Full Color Duff Tweed Illustrations - A Real Treat

Hello Duff Tweed collectors and those who just appreciate his work!

I am so overdue to post this and several additional super cool Duffy finds.  Feels like I worked a 60 hour week in 4 days, but I couldn't let you down any longer.  Several Facebook friends have been pushing for this, so here it is...just for you.

Back in early October 2017, I came across four very unique illustrations all done by our good friend Duff Tweed.  Funny to say that, as we never met, but through his art I feel an affinity to him.  For the past couple of years, I've only been acquiring art by Duff that I do not already own.  I pass on many pieces come across to a fellow collector friend in Simi Valley, CA.  He has been collecting longer than I, so I like to help him build up his collection as well.  When I started collecting Mr. Tweed's work, I literally bought everything that became available.  Fast forward to today; I simply cannot do that any longer.  No time, money is tight (for almost everyone) and putting a child through school and college drains the purse strings.  No, I don't carry around a purse. :-)

When I came upon these four unique illustrations in color and not Duff's typical pencil drawings, I'll admit I went Duffy crazy!  The gentleman (Max) I picked these up from had them as a result of losing his brother.  So the acquisition was bittersweet.  Something many of you do not know is I am also a hands on energy healer and a medium.  So upon learning of Max's loss, I offered to share my gifts in the hopes of alleviating some of his pain, but coming from a stranger I think the offer was too much and possibly out of left field. Max however was very kind throughout the process.

Below is our exchange:

My note on Ebay to Max:  
I'm interested in the four illustrations you have by Duff Tweed. I own a few already with several carvings by Duff. I'm making an offer of $X each, but will purchase all 4 for $X total. I've been buying his carvings and illustrations for years. I collect for the pure love of his wood carvings. Thought these would be nice to add to the collection. I will wait to receive your reply.

Max replied quite quickly: 
I will accept your offer. I'd rather they go as a lot and to someone who has an affinity for Duff. You see these belonged to my brother and he loved them so I think he'd rather they stay together than get broken up individually. What I will do is create a new listing for all four for $X and I thank you for your business and also for taking the time to write what you did; it made it easy for me to pass them along to someone who will appreciate them.

All the best,
Max  

As you can see, parting with them was like parting with a piece of his brother, so I'm sending a huge shout out and thank you to Max!  Thank you Max, a part of your brother now lives with me!

Apparently Duff created these pieces back in the 1940's, way before I was born. As you will see in the captions, each picture was of a famous person.  Remember, Duff was from Canada so these are personalities from our northern neighbors. 

Without any more fanfare, I present to you Duff Tweed's four full color illustrations...

John W. Defoe - Editor - Winnipeg Free Press

Louis- Alexandre Taschereau - 14th Premier of Quebec

Sir Charles Gordon

Sir William Mulock - Lt. Governor Ontario

I'm not going to put my two cents in for each illustration.  I simply love them and think they're super cool.  Duff, where ever you are in this great universe; we all thank you for your dedication, artistic flare and sense of humor!

Folks, I have two more owners of Duff's carvings to share with you but saving them for a future post. Alright, let's get real, they're from last year and I need to get my lazy butt to write them too. LOL

Wishing you each love in your hearts, food in your bellies and ease in your lives!

All the best!

Joe

Is there a Doctor in the House? The Nurse Who Knew Duff Tweed

We're baaaaack.  Yep, it's feast or famine here at Duff Tweed Carvings and today is the feast. Eat up!...the Duffy eye candy!

After having not written for six months this is now our third blog entry today.  Shortly after posting Jay's Disney illustrations in the first post of the day, we received another amazing Duffy pencil drawing.  I say there are no coincidences in life, so something is building here...excitement. 

Tonight Lisa was kind enough to share her Duff Tweed illustration of her mother which is signed by none other than the guy who keeps giving, Duffield Tweed. Now, for all I know, Lisa's mother ran the hospital, but we liked The Nurse Who Knew Duff Tweed, as it has a warm feel to it.

