MOTHER GOOSE PANTRY - from Lefton's Spectacular Vernaculars Series
Geo. Zoltan Lefton Co. Item #01616.

Dated: 1994
Size: 4" tall, 7.5" long, 4" deep

Condition - Never used, never displayed. Your valuable collectible is well packed, protected and in great shape! This set comes in original box still sealed from the factory.

The MOTHER GOOSE PANTRY is 1 of 10 actual roadside architectural delites recreated in the Spectacular Vernaculars series. Produced in limited quantities, the entire collection was retired in 1995 and sold out soon after.

I have limited quantities of Lefton Roadside USA New in the original boxes - see my other auctions and store listings for the pieces to the collection, as well as complete sets of the Great American Diners, Gas Stations, Fast Food,  and Roadside Delites collections.

From the brochure: "MOTHER GOOSE PANTRY - With its gaily striped awning and fabulous detail, Mother Goose Pantry is guaranteed to bring out the child in us all." Shaped like a giant shoe, the Mother Goose Pantry is whimsical and fun. The entrance is in the heel, and the door and all windows are covered by individual blue striped awnings - even the second floor! A quaint brick chimney rises from the roof, and Mother Goose herself rides a flying white goose in the sign on the top of the shoe. Looks like the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe finally found a way to feed all those children she didn't know what to do with - open a family restaurant and pantry! Cast in solid resin, this piece weighs in at over 1 pound and boasts exquisite detail.

The Mother Goose Pantry, like every piece in this amazing collection, was a real place, built in the late 1920s. It was located on Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena. When it opened, the owners welcomed dozens of children to crawl over the structure and climb on the roof for a photo opportunity with the Old Woman. Many similar buildings existed all over the USA as diners, service stations, and even hotels. A perfect example of direct programming architecture, in which the structure acts as a sign of what it's selling, the building had to be recognizable from the road at a fairly reasonable speed. The Mother Goose Pantry is featured in the book California Crazy & Beyond, by Jim Heimann, which focuses on many timeless structures through California and across the country.

Lefton's Spectacular Vernaculars was designed by David Stravitz for the Roadside U.S.A. collection. From the booklet: "David Stravitz is a recognized authority in re-creating historic replicas. He has been called 'a genius of detail' and has won commissions from world-renown institutions including the Smithsonian." Stravitz writes, "I did lots of research to get every detail of the Roadside Delites Collection perfect. It was as though I took a journey through Alice's looking glass. These buildings were the original Pop Art before such a category ever existed. Young and old alike looked forward to these eye-catching milestones as much as they did to their final destination."

Each piece in the Roadside U.S.A. Collection looks perfect with tiny cars and people in a railroad display or retro cityscape. I have been corrected on a few of my scales that I had listed for train layouts. Please see the description and building size to determine if it will fit in your setup.

Combine shipping on several items and save money!


Check out my other listings for a variety of 50’s Diner & Soda Fountain Decor and Necessities – Rock ‘n’ Roll –

TV & Music Memorabilia – American Roadside

Salt & Pepper Shakers – Advertising Signs – Beatles – Elvis – Pink Flamingos – Betty Boop

Gnomes - Victorian and Garden Accessories - Pinball and Jukebox Parts

Many items are new in the box and perfect for gift-giving!    Most are out of production and very collectible!