Dingbats

23june002

A special thank you and a prize of some ‘engagement ring bling’ goes out to my childhood friend Dianne Lannon for helping me find the calendars which I have been puzzling over. They were advertising calendars for Charles E. Frosst featuring “Dingbats” who were busy little creatures performing medical care or other investigations. I had recalled them as having pointy heads but no, their heads were nice and round but they did have 2 long wisps for eyebrows and another few just over their ears and, as Lance says, they may have evolved. They apparently have been around since 1915 so really, why should I have so much trouble finding them? Even Googling them specifically there are scarce few to be found on the internet. Now my mission will be to find a real one for my “captain’s cabin” office, preferably one from the year of my birth. Thanks again Dianne, working in the pharmaceutical field has its rewards!

vaccination clinic in Dingbat land

vaccination clinic in Dingbat land

Here’s a bit on the illustrator from “Ask/Art”

William Dudley Burnett Ward (1879 – 1935)

William Dudley Burnett Ward (AKA: Dudley Ward) was an illustrator, cartoonist and poster artist.

He was born in Graveley Bank, Staffordshire, England and died in Montreal, Quebec.  He emigrated to Canada about 1910 and lived in Toronto, Ontario as well as Montreal.

His mediums were watercolor and gouache*.  His most famous subjects are gnome-like fantasy figures he called “Dingbats”.

36 Comments to "Dingbats"

  1. Dianne lannon's Gravatar Dianne lannon
    02/13/2013 - 6:26 pm | Permalink

    They were actually from Charles e frosst I believe. Merck sharpe & dohme and frosst merged to become Merck frosst some years later. I really liked the calendars and usually had one each year. Glad I could help and glad my memory is not failing yet (lol).

  2. 07/05/2013 - 7:51 pm | Permalink

    I looked for those a few weeks ago and found nothing until your website today. What is the date on the calendars in your photos. I remember them from the 60s and can’t believe there’s nothing about them on the net. Thanks for this. Margo

  3. Wilma's Gravatar Wilma
    07/26/2013 - 8:55 pm | Permalink

    Would like to know how to get a calendar. I have a picture in my cps

  4. yvan's Gravatar yvan
    01/21/2014 - 6:03 pm | Permalink

    There is a large dingbat collection in a university in montreal…in the pharmacology area…i saw it over 10 years ago…it includes many original artist paintings submitted originaly by the various artists 4 or 5 , to frosst for approval as calendars…my sister has an original that was refused by frosst , artist alex maclaren for being ” too violent ” . I know all this as the artist was our neighbor, and we often watched him painting dingbats through his studio room window..he gave that painting to my sister as a gift…and our family treasures it.
    The university collection was donated by frosst when they stopped production of the calendars…over the years i have collected many dingbat calendars and a few other dingbat items and paintings…
    I once found 22 calendars all different at a flea market, but usually lately i find very few…if you like “dinbats” ,a visit to the university on mount royal in montreal is well worth the effort…
    Merck holds the rights to the dingbats , their characters and the name , so this is why there are no books or movies as they will not authorize any commercial ventures using dingbat stuff..I welcome any questions about dingbats at yvan.beaudry@hotmail.com

  5. 02/23/2014 - 4:23 am | Permalink

    You may be interested to know that Dudley Ward also painted landscapes etc, and before he emigrated from England in 1910 he had several cartoon type postcards published,

  6. yvan beaudry's Gravatar yvan beaudry
    02/28/2014 - 1:22 pm | Permalink

    well the sickness continues….i recently acquired 2 dingbat original watercolors on ebay dated 1921 by dudley ward. as well as one calendar…the seller says he got them from the ward family driver….one of the drawings portrays a nude nymph..yes a nude dingbat original .. it cost me a pretty pretty penny ..these never made it frosst for calendars as they were extrem;y picky….
    they now hang in nice professional frames…and are my prize possesions …

    • Alain's Gravatar Alain
      03/21/2021 - 7:45 am | Permalink

      I have 2 frame from dudley dated 1935 how must your could worth me i am trying to find a place to get my 2 frame authenticate certificate and i m having problem place that do know of those dingbat anybody a clue near montreal where can i get those certificate

  7. Kathy's Gravatar Kathy
    03/19/2014 - 5:24 pm | Permalink

    i was just at a auction and came across the top portion of these calenders the original owner was nice enough to date the back of them 1968-1975 1978 and 1 that is unknown date… can anyone advise more info about them what they may be worth etc and info would be great as i love learning new things 🙂

