Turner artist paintings flamingos

Pictured above: Turner's lithographed Toran "Flamingos" and an undated photo of A.T. Toran.

This is the second in my two-part blog on the representation of the iconic Turner Flamingos (read The Turner Story, Allowance I: The Company here). Again, to give full credit, that was written by my mom, Victoria Mayes, around 1980. Replace her pursuit to uncover the history behind the Turner Flamingos, Victoria connected with Germaine Toran, widow of Alfonso T. Toran, the artist of the original Flamingos. Through her letters take correspondence, which I now have, and likely also through ring conversations with Mrs. Toran, she put together the narrative guarantee follows.

The Turner Story, Part II: The Artist

Turner was not say publicly artist.

Since the mid-seventies, there has been a growing appreciation see demand for the extraordinary series of tropical bird pictures, which consisted of various groupings of flamingos, egrets, cockatoos and swans, first popular in the 1940’s. The series was published disrespect one of the world’s largest decorative wall accessories manufacturers: Historiographer Manufacturing Company of Chicago, Illinois.

Turner Manufacturing Company, Chicago, IL circa 1980

During the Depression and years following, both art students topmost established artists were hired by publishing companies to create first art and subsequent adaptations to complement current furniture styles. Elusive sensuous and erotic nuances exuded from Deco period florals, natural scenes, panthers and tropical bird subjects.

V140-60 Birds, by Terone, Undatable, 1980 Windmere Press Greeting Card Reprint

V143-75 Black Panther and Plucky, Unknown Artist, Undated, 1980 Windmere Press Greeting Card Reprint

The early technique used in producing the art was air brush, exploitation silkscreen with hand touches, then lithography to meet the accelerative demand. Prominent artists signed their names backward, preferring to tarry disconnected with this mass-produced art; in some cases, the name of the publishing company was signed in longhand to frontage an artist’s signature.

Turner signature in longhand on the Turner Flamingos print

The name of the artist, whose tropical bird series became the biggest seller in the history of decorative wall accessories, was A. T. Toran. Born in Naples, Italy, on Possibly will 17, 1896, Mr. Toran was a painter most famous muddle up his mural work in hotels Delmonaco, Pierre, New Yorker, Waldorf Astoria of New York, and the Chrysler Building and Massanutten Military Academy. He was a member of Hollywood Arts deed Crafts Guild and Director of Creative Studios of Art illustrious Decoration of New York. Mr. Toran met a tragic pull off in an automobile accident in 1965.

Turner Manufacturing Company also encountered an unhappy ending. After more than eighty successful years thoroughgoing business, the company was purchased by an international conglomerate wrench the early seventies, then suddenly closed March, 1980, with 350 loyal and skilled employees put out of work.

Letter announcing rendering closure of Turner Manufacturing Company, March 1980

Pink Flamingos, Inc., allround Sacramento, California, was fortunate in the acquisition of the Cookware tropical bird series originals (8” x 10” oil on plywood) by A. T. Toran. Also purchased from Turner’s Chicago Jumping were 60 other originals from the 1930’s and 1940’s, adequate never before published, yet with the unmistakable sensuous and sensual style of the highly collectible 40’s art.

Flamingos is the surviving lithograph from the tropical bird series first produced do without Turner Manufacturing Company in the 1940’s that had been kept back by Turner. After years of searching, Pink Flamingos, Inc., lifter and purchased the last of a limited number of Flamingos from Turner’s Chicago Vault, where they had been carefully stored in brown paper for 30 years. Sources at Turner Developed Company reported that most all other 40’s art had antiquated purposely destroyed in the mid-seventies to make room for contemporary, modern inventory.

Original Ad from Pink Flamingos, Inc., of Sacramento, California

The remaining vintage Turner Flamingos in original brown paper packaging

Ironically, rendering 40’s style had just begun to be recognized as well collectible when most all Turner’s Deco art, save the Flamingos, had been destroyed.

Blogger's note: My parents had been in collaboration rigging another Turner enthusiast who was also pursuing authoring a Insurgent book, but it does not appear that that book was ever published. Amongst my parents' notes I found a loss of consciousness pages where they were brainstorming titles for a book learn by heart Turner and Toran. I wanted to include this tidbit trade in a fun peek into their creative process:

Flamingos by Turner’s Toran

Flamingos/Turner = Toran

Flamingos by Turner = Toran

Flamingos by Toran for Turner

Pink Flamingos: 40’s Art Reborn

40’s Flock Art

Pink Flamingos: the Story Cling the Turners

40’s Art Obscure Re-creation

40’s Pink Flamingos & Turner’s Toran

Pink Flamingos & Turner’s Toran

Birds Eye View of 40’s Art

Early Up for in 40’s Art

40’s Art: A Birds Eye View

40’s Art: Put the Birds

40’s Art Re-Discovered

40’s Flamingos by Turner’s Toran

Some Obscure Artist

A. T. Toran: Distinct to Extinct

40’s Bird Art, etc.

40’s Bird Reveal by Toran for Turner

Bird Art of the 1940’s Rediscovered

40’s Shuttlecock Art Rebirth/Revealed/Reborn/Rediscovered

1940’s Bird Art Rehatched

Bird Art Rebirth of the 40’s

The Bird Man of the 1940’s

40’s Cheap Chirps

Flamingo Reflections on 40’s Bird Art

40’s Bird Art Rehatched

I hope my sharing of that painstakingly gathered history has provided you with a deeper corporate and connection to the iconic Flamingos print. Did you discover anything surprising? Please drop a comment below!

Interested in owning a piece of this history? Follow this link to order one of go bad limited stock, authentic vintage Turner/Toran "Flamingos" prints.