C.O.C.A. Times

The interesting mechanism cleverly implements the counter-force for
the hand squeeze with a surprisingly small spring indicated by the red
arrow. The spring is connected via a vertical rod to a chain wrapped
around a sprocket on a shaft that rotates the front dial pointer. To the
right of the mechanism you can see the coiled wire connected to a
contact that is made when the wheel turns to the 300 mark - which
causes the bell to ring from the power of a 1 ½ volt dry cell.
This Uncle Sam was reputed to be originally in service in a Florida
arcade. It passed through several hands and was
found by Johnny Duckworth for its present home.
Fig. 6: This Uncle Sam is a strength tester and
appears to be old but of unknown
manufacture. It sold at an auction in April,
2006 with the following description:
"A painted cast iron Shake Hands with Uncle
Sam Strength Tester. CONDITION: Cracked,
repaired and repainted."
Uncle Sam as Pop Art
Andy Warhol, the renowned painter who created Pop Art, elevated Uncle Sam to
that status with his 1981 painting of "Uncle Sam" in his "Myths" portfolio. He often
sought inspiration from everyday items (he once called a supermarket a "museum of
items") so I'm not sure where he might have seen an image comparable to his
painting as it is quite different from the iconic
Flagg poster image.
The closest I could come is from an actual Uncle
Sam machine, but it is curious he would have
chosen this one, sold from the Charles Fey
Museum and Restaurant at a James D. Julia
auction on June 28, 2008 calling it:
Fig. 7: Andy Warhol's 1981
Uncle Sam lithograph,
"Myths"
"Cai/le Brothers Uncle Sam Strength Tester.
Perhaps one of the most visually appealing and
attractive machines to any collector. An older
restoration perhaps done in the 1950s, it is affixed
atop a cast iron legged base."
I'm not sure what this really is - the base looks
old, the Sam paint job is clearly new and different from the original. Overall it looks
nothing like a Cail le or a Howard. Perhaps it was a reproduction known to have
been done in the 1920's and again in the 1970's by The International Mutoscope
Company? Regardless, even if the Warhol painting used a re pro as a pattern, it
surely hasn't hurt the value of the painting!
7
Fig. 8: Uncle Sam
Strength Tester sold at
auction in 2006 from
the Marshall Fey
collection