  8. shar's Gravatar shar
    06/03/2014 - 7:50 pm | Permalink

    I have come across not one but 3 different Frossts prints in frames, 2 by L. Bachelor and the other by Ross Wiggs. I beleive these ones to be the re-issued ones from the 60’s from what I have read. I see mainly information about the calendars but very little about the prints. I can send pics and would like to know if there is a real value to these at all.. I have “Mass production in dingbat land” ” Outpatient Department in dingbat land” & ” A ticklish situation in dingbat land”…. have not taken them out of the frames… any feedback would be appreciated : )

  9. Bruce's Gravatar Bruce
    10/17/2014 - 5:01 pm | Permalink

    I have a Dingbat print that I rescued from the vacated office of a fellow Radiologist entitled, “Fluoroscopy in Dingbat Land”. It was done by Alex McLaren. If you send me an email address I can send you a picture of it.

  10. Suzanne Longpre's Gravatar Suzanne Longpre
    10/24/2014 - 6:37 pm | Permalink

    Hello,
    I have 16 advertising poster/prints from the 30’s and 40’s from these three artists; Ross Wiggs, Dudley Ward and L. R. Bachelor. Can anyone suggest where I can find their value and where I can sell them. They have been rolled up in a cardboard canister and never hung. Thank you for your help, Suzanne

    • s Haber's Gravatar s Haber
      04/21/2015 - 7:41 pm | Permalink

      i also have 16 posters from the same 3 artists. did you find out if they have any value?

      • S. Hogan's Gravatar S. Hogan
        05/06/2015 - 9:01 pm | Permalink

        Hi, I was wondering if you could list the titles of all your posters with the year they were made and the artist that designed them.

  11. Suzanne's Gravatar Suzanne
    11/22/2014 - 11:22 am | Permalink

    Hello,
    Would anyone like to purchase a Dingbat poster? They are 14 1/2 X 18 1/2. If interested please contact me at slaf1@videotron.ca
    Thank you, Suzanne

  12. Eli's Gravatar Eli
    12/21/2014 - 11:43 pm | Permalink

    I have the following framed Dingbats and I am ready to sell them to the best bidder (bidding closing on January 6th, 2015 at 7:00 PM). Satisfaction guaranteed:
    1) A Tragedy in Dingbat Land, 2) Haemoglobin Count in Dingbat Land, 3) Diagnosis in Dingbat Land (slightly water-stained), 4) Mass Production in Dingbat Land (slightly water-stained, 5) Asepsis Defences in Dingbat Land, 6) Unshaken Optimism in Dingbat Land (water-stained), 7) Fifty Years’ Progress in Dingbat Land, 8) A Fishy Episode in Dingbat Land, and 9) Dingbat Confidence.

    Gainesville, Florida/December 20, 2014

    • Helen's Gravatar Helen
      01/26/2015 - 1:03 pm | Permalink

      hi, did you sell or do you still have some available?
      thx, helen

      • ala's Gravatar ala
        03/08/2015 - 6:46 pm | Permalink

        Eli from Gainesville, Florida/December 20, 2014

        do you still would likw to see picture

        alain-louiselle@hotmail.com

      • Kate Languedoc's Gravatar Kate Languedoc
        07/19/2015 - 1:01 pm | Permalink

        Hi Helen, I have 2 watercolours. I took them to an art dealer and he said they are not reproductions.

    • ala's Gravatar ala
      03/08/2015 - 6:46 pm | Permalink

      Eli from Gainesville, Florida/December 20, 2014

      do you still would likw to see picture

      alain-louiselle@hotmail.com

  13. Kate Languedoc's Gravatar Kate Languedoc
    07/19/2015 - 1:00 pm | Permalink

    I have two original watercolours. They were inherited and I was wondering if anyone knows how to get them appraised and sold. They are quite rare because they are watercolours of the digbats in the woods. Very whimsical.

    • S. Hogan's Gravatar S. Hogan
      07/21/2015 - 7:41 pm | Permalink

      Hi,
      I would love to see pictures of these watercolours. If they are the ones I’m thinking about you should look up Dudley Ward (Dingbats in a log and Dingbats on a stone) Anything by Dudley Ward is usually quite expensive.

  14. Holly Hanes's Gravatar Holly Hanes
    01/11/2020 - 7:33 pm | Permalink

    Dudley Ward also produced a series of advertisements for Moirs King Choice bars which the dingbat characters were called snicksnacks

  15. Maratha Nickle's Gravatar Maratha Nickle
    01/24/2020 - 10:07 pm | Permalink

    Has anyone figured out the value of one of these calendars in mint condition?

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