Unique Art ca. 1930s Tin Lithographed Windup “Gertie the Galloping Goose” *SOLD*

Unique Art ca. 1930s Tin Lithographed Windup “Gertie the Galloping Goose”

We have for you a ca. 1930s tin, windup, lithographed “Gertie the Galloping Goose” manufactured by Unique Art Manufacturing Company Inc. of Newark, New Jersey.

This piece is in working condition and when wound by her dedicated key, Gertie “gallops” by bobbing her head up and down making her do a brief hop or pecking action.

Our example of this piece is in good all original condition with no breaks, restorations, repairs, or touch-ups. The lithographs are in great overall condition with the usual dust, patina, scratches, scuffs, and chips that are seen with age and display. The whole toy is approximately 9 ½” L. We encourage you to examine the photographs to further determine condition and quality.

A brief history of Unique Art Manufacturing Company Inc. of Newark, New Jersey:

1916-1952 (?)

Founder: Samuel Berger

Specialty: Unique Art Manufacturing Company Inc. was an American toy company, founded in 1916, and based in Newark, New Jersey.  They made inexpensive toys, including wind-up mechanical toys out of lithographed tin. The “Rap & Tap in a Friendly Scrap” was one of its earliest products. Other toys they manufactured were, comic/character tin mechanicals including “Li`l Abner Dogpatch Band” and “Gertie, The Galloping Goose”.

Unique’s president, Sammy Bergman, was a good friend of toy magnate Louis Marx, and the two men’s companies at times cooperated, with Marx providing tooling to Unique and sometimes acting as a distributor for Unique’s products.

Unique Art’s eventual fate is unclear but the company appears to have disappeared by 1952, with some evidence of Marx picking up the line later on.