Through a tip from Keith Dagg, I found Alister (Al) Frame living in Cobble Hill BC living with his wife Anne.
Indeed Humphrey did come from the classic car museum and Al remembers him well. I asked if they also had one of Humphrey's Packard’s but alas, no they didn't. They regularly decorated the classic cars with wax figures and adopted the rule, if the Figure Sat in the car, then the car belonged to the personality or they actually rode in it, if they stood next to the car, then they owned a car like it. Bogie was the latter, standing next to a 1932 Packard.
I asked him about the Light hair and dark skin and he explained that wax figures took a lot of care and the hair was likely sun-bleached, as also the skin tends to get darker if exposed to sunlight ...who knew a wax figure could tan?? I also asked about the hair, he wasn’t certain if this was on purpose or more likely to save costs, but the sculptor did offer them a toupee which they couldn’t afford and went for a fedora instead. He said likely the clothes were not provided by the maker.
This leads into the biggest news: that it was not in fact a Madame Tussauds figure, rather he seems to remember it was one created somewhere in Colorado Springs, United States. They also had some figures or busts like John Diefenbaker and Lester B. Pearson that made out of Vancouver Canada by a very talented Italian wax sculptor whose name eluded Al.
He also told me about a place in Duncan BC called Joe’s Tire Hospital where a lot of the wax figure collection apparently went.
Well! Not a Madame Tussauds. Disappointing but exciting, in the fact that now I have to find out who the sculptor was and approximately when it was made. As an antique and one of such great quality this should be interesting.
The only history online I can find regarding wax figures in Colorado Springs was the Hall of Presidents Living Wax Studio, 1050 S. 21st St., Colorado Springs, CO that shut down in 1996.
Al will be digging through some old boxes and hopefully find some brochures and photographs of the classic car museum so we can post them and create a bit of an online archive for all of the fans of the classic car museum. Stay tuned!
Indeed Humphrey did come from the classic car museum and Al remembers him well. I asked if they also had one of Humphrey's Packard’s but alas, no they didn't. They regularly decorated the classic cars with wax figures and adopted the rule, if the Figure Sat in the car, then the car belonged to the personality or they actually rode in it, if they stood next to the car, then they owned a car like it. Bogie was the latter, standing next to a 1932 Packard.
This leads into the biggest news: that it was not in fact a Madame Tussauds figure, rather he seems to remember it was one created somewhere in Colorado Springs, United States. They also had some figures or busts like John Diefenbaker and Lester B. Pearson that made out of Vancouver Canada by a very talented Italian wax sculptor whose name eluded Al.
He also told me about a place in Duncan BC called Joe’s Tire Hospital where a lot of the wax figure collection apparently went.
Well! Not a Madame Tussauds. Disappointing but exciting, in the fact that now I have to find out who the sculptor was and approximately when it was made. As an antique and one of such great quality this should be interesting.
The only history online I can find regarding wax figures in Colorado Springs was the Hall of Presidents Living Wax Studio, 1050 S. 21st St., Colorado Springs, CO that shut down in 1996.
Al will be digging through some old boxes and hopefully find some brochures and photographs of the classic car museum so we can post them and create a bit of an online archive for all of the fans of the classic car museum. Stay tuned!
Hi Chris, I have just come across your blog and I have Winston Churchill. I knew Murray Gammon well who owned the Classic Car Museum in Victoria and was helping him with the cars when he was closing it down in the early 1990's. I ended up buying several of the Packards myself and a Daimler Green Goddess that was formerly owned by the Eaton's. In one of the Packards in the museum, a 1947 Custom Super Clipper Seven Passenger Sedan, Winston sat in the back seat. I was very pleased when Murray told me I could have him with the car. He has provided quite a bit or amusement over the years, whether sitting in the back seat of the Packard while driving around town or seated at his usual place at my dining room table. I have some of the museum brochures in my boxes of literature, I'll try and get one out as I think Bogart is shown in one of them. Jim Walters, www.bristolmotors.com
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