Lisa shared the following along with the pencil drawing:

Hi,

I found your blog when I started doing some research on a pencil drawing of my mother by the artist Duff Tweed. I am wondering if you could possibly verify the Duff Tweed carvings artist is the same person who drew my mother. The drawing (attached) is on the back of a patient form from the St. Joseph Hospital in Burbank, CA, sometime in the late 1940's or 1950's. The hospital is across the street from Disney Studio's and Walt Disney used to visit the children at the hospital. Just knowing the history adds to my treasure box of precious items that belonged to my parents. Thank you so much for taking time to look at this.

Sincerely,

Lisa

I then replied and Lisa replied once again allowing me to share this with you.

Hi Joe,

What a quick reply!  Thank you so much for clarifying that for me.  I don't plan to sell it, I just wanted to know who the artist was. My mom worked at St. Joseph Hospital for many years and met so many people from the Walt Disney Studio. I would be honored if you posted the story about my mom's drawing. Let me know when it's posted, I'm going to share it on FB, and maybe fit it into my blog.  

Sincerely,

Lisa

Thank you Lisa, we all truly appreciate your sentiment and that you cared enough to share.

Now without further adieu, "Lisa's Mom" or "The Nurse Who Knew Duff Tweed" as illustrated by Duff Tweed from around 50 years ago:

I love how the Hospital Letterhead shows through from the other side. Lisa's Mom was beautiful! Duff thought so too!

So, for Lisa's questions, I verified this is an authentic Duff Tweed pencil drawing after having seen enough to recognize his signature and style.  This drawing does look different, but Duff drew with emotion, and depending on the subject matter and time in his life, each drawing shows a different level of focus and detail. It's his work.  He always paid the most attention to detail in the eyes; for his illustrations and carvings. 

UPDATE: It appears Lisa is quite the blogger in her own right!  Check out her blog for the accurate story of her Mom's employment past including a photo of her. I think Duff captured her likeness quite well.  What do you think? Click here: http://itsallcalifornia.com/duff-tweed-disney-animator/

Making a tremendous Shout Out to Lisa for sharing a part of her life and one of her most precious prized possessions with all of us.  Thank you Lisa!!!

Be back soon...be back later?  WHO KNOWS, BUT WE'LL BE BACK!

All the best!

Joe

Ebay is Loaded with Wood Carvings by Duff Tweed

Hello again...said I'd be back soon, but this a record for me...LOL  Just feel like I haven't shared enough with the loyal Duffy fans out there so I'm serving up another post immediately.  Enjoy!

I have noticed for quite some time that the number of Duff Tweed carvings listed on Ebay has greatly increased.  One used to visit and see three, maybe four of his pieces at most.  Today there are NINE listings for Duffy carvings and one is a set of three golfers on one single frame.  Since it's golf season (when is it not? *smile*), I decided to start with the three golfer carvings. Following them are four hobos, Double Jigger Jack Grant and a Boatman with a life preserver.  If you are interested in getting your Duffy collection started or simply want to add to your existing collection, this would be a great time to do so. Check out Ebay!

So, to get us started...F O R E !

Love this golfer! Reminds me of my 88 year old friend/instructor who passed on a few years back. Miss you Warren! Ebay asking $230.

This golfer is awesome. Dig his stogie and long socks. Ebay asking $215.

Awesome trio of carved golfers. Have seen this set before, but it's more rare than most of the other golf sets from Duff. Ebay asking $500.

Now it's hobo time.  Duff often took a similar carving and in some cases gave it a name and in others simply wrote "Duff Tweed".  Two of these were titles The Low Bidder while the other two fall into the no title category:

Ebay $139.95

Ebay $290 OBO

Ebay $400 OBO

Ebay $499.99 OBO

Alrighty now, it's time for a little hooch and Jack's Old Mule would definitely be categorized as hooch! . Hehehe.  Here's yours and my old friend Double Jigger Jack Grant:

Ebay $250 OBO

Last but not least, protector of those on the water is Duff Tweed's Man with a Life Preserver.  I am sure Duff gave him an actual name, but we have yet to find someone who knows what it is. 

Ebay $215 OBO.  I just saw Planet of the Apes and this guy could definitely be a stand in for Ceasar. Haha

Well, I truly hope you enjoyed the Ebay review of Duff Tweed carvings available there.

