UNIVERSAL STATUARY CORPORATION

Company: Universal Statuary Corporation, originally owned by the Luccessi family; Italian-American immigrants. | Products: sculptures, figures, wall art, bookends, ect, made out of chalkwork, resin, and some other shit | Established: 1921 | Location: Originated in Chicago, California, USA. |Market:: Stores. They sold at retail price to “jobbers” who bought directly from factories to sell off of their trucks. They did not sell internationally (to my knowledge). They also did commission work for store fronts and displays | Status sold in 198-something | 5 Dalmatians

US-01-25 is a 13" sitting resin dalmatian produced by Universal Statuary Corporation somewhere around 1988. It sits with its paws together and tail tucked close; I assumed he may be a porch ornate, but he doesn’t seem like it gives the most welcoming greeting. It stares, tense, directly onward, potentially stewing over ideas to punish whoever did its paintjob. The resin is detailed to have fur strands when caught in the light, but with only 21 spots in total, it looks rather unremarkable.

On the bottom, there is yellowing that suggests felt was once on the bottom, implying this figure was probably meant to be inside as the felt would help prevent the heavy base from marking one’s floor. US-01-25 has three bonus chunks inside of the base…but mine is missing one. He probably could use a repaint at some point, with some faded spots. So much for their 1963’s catalog promise of their colors “remaining fresh”. Is it too late to redeem a discount for that?...nevermind that I got it for free xD !!

US-01-25 joined my collection after being abandoned by its former owner, who moved back into their parents home out of the apartment complex I just moved into in Pittsburgh. I was gifted, by friend and downstairs neighbor who was in charge of clearing out the unit. I got to keep their left-behind shelves, kitchen stuff, and even a loveseat……but i was most excited when i noticed US-01-25 by the door, very dirty and covered in dust. Sal had held onto it for my collection! US-01-25 got a bath and its very own serial-tag collar to help ease the trauma of being left behind; now that it’s settling in, I must wonder…who exactly is this mysterious dog…?

There aren’t many sources on this Universal Statuary Corporation: of the six that I initially found, four of them linked back to or directly quoted (but didn’t credit) this website: https://www.mid-centurian.com/

This website was run by the “Mid-Centurians”, a pair of two people who collect (or collected. Their collection is likely spread out amongst estate sales by now) 50-60s eras chalkware and resin wall art, a lot of them by the USC. They have three pages of information about the USC: one, an interview with a person “Cal” who worked with USC as a ‘jobber’ before they were sold to “someone” in 1982, written in 2003. Two, a follow-up email from Christopher Pardell, who apprenticed with USC from 1970-1984, who verifies several inaccuracies in the first interview. Third, a 1963 catalog. A fourth but useless bonus, there is a link that says “1969 Magidson Bros. (Universal Statuary) catalog (future” that leads to a 404 code. Sad!

To give a brief summary of the findings;

Universal Statuary Corporation, according to Chirstopher Pardell, was founded in 1921 as a family business by the Luccessi family, Italian immigrants to Chicago. Starting with “religious figurines, cast in plaster, from molds made of gelatin”. Their catalog would increase dramatically throughout the decades; the 1963 catalog has bookends, lamps, wall art, sculptures, and figurines. In 1963, their first dog sculpture was produced: a 17” long Irish Setter, originally carved in wood, but probably was sold made out of “urethane and silicone molds” as was standard for them by the 1960s.

Well, anyways, what’s that got to do with my dalmatian? US-01-25 was made somewhere around 1988; this is itched into his butt….which as we know isn’t exactly its birthday. According to my research (some would call it scrolling on ebay but if you write it down, its research), there’s at least 5 products with dalmatians.

1992.

1985.

1985.

1988

In the 2003 interview, “Cal” said “Universal made a concerted effort to copyright all of their designs and actively enforced them. The dates found on their pieces are copyright dates not dates of production.” USC 1963 catalog boasts “We now hold more than 1,000 copyrights and designs.” It didn’t seem like their copyright ended up protecting them much, as Pardell claims that USC is responsible for a design you may recognize -a chair the shape of an open hand. Pardell says this design originated from USC; "One of their items that is still often seen in film and Television productions is a large plastic chair shaped like a human hand. It has since been pirated shamelessly... but all the chairs that have this distinctive base were pirated by taking molds from one of Universal's original chairs." This wasn’t the only time they failed copyright…..while perusing ebay, I discovered that some of the 1985 design were incorrectly called “Homco” dalmatians, which I thought was exciting initially because I have other Homeco dalmatians. Was this their cousin?!

No, it seems the truth is far more copyright violating…in 1986, Homeco released #1225…a pup who seems strangely familiar…but at least this time, their design didn’t end up on Arrested Development.