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1976.6289.39
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Pair of joke Billiken figures, "Billy Can" and "Billy Can't", ca. 1909
The Billiken figure, with its slogan “The God of Things as They Ought to Be,” was created in 1908 by Missouri art teacher Florence Pretz. There was quickly a nationwide craze for the seated good-luck figurines, which coincided with Seattle’s 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific-Exposition (AYPE). Billikens became an unofficial mascot for the Exposition, with various versions flying off shelves in souvenir shops. These two, likely purchased at the Exposition, are toilet-humor gag gift versions: “Billy Can” and “Billy Can’t.”
ID Number: 1976.6289.39
Date: Circa 1909
Physical Description: 2 Figurine; ceramic; 6 in.H x 2.75 in.W x 3.5 in.D
Credit: MOHAI, 1976.6289.39
Subjects:
Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition (AYPE)
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