Wishing you each a safe and happy remainder of your July 2017.  Hoping to be back in a few to share more Duffy tales.

All the best!

Joe

Jay Jackson's Duff Tweed Illustrations from the 1960's

Hello Duff Tweed Collectors and Fans!

It's time to share one of Duff's drawings with you.  The owner of these, Jay, wrote to me in December of 2016, but only just realized today that he had not clicked "send" on his reply to me, so he just replied today. Thank you Jay!

Jay's father knew Duff Tweed and apparently Duff drew these for Jay and them put them away in a 1967 Dodgers Yearbook.

Here is Jay’s story as it was shared with me:

Joe,

I was going through my Dad’s estate and among the multiple of collectibles he had, I found a Duff Tweed drawing that my dad had placed in a 1967 Dodger Yearbook.

I am guessing it was drawn for me on a piece of lined notebook paper... not signed but printed his name “Duff Tweed was here.  Big. Deal.” and then had his phone #.

My dad owned a packaging company in Sun Valley from 1957 till 2006, and may have met Duff through the business, but my best guess is that they probably met through the Dodger’s Stadium Club and the multiple “safari’s” they had going to spring training.

I saw your blog and figured I would reach out and see if you thought it had any value and if you are not interested, maybe give me an idea if it would have any value other than sentimental.

I can send you a scan of it if you would like. More or less I was just reaching out initially to gauge interest.

Hope to hear from you,

Jay Jackson

These drawings are what Duff typically drew on the back of some of his carvings.  Neat to see them done on a piece of paper still very much in tact.  So, without any further fanfare, here are Jay’s Disney character illustrations done by none other than the man himself, Duff Tweed!

I know I was long overdue to post here, so it's funny that a collector who originally wrote to me over one and a half years ago sparked the creation of this post, today. Want to send a huge shout out to Jay Jackson for sharing his cool Duffy illustration with the world! Awesome Jay! 

Hope you are all staying cool as we are experiencing a heatwave across the United States. Be happy, be safe and enjoy life to the fullest!  Be back soon!

All the best!

Joe

Andrew's Slaughterhouse Four - Happy New Year

Hello Duffy Readers!

Welcome back to one of several overdue blog posts.  We're starting with the most recent seen and will work our ways back.  Before we get started, wanted to wish each of you a Happy New Year full of promise and hope.  Stay positive and focused this year.  May it be a great year for all!

We had the wonderful pleasure of meeting a Facebook friend, Andrew, in person at the end of 2016.  We became friends on Facebook as he found our Duff Tweed profile there.  We have enjoyed seeing heart warming posts about him and his family.  He always seemed like such a loving person and when he contacted me to sell his Slaughterhouse Four set of carvings, I couldn't resist the opportunity to meet.  

Our original intention was to sell the set to a fellow collector and friend, but there was something special about this particular set, so even though funds have been tight, we extended ourselves to add this particular set to the Duff Tweed Carvings collection.  Happy Holidays to us....LOL. :-)

 Andrew had seen the set of four carvings hanging in his grandmother's house for years, as far back as he can remember.  Once she passed on, he, like many of our collectors and owners inherited the set of four.  We were once under the impression that the Slaughterhouse Four was a very limited set of carvings, but as time marches on we have uncovered several surprise sets.

What we found of particular interest was a sort of serial number etched into the top of each frame in this set.  In all our days of collecting and reviewing Duff Tweed's individual carvings, we have never seen such numbers.  They look to be original and authentic serial numbers carved by Duff himself. What also caught our attention was the hard wood back grounds (only seen from a rear view) on which the carvings were placed, as opposed to the normal material used as support behind the linen back grounds typically seen with these carvings. The wood carvings also appeared to be slightly lighter in color than many of the previous Slaughterhouse Four sets displayed in this blog. Additionally, they each come on the wormwood frames Duff used on several of the Slaughterhouse Four sets. One of the carvings displays Duff's signature with an explanation of the four carvings where he shows his appreciation to the buyers of his art. We have included that description in several past blog entries related to the Slaughterhouse Four, if you wish to go back and read it.   Just a lot of character in this set of four!

Please enjoy viewing this beautiful version of the Slaughterhouse Four recently obtained from Andrew here in Southern California.

