Inkipedia
Smiling Boy – Alfred E. Neuman Archetype
| Categories | Figural - Mythology; Literature; Religion; Fictional |
| Type | Fictional |
| Material | Brass |
| Markings | Unmarked |
| Manufacturer | Undetermined |
| Origin | United States |
| Date or Era | circa 1900 |
| Measuring | 6 ¾” x 4 ½” x 2 ¾” high |
Before the boy with the distinct smiling face, gap-toothed smile, freckles, and protruding ears became famous as the fictitious mascot and cover boy of the American humor magazine “Mad”, he and his catch phrase “What, me worry” were used from the late 19th century on. First seen in an advertisement for the comical stage play The New Boy, which debuted on Broadway in 1894, other advertisers including for plum pudding and for “painless” dentistry used the image, and likely was the inspiration for this inkwell.
For more detailed information about this character’s history, see the Wikipedia link: Alfred E. Neuman – Wikipedia
Sold for $301 in September 2024
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