This ad is from the 1963 Sunset House gift catalog and it's for real. This is possibly the greatest product and/or service ever offered in the history of mail order.
Did you know that Cheeta, the chimp from the old Tarzan films is still alive and is also a painter? He lives at a primate sanctuary now and his art sales help to keep the place running.
Nemo- I'd like to think that if I were around in 1963 I would have ordered, like ten of these. And you get your name engraved!
Todd- amen
chuck- finally I get to learn what really makes you tick. Turns out it's ranting about ultra-modest swimwear that gets you out of bed each morning. I shall watch your blogging career with much interest.
Flashfink- that's interesting. I was looking up pablo and I came upon Cheeta, but I had no idea that it was THE Cheeta from Tarzan. I'll bet Cheeta's are worth more.
I found out about Cheeta's whereabouts and activities when the news of his 74th birthday was broadcast back in April. They had to make his birthday cake without sugar because he's diabetic, but he still likes to take walks and has all of his teeth!
REEEEEALLY amazing stuff here -- for YEARS I have thought about how cool it would be to travel back in time & take advantage of this ad (well, and a million others of course), but thanks to Flashfink & the Cheeta info I've now actually been able to go ahead & buy a pair of chimp-painted originals, and to top it all off they're being painted by worlds-oldest-Chip-and-international-Tarzan-superstar Cheeta! Just too amazingly great. Really.
Anyway I'll send some snaps when they arrive; since you can pick your own color schemes I went with both a warmer (Red, Yellow, Brown) & cooler (blue, black) palette, and am almost absurdly excited.
My parents had one of those (possibly still do) with a little plaque just like that reading "painted especially for Marlene and Lee by Pablo the Chimp."
jason- that's great! yes puleeeeze share images of your new monkey masterworks when they arrive. I'd be happy to post about them here.
Tex- I hope your parents are the type who will let their kid have any monkey paintings that may be lying around the house, and I hope you are the kind of kid who will go and aquire said painting and get some good use of it. And if you don't use it then donate it to the blogger of your choice. I envy them.
After I wouldn't shut up about them, enough people from my work were hitting me up for info that I just quickly made a super simple web page w/ the basic info & some pics all collected. I guess it's kinda slanted more towards people who might not really be so inclined to "get" this kind of thing right off the bat, but it'll at least give you all an easy peek at the paintings. And hell, maybe I'm selling my coworkers short since like 6 of them bought "Cheetas" after I showed them the goods (might've been that whole "tax write off" part!).
and here's the URL in case that link is hinky: http://www.heyrube.com/cheetaweb/
thanks again to everyone here for hipping me to the whole deal!
For $9.98 how could anybody who saw that ad not have 'commissioned' a painting? Let's see Hammacher Schlemmer top this one...
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is WOW!!!
ReplyDeletenice. Did you see kirk. I started a blog too. Only one entry so far but I'm trying. I really am
ReplyDeleteDid you know that Cheeta, the chimp from the old Tarzan films is still alive and is also a painter? He lives at a primate sanctuary now and his art sales help to keep the place running.
ReplyDeleteYou can find out more by going to:
http://cheetathechimp.org/index.html
or just go to Google and type in CHEETA PAINTING.
Nemo- I'd like to think that if I were around in 1963 I would have ordered, like ten of these. And you get your name engraved!
ReplyDeleteTodd- amen
chuck- finally I get to learn what really makes you tick. Turns out it's ranting about ultra-modest swimwear that gets you out of bed each morning.
I shall watch your blogging career with much interest.
Flashfink- that's interesting. I was looking up pablo and I came upon Cheeta, but I had no idea that it was THE Cheeta from Tarzan. I'll bet Cheeta's are worth more.
ReplyDeleteI found out about Cheeta's whereabouts and activities when the news of his 74th birthday was broadcast back in April. They had to make his birthday cake without sugar because he's diabetic, but he still likes to take walks and has all of his teeth!
ReplyDeleteREEEEEALLY amazing stuff here -- for YEARS I have thought about how cool it would be to travel back in time & take advantage of this ad (well, and a million others of course), but thanks to Flashfink & the Cheeta info I've now actually been able to go ahead & buy a pair of chimp-painted originals, and to top it all off they're being painted by worlds-oldest-Chip-and-international-Tarzan-superstar Cheeta! Just too amazingly great. Really.
ReplyDeleteAnyway I'll send some snaps when they arrive; since you can pick your own color schemes I went with both a warmer (Red, Yellow, Brown) & cooler (blue, black) palette, and am almost absurdly excited.
My parents had one of those (possibly still do) with a little plaque just like that reading "painted especially for Marlene and Lee by Pablo the Chimp."
ReplyDeleteTex Lebeauf
YA!!!!!
ReplyDeletejason- that's great! yes puleeeeze share images of your new monkey masterworks when they arrive. I'd be happy to post about them here.
ReplyDeleteTex- I hope your parents are the type who will let their kid have any monkey paintings that may be lying around the house, and I hope you are the kind of kid who will go and aquire said painting and get some good use of it. And if you don't use it then donate it to the blogger of your choice. I envy them.
hobo divine- amen to that!
Okay, the paintings came & they're perfect.
ReplyDeleteAfter I wouldn't shut up about them, enough people from my work were hitting me up for info that I just quickly made a super simple web page w/ the basic info & some pics all collected. I guess it's kinda slanted more towards people who might not really be so inclined to "get" this kind of thing right off the bat, but it'll at least give you all an easy peek at the paintings. And hell, maybe I'm selling my coworkers short since like 6 of them bought "Cheetas" after I showed them the goods (might've been that whole "tax write off" part!).
and here's the URL in case that link is hinky: http://www.heyrube.com/cheetaweb/
thanks again to everyone here for hipping me to the whole deal!
ahem.. that hits WAY too close to home.
ReplyDelete