Considering these are from the 1960's, they are in excellent condition.

Even the linen back grounds show little wear or staining.

Just love these worm wood frames...so much character added to each piece.

We thought you might like seeing the serial number that appeared on each individual carving in this set:

So, with great pleasure we're sending this shout out to Andrew here in Southern California, for not only sharing his long owned family set of the Slaughterhouse Four, but for allowing us to include it in the Duff Tweed Carvings collection.  Andrew made it a point to let us know he wanted the carvings to go to someone who would appreciate and care for them as his grandmother did.  Well Andrew, they have found the perfect home.  Thank you!!!

Andrew (left) and me in late 2016.  What a great guy! Thank you Andrew!!!

That's it for now.  Hope you enjoyed this post and I promise to write more often this year.  Let's make it a Duffy year to remember.

All the best!
Joe

Duff Tweed Golfs with Lee Trevino and Evel Knievel

Hi folks....we're back!

We hope you have been having a fantastic summer.  We have been out golfing like crazy...which inspired us to FINALLY post this entry.

We were contacted earlier this year (April 2016) by a wonderful lady named Cyndie who was preparing to move from Tennessee and was looking to "clean house".  

Cyndie:

"I have 2 carvings that my father got from Duff. One is the Low Bidder that is signed. The other is the Wall Street journal.  I forgot to mention that my father and Duff were personal friends when we lived in Los Angeles. I would rather them go to someone who appreciates him and his work.

Enclosed are the pictures of the carvings we spoke about. Here is the story...

My father Don Taylor was the president of the largest mechanical contracting company in the world and had projects all over. While living in Glendale California in the 70's he met Duff Tweed. Since my father is no longer living I cannot give his story. I believe he met him through Lee Trevino who was our neighbor. If it was not Lee it was Jerry Lewis who dad bought his 42 foot cabin cruiser from in San Diego. Duff and my dad became fast friends and spent many hours socializing at our home and his. Since my father was a bidder he gave him the low bidder as a gift when we left LA. As you can see he put his address and phone number on the back. This has been with our family since that day."

Cyndie kindly went on to explain that her father used to golf with Duff Tweed, Lee Trevino and Evel Knievel.  What a foursome that must have made!  Would have loved to have tagged along with them.  You can sense the greatness in Cyndie as well when speaking with her.  Her father passed along his special qualities to her; she was a joy to communicate with.  Past collectors who have contacted us have also shared the fact that Duff mixed with a lot of the affluent people and well known actors of his time. Mr. Tweed was pretty well known in his own right, too.

OK, I know many of you really come to see Duff's carvings and illustrations, so here we go:

So here is a huge and well deserved shout out to Cyndie for not only sharing her father's history and Duff Tweed carvings with us, but for selflessly adding them to our collection honoring her fathers memory which now lives forever here with us.  You rock Cyndie...great energy.  Sorry for how long it has taken us to get your wonderful story and carvings posted!  Thank you for your sharing and patience.

We have a couple of additional collectors whose stories are quite overdue for sharing.  We will get to them as soon as possible.  In the meantime, wishing you each a daily life of ease and comfort.

All the best!

Joe

Two Wall Street Hobo's Who Have Been Together Since The 1960's

Well....it's been a looooong time since we last posted to the Duff Tweed Carvings blog, but we're back and fired up.  We will be posting several way overdue stories with pictures for you to enjoy.

This set of two Wall Street Hobo's come to us from Long Beach, CA.  Duff lived in southern California for many years and would sell his unique carvings to local businesses in the area.  Hobos were certainly one of his most favorite subjects to carve and bring to life.

Phyllis M. was kind enough to share her two carvings which she acquired from her father upon his passing.  She wrote to us to inquire about their present value.  We replied immediately, but finally had an opportunity to share her words with you: 

"These two pieces were purchased by my father from Duff Tweed when he came into his business in Long Beach in the mid 1960's.  They hung in his office until he passed and I grabbed them.  I am curious as to the value even though they are sentimental and I have no intention of selling them.
Thank you, Phyllis M."

Please enjoy the pictures below of these two wonderful carvings generously shared by Phyllis in memory of her Father who had the honor of meeting the master Duff Tweed, himself over 50 years ago!

