Carette ca. 1911 Tin Windmill Steam Accessory German Toy #179/14 *SOLD*
Carette ca. 1911 Tin Windmill Steam Accessory German Toy #179/14
Our Beautiful Carette Windmill is the 1911 model 179/14 and at over 12″ in height. The hand paint layering and depth of texture and color really set it apart from other windmills. It is top of the heap hand made. Provenance is from the Morton Hirschberg collection of steam toys.
This steam accessory has a rear pulley which is tied to the top windmill blade pulley; the fan turns with steam power or hand turning. Then the front basin is designed to hold water and comes with a duck to float in the water.
Some windows appear to be paper with varnish on it as well as some toy surfaces. Note that the flag is glued in place and will likely need to be reattached by the next owner.
What sets this toy apart from others is the base and all the and working or at least detailed wrinkles and pressing with texture. It is truly a beautiful toy, especially with the dark green and light green as well as yellow accents. Then bricks are embossed and the roof has an undulating form. All of these details were expensive to produce.
The Brighton Toy Museam has a wonderful write-up to share on the Carette history:
Pre-war
“When we think of “Georges Carette et Cie”, we normally think of this “new” independent company founded in the mid-1890s. The new business produced a range of then-fashionable metal toys such as magic lanterns (not surprisingly, given their “Bing” background) but specialised in products fabricated from lithographed metal sheet. A shop was also opened in 1896 as a partnership between Georges Carette and Paul Joseph Thal, and with the exception of the factory burning down in 1903, the company seemed to be on a positive track. Carette got a British patent for an improved gear slide for model locomotives, litho’ed tinplate model locomotives were followed by more substantial steam-powered models, and Georges struck up a working relationship with Bassett-Lowke to supply models designed for the British market.”
World War One
“Carette’s status as a French national became a problem with the outbreak of World War One in 1914. As a foreigner living in Germany and owning a factory, his assets were liable to be seized, and the factory was put into administration in 1914, with Friedrich Pergher put in charge. Georges and his wife found it advisable to leave Germany and head back to France, and further wartime legislation resulted in an order in 1916 for the company to be liquidated. By 1918, the company’s status was “in liquidation”.”