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Author Topic: Kitty Macbride mice figures  (Read 54699 times)

Offline Buddydazzler

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Kitty Macbride mice figures
« on: December 20, 2009, 12:05:55 PM »
Hi,

I am a collector of 'original' Kitty Macbride mice figures. Not the ones mass produced by the Beswick factory - but the original studio pottery figures made and signed by Kitty Macbride herself - from her studio in Berkeley Square, London, during the 1960s and 1970s. I am trying to do some  research on Kitty Macbride. If anyone can help me with information I would be very grateful. Also I am always looking for 'original' Kitty Macbride mice figures to add to my collection. If you have or know of anyone who wishes to sell any of these figures I would be very interested. Thanks.

Offline antiquerose123

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Re: Kitty Macbride mice figures
« Reply #1 on: January 10, 2010, 09:32:27 AM »
Hi and Welcome Buddydazzler  :cheerleader:
I did not know what these were (my excuse = I AM Canadian  :bzy: ) but I did some gaggling on the net and found these.  Is this what you are meaning?  Or are these ones the ones that ARE mass produced...(??)

http://www.mddoultons.on.ca/Storybook_figures.htm#Kitty%20MacBride ( a list of some)
http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/5254547 ( there were some more there, I just forgot to put that link in - Sorry
Found these on E-bay ------> Click For Mice Here
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Offline Buddydazzler

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Re: Kitty Macbride mice figures
« Reply #2 on: January 10, 2010, 12:15:32 PM »
Hi Antiquerose123,

Thank you for taking the time to reply to my post. You're my first response - so thanks for that!

Unfortunately all the links you have posted lead to Kitty MacBride figures made by the Beswick factory and were mass produced - very easy to get hold of.

'Original' Kitty MacBride figures are very hard to find because they are unique, one-off figures made by the artist herself.

Very little is known about Kitty MacBride and how many 'original' figures she made. I'm trying to research her life at the moment - but I'm not getting very far I'm afraid!

If you look on    www.studiopottery.com    you will see some examples of 'original' Kitty MacBride mice and the hand signed mark.

Thanks for your help. Keep in touch.

Buddydazzler.

Offline Anne E.B.

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Re: Kitty Macbride mice figures
« Reply #3 on: January 10, 2010, 12:34:24 PM »
Hi - and welcome.
Will keep an eye open for any for you.
Anne E.B.

Offline Buddydazzler

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Re: Kitty Macbride mice figures
« Reply #4 on: January 10, 2010, 01:40:45 PM »
Hi Anne E.B.

Thanks for that. Very much appreciated.

Buddydazzler.

Offline antiquerose123

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Re: Kitty Macbride mice figures
« Reply #5 on: January 10, 2010, 09:39:43 PM »
Hi there:
I have never heard of Kitty MacBride -- I am wondering IF maybe some things might be on the net with a different spelling

Eg:  Kitty MacBride or Kitty McBride (No *A* )

As so many times I find people put stuff on the Net, with an incorrect spelling.  Look at Ebay, and you can find something spelled so many different way...

It is just a thought one might try....to see if anything else comes up.  Funny even when I tried google images for original Kitties, nothing came up......Hm-m-m-m-m-
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Offline Anne

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Re: Kitty Macbride mice figures
« Reply #6 on: January 11, 2010, 03:19:36 PM »
Cheers!
 Anne

"Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup."

Offline Buddydazzler

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Re: Kitty Macbride mice figures
« Reply #7 on: January 11, 2010, 07:40:34 PM »
Hi Anne, sorry no - your link is not her. She died in 1983. I've managed to trace the names of her husband, children, brothers and sisters and where she died. My research has come to a dead-end at the moment. I need a new lead!

Antiquerose, the name is spelt MacBride - capital M and capital B.

There are a couple of her figures just been listed on e-bay - being sold from America. I may bid - but they are not very good examples of her work!

Offline Anne

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Re: Kitty Macbride mice figures
« Reply #8 on: January 11, 2010, 08:28:52 PM »
OK, so not that one... :) How about these from The Times (via their digital archive)...

The Times, Friday, Oct 03, 1975; pg. 28; Issue 59517...
Quote
Kitty MacBride announces that Happy Mice of Berkeley Square have moved to her studio in Bradwell (Derbyshire) near Sheffield, S30 2SU (0433) 20487 or John Brown, Borough House, Borough Lane, Eastbourne (0523) 23756.

The Times, Tuesday, May 24, 1983; pg. 30; Issue 61540...
Quote
MacBride. The funeral of Kitty MacBride will take place at Durham Crematorium, on Friday, 27th May at 11.00 am. Flowers to J Smurthwaite & Sons, Neville Street, Durham.

She got about a bit didn't she...?!  :bny:



Cheers!
 Anne

"Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup."

Offline Buddydazzler

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Re: Kitty Macbride mice figures
« Reply #9 on: January 12, 2010, 07:03:56 PM »
Hi Anne, Thanks for your latest effort! I have the information about her funeral, but the connection to Derbyshire and Eastbourne may be a new lead - I'll give it a go. Appreciate your efforts. Thanks.