Wall Street Hobos - Shared by Phyllis M. in 2015

It's been a pleasure coming back to Duff Tweed Carvings to share more stories and pictures from our fellow collectors and lovers of Duff Tweed art.  Big shout out and thanks to Phyllis M. for sharing and caring! May you each have a wonderful day, living in and enjoying every moment of peace that life has to offer.  We'll be back real soon!

All the best!

Joe

Seven Sets of Duff Tweed Carvings for Sale on Ebay

Greetings and Salutations!

When it rains, it pours!  And we know you folks in the eastern United States and Canada had plenty of rain and snow this year. As you thaw out and warm up, Spring has sprung and so have the number of Duff Tweed auctions on Ebay.  There are a total of seven different listings for carvings created by Duff Tweed.

None of them are unique as all have been previously posted in this blog, but we thought we would share them with you here and possibly help you get started on your own Duffy collection. We chose photographs that showed different angles and close-ups of the carvings as the standard photos already exist throughout this blog. Only displaying one photo per auction for these entries.

Ebay seller: ciudad101 Asking $300 + $22 S&H. Item located in Los Angeles.

The first one is our old friend Double Jigger Jack Grant.  Jack's wearing his brown plaid jacket in this carving and is looking as marvelous as ever. We chose a close-up version so you can enjoy the detailed expression he shares. Hehehehe!

Next we have a fresh carving that already has a bid on it at $99.  Below is Duff Tweed's Weekend Warrior.  Duff himself was a golf enthusiast which explains why this guy is one of the happiest characters Duff carved into life! 

 

 

If you take a good look at the picture to the right you can see how Duff's carvings literally pop off and out of the frame. This particular carving is #23/100 in a limited edition set. 

Ebay Seller: 4ringadingdong, Bid exists for $99 + $30 S&H. Ends 4-20-15.

Item located in Chandler, AZ

Now here comes a guy who knows the value of time.  This is only the third time we have seen this carving other than the one a friend owns and the one in our collection.  Duff Tweed's "You Want it When?" is a great play on the old concept when your boss asks you to jump, you say: "How High?!?" while already jumping in the air!  We had only the one picture to share with you.  This is yet another Limited Edition carving numbered 2/100.

Ebay seller: wittsend3565 Asking $299 + $10.15 S&H. Item located in Jackson, CA

Now slow down there partners.  We have two sets of auctions that both include members of and the full set of The Slaughter House Four.

The first one is an individual carving of Jack Harris with a stained wood background.  This is a much earlier carving done by Duff and what makes it more scarce is its age and the frame on which it sits.  Most of Duff's work was framed and backed in a linen type fabric.  The piece itself has some wear, but looks really neat on the all wood frame.

Ebay seller: heyrobbie Asking $150 + $16.85 S&H. Item located in Clarksville, TN

Next we have the other Slaughterhouse Four listing for all four carvings done on wormwood frames.  How do we know that? Because we own the same exact set and same frames.  They really are a beautiful set and in fantastic condition.  See for yourself :-)

Ebay seller: bus-jea Asking $995 + $100 S&H. Item located in Rockport, TX

We saved the following two auctions for last because they are both triple carvings and a bit overpriced.  Some of the single carvings above are also overpriced at $299-$300 each. Unfortunately Duff's carvings are not commanding such prices, YET!  We have seen a great increase in the awareness of Duff Tweed and his carvings online and the fact that seven of his sets are up for sale on Ebay at one time is a testament to that fact. 

First, let's take a look at the most common set of three golfers carved and sold by Duff, himself:

Ebay Seller: jpgolfreno Asking $1500 + $50 S&H. Item located: Palm Springs, CA

The set pictured above is the most common set of three golfers available and was created countless times by Duff Tweed. This one is from 1963.  It's so common, we have purchased this same set of three for $90-$100 total, several times over. 

Last, but certainly not least is a 1962 set of less commonly seen golfers carved by Duff Tweed.  We have pictured this set prior in this blog and think their pretty cool.  The buyer has them overpriced, but without having a track record of their own, we understand why they started their pricing so high.  Many sellers and traders take a look at Duff's work and just feel they should be worth a lot more.  We agree, they really should be selling for $300 to $400 per carving today, but unfortunately the market has never brought such prices for Duff's carvings.  As more people discover this talented man's work, the demand will increase thus leading to ever increasing sale prices. It's just a matter of time and patience.  We're doing all we can to make this a reality!

