks like an original vintage piece. They were made with various faces (male and female) and yours will almost certainly be from one of two companies⌠both in Wrightsville, Pennsylvania.
The Wilton family established a foundry called âSusquehanna Castingsâ in 1892 which produced cast iron items, some of which (doorstops, trivets and other homeware like your bottle opener) were decoratively painted and sold under the name âWilton Productsâ from around 1935. By about 1965 they were mainly manufacturing with an aluminium alloy known as âArmetaleâ. Their novelty bottle-openers all seem to have the Wilton name embossed as part of the casting on the inside.
The other company was John Wright, established in 1947, manufacturing cast iron toys and various novelties through to the 1980s, when they switched focus to reproduction and shutter hardware. In 1969 they had bought out Wilton, who had moved to Mount Joy, PA earlier in that year.
My understanding is that pieces without the âWiltonâ mark are by John Wright and so will be late 1940s onwards.
[PS: the 1971 Pink Floyd âRelicsâ album had different cover artwork in different countries. The US release featured the four-eyed bottle openers, photographed from vintage items.]
Thank you RED-COAT !
So my piece is after 1940? Which is what I thought. Itâs in very good condition and doesnât appear to have been hung or used! The #4 means fourth casting?
I love it too.
My original plan was to hang it and use it but I think Iâll put it away in my display case!