Buddydazzler.

Offline Anne

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Re: Kitty Macbride mice figures
« Reply #10 on: January 12, 2010, 07:55:31 PM »
Keep us posted, and if I find any other mentions of her I'll flag it up.
Cheers!
 Anne

"Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup."

Offline KarenP

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Re: Kitty Macbride mice figures
« Reply #11 on: January 13, 2010, 01:46:02 AM »
Hi Buddy,  I was looking for information on a Kitty MacBride figurine I have had since I was a little girl and stumbled on your post.  The one I have is of a single mouse holding a fan sitting on a playing card (Ace of diamonds).  It is signed "Kitty MacBride England" on the bottom. It is very detailed compared to the usual Kitty MacBride pieces I have seen.  I would love to know anything about it ... Thanks, Karen

Offline Buddydazzler

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Re: Kitty Macbride mice figures
« Reply #12 on: January 13, 2010, 05:04:02 PM »
Hi Karen,

I'm afraid I know very little about individual pieces that Kitty MacBride made. Part of my research is to catalogue all of her pieces - but I'm beginning to think that it's going to be an impossible task! I am trying to contact members of her family at the moment - hoping they may be able to help.

How did the piece get to America? I'd love to see a photo of it - if you have one? All 'original' Kitty MacBride figures are much more detailed than the ones mass produced by the Beswick factory - that is part of their charm!

If you ever think of selling it - I'd be very interested. Keep me in mind please.
Best wishes.  Buddydazzler.

Offline Buddydazzler

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Re: Kitty Macbride mice figures
« Reply #13 on: February 19, 2010, 08:36:45 AM »
Yeah! Managed to get a new Kitty MacBride piece to add to my collection. Got it all the way from Australia - how it ended up there I'll never know. Really pleased to bring it back home to England!!!

Offline lucy

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Re: Kitty Macbride mice figures
« Reply #14 on: February 19, 2010, 09:37:12 AM »
My name is lucy Birbeck and I am Kitty's grand daughter. She had 2 children my mother Angela and my uncle Hugh. They are both alive and Im sure my mother would be happy to give any infomation they want. In the family we have some of her originals but I don't think any are for sale. My mother who's 82 and an artist does'ent do email but she can talk for England!( and write.)If you contact me I will give you her address.... Kind regards lucy

Offline Anne

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Re: Kitty Macbride mice figures
« Reply #15 on: February 20, 2010, 12:38:27 AM »
Lucy, welcome to the board and for your offer of information. I'm sure Buddydazzler will be taking you up on that.
Cheers!
 Anne

"Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup."

Offline antiquerose123

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Re: Kitty Macbride mice figures
« Reply #16 on: February 20, 2010, 06:25:42 AM »
Hi Lucy --
I am sure that Buddy dazzler, and KarenP will be interested to hear that.


Would someone be able to post some of the *original* Kitty MacBride here for us to see.......and maybe a comparison as to what the other *mass* produced ones look like also.

I do not think I have seen one...so would like to see some (if possible).....PLEASEEEEEEEE
tHXS
Every flower that has ever bloomed, had to go through a whole lot of DIRT FIRST......:flowers2:      
antiquerose123 (Rose) :rse:  

Offline Buddydazzler

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Re: Kitty Macbride mice figures
« Reply #17 on: February 20, 2010, 04:10:28 PM »
Hi Antiquerose123,

I'm afraid I cannot post photos of any of my own Kitty MacBride collection as I do not have a digital camera.

However if you look at  http://www.studiopottery.com   then click on the link 'potters' and then 'Kitty Macbride' you will see examples of original figures and her hand-signed mark.  You can see lots of the mass produced Beswick examples on e-bay.

Cheers.

Buddydazzler.

Offline antiquerose123

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Re: Kitty Macbride mice figures
« Reply #18 on: February 21, 2010, 05:58:27 PM »
Gee Thanks for that....Can't say that I have ever seen them, or that mark.  Learn something new everyday.

A digital camera is a must (lol)....I HAD to go out and get one too so that I could post pics here, then I had to LEARN how to use it, post pics, etc myself.  Was hard to teach a OLD dog new tricks....but i did learn, with the help of the Board here. 

And... As they say "A picture is worth a 1000 words."

Well worth the investment for ME -- everything in my household ends up on the camera, then on here..... :24: :thd:

Santa brought me mine.... ;)
Every flower that has ever bloomed, had to go through a whole lot of DIRT FIRST......:flowers2:      
antiquerose123 (Rose) :rse:  

Offline ShoeLover

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Re: Kitty Macbride mice figures
« Reply #19 on: March 01, 2010, 01:16:32 AM »
Hi ...
Thanks for starting this post! 
My sisters & I just went through our Mom's old mice collection.  All old Kitty MacBrides - the orginals - hand signed.  I was curious about them and did some searching and found this post.  Nice to hear someone else is interested too!

We did split them up, but I'll work on taking photos of the ones I chose and post here.  We did have a few that none of us fancied - so if you are interested, please let me know.

 

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