Ebay Seller: morganshiddentreasures is Asking $1,169 + Free S&H.  Item is located in Las Vegas, NV

 

There was a lot to share from Ebay this week.  Some of the carvings have been listed multiple times and have gone unsold while a few are selling in their first listing.  In any event, we are excited about all the exposure Duff's carvings are getting and we look forward to seeing some never before seen carvings as they are often popping out of the woodwork. 

Wishing you all the best today and tomorrow.  Live in the moment, don't play over your past pain and never worry about the future!

Until next time....

All the best!

Joe

Duff Tweed's Fisherman and Man's Best Friend

Welcome back to Duff Tweed Carvings!  It’s always a pleasure to share new finds.

As promised in our last post, we do have something very special to share with you today. You took the bait; hook, line and sinker!  You will not be disappointed or want to throw this one back. OK, sorry…making too many “fishy” references.  I’ll hold off on the doggie comments too! Hehehe.

Recently, we were contacted by Ken Curtiss of Fountain Valley who acquired this amazing Duff Tweed duo carving from his father’s estate.  Curt Curtiss, Ken’s Dad, used to write for the California Crusader, a local Southern California publication.  The paper’s credo is: “Reporting the news about diverse communities in a balanced manner with a focus on positive events. The term “CRUSADER” connotes the “zeal and enthusiasm” applied in keeping the community informed, while “making a difference” in the media.”  Ken promised to get us some additional information on his Dad and The California Crusader which we will happily add to this post.

How refreshing for a publication to actually report and exist on positive, uplifting news.  That is exactly what we attempt to do with this blog.  

When I met Ken today, you could feel the positive attitude the man exuded which no doubt was a family trait passed down to him by his father.  So often we meet the children who have received these wonderful carvings from their parents or grandparents.  Their senior relatives lived in a time when life was very different.  In today’s world we rush from point “a” to point “b”, not remembering how we arrived at our final destination or taking the time to smell the flowers on our journey. Personal connections are created and maintained from thousands of miles away.  Duff’s carvings take us back to a simpler time, a time when one could just sit and think, or relax while doing something as simple as fishing.  I have come to realize that my personal appreciation for Mr. Tweed’s work is not only in the characters he creates, but the joy they express in doing the simple things in life.  Simplifying one’s life is the key to increased happiness and joy.  That is what Duffield Tweed’s work does for me.  Hope it does the same for you.

We are so happy and proud to present to you the latest addition to the Duff Tweed Carvings collection.   We have affectionately named this carving Duffy and Man’s Best Friend.  Unfortunately, we have no idea what Duff actually named these two, but until we receive information telling us otherwise, we’ll name the Fisherman, Duffy. Want to include Duff whenever possible!

The picture below displays the entire carving in frame.  I am sure you noticed that the background is not Duff’s typical white linen/burlap fabric, but a dark brown linen fabric.  Very clean looking!

Duffy the Fisherman with Man's Best Friend - Duff Tweed Carvings

Then you see a dog, “man’s best friend”, seated next to our Duffy fisherman. He does not look too happy. Looks like our fisherman is having all the fun...love his pipe!  This is the first time we have seen a Duffy dog carving.

Man's Best Friend - Duff Tweed Carvings

Next, you may have noticed that Duff signed his name and dated the piece “64” for the year 1964 in white, not black like all his other pieces.

Unique signature in white on unique dark brown linen background - Duff Tweed Carvings

It truly was a pleasure and honor to be able to share this wonderful carving with you.  We keep having never before seen carvings “popping out of the woodwork”.  Each time we believe we have uncovered every character Duff Tweed carved, we are pleasantly surprised to find another unique gem carved by the man, the myth, the legend!

In this picture you can more clearly see the fishing line (wire) Duff added to this character - Duff Tweed Carvings

Wishing you each a wonderful fall and hoping we’ll have another surprise before years end.

All the best!

Joe