Just purchased my 1st vintage Bulova gents watch. Came with the Bulova 1940's ivory colored presentation box & on the top outside is the same naked lady as in the banner of this website. Who is she & why did they choose her? How long has she been associated with Bulova marketing? Thanks! BTW my 1st post & I did search "naked lady".
In reply to Fortuna is the Roman godess by bobbee
after 6 Months Darren.
Fortuna's role in Roman Mythology (?) is open to interpretation. I'd read She was the symbol of Time and Fate - as stated.
The Bulova Artists rendition is certainly similar and I'll stick with 'Goddess Of Time'.
The Ancient Greeks named Her differently...
It's just a picture Mark, and is a Marketing tool, not a Roman or Greek classical Goddess. There is no female goddess of time in either Greek or Roman mythology. It clearly borrows from the Roman Fortuna, but it does not mean anything, just a nice painting/picture.
bobbee,
I didn't say it was an actual Goddess, I said it was an artists rendition.
Goddess Fortuna was referenced for similarity. - Here is a quote from 'WIkipedia' on Fortuna.
"Her name seems to derive from Vortumna (she who revolves the year)"
this is not an arguement, merely an observation.
'GODDESS OF TIME'
In reply to bobbee, I didn't say it was by FifthAvenueRes…
The 'naked Bulova Lady' is an artists rendition of a Goddess Of Time. The image is seen on Bulova packaging materials of the Watch of the same name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Time_and_fate_goddesses
The Artists rendition is possibly taken from images of the Roman Goddess Fortuna.
hope this clarifys any mis-understandings.
Yes, I saw that too but if you read about the Goddesses under the heading Time and Fate goddesses you will realise that it means Goddesses of Time and Goddesses of Fate, and are not a combination, such as Tyche, who you referred to but did not name in your earlier post, who is the Greek counterpart of Fortuna, and are the Goddesses of luck and Fortune.
Hope this clarifies any misunderstanding.
It's fun, without a doubt.
Not to split hairs but ones destiny, fate or fortune, good or bad elapses over time.
As stated Fortuna's role in Ancient times is open to interpretation which does not necessarily include Monetary wealth, although it does.
I'd go with Tyche, but most images show a Brunette.
: )
I'd read somewhere there was a famous dancer of the period, and there were parelle's drawn between this dancer and the "Bulova Lady". It suggested partial inspiration for the "Bulova Lady". Don't remember the dancers name, nor what the just of the associations btwn the two were, but I believe the dancer had the same hair color as the "Bulova Lady". ...and for some reason, I remember some reference to "warm, soft and gossamar" and/or "as if on gossamar wings"
There's a famous poem which may be named "on gossamer wings"? It began something like "I stand on a hilltop, which spreads ever before me, on my bare feet. Wind whisps my hair, long auburn locks blown as if with a life of their own..." I do remember this poem used allusion to suggest the passing of time, the parade of days...
I also remember reading this lady dancer was to dance as Ima Sumac was to voice, so it musta been a retrospect: the dancer becoming well known in the early 1920's and Sumac gaining fame by the mid 1940's.
....so what ever I read was not something used by Bulova when they most likely adopted use of "The Bulova Lady", but someone speculating on her potential origins with Bulova after the fact.
EDIT: ...and after checking, I didn't save nor bookmark what ever it was I originally read....and my memory isn't what it use to be :)
Although our first "Goddess of Time" ad c1936- a little after the fact- and we see the lady on watch boxes/ads long before "Goddess of Time" model, we have the trademark data:
So the "Goddess of Time" name and ads are pre-trademark filing date.
I've always seen the possible dancing and gossamer veil or scarf she's holding.. I "like" the Goddess of Time name for her...what ever she's called...."The Bulova Lady" name is pale by comparison.
EDIT: ...and I failed to see the "Goddess of Time" trademark info, on same page linked above; with same filing date:
so "Goddess of Time" and the Bulova Lady logo/symbol were simultaneously on the minds of Bulova- even if years after the fact.
The image in the link below is the Russian dancer Nicolsca, and this photo was taken in the 1920's at the Parthenon in Greece. Although it is a couple of years after the Bulova dancing lady came on the scene, it is possible the dancer was seen by someone from Bulova earlier in time. I think this image is the closest yet seen.
Cannot upload the actual pic as it has copyrights, and it was sold by auction at Sotheby's for £7,500.
Will, did you mean Anna Pavlova in your earlier post? She was certainly a most celebrated dancer in the early 1900s.
Mark, all Bulova watch boxes had that pic on them till the 1950s
In reply to The image in the link below by bobbee
In reply to bobbee, To You She may be a by FifthAvenueRes…
I remember those images from another post about the Berkshire watch, Just love those Art Deco images, and I enjoyed that post enormously, it got me so interested in the Berkshire and Air King that the design became my favourite and resulted in me getting both!
Edit:- Forgot to say that I thought you were holding a torch for the Bulova Lady, just like another famous American image...... ; )
In reply to Nice one. Just to clarify: by FifthAvenueRes…
Here is a link to some more amazing works of art by C. Coles Phillips, the man who originally did the art work we now know as "The Godess of Time".
It will literally take your breath away, it is so good.
In reply to Bob, how did "we" make the by Time Bandit
There was something...a newspaper story or some connection.....I just don't remember exactly what or where.... something perhaps stating "the painting now resides in the collection of ...." or "..is now at ________" and I think there was some mention of Bulova.
Maybe someone esle will remember- I vagely remember- but not the details.
Go to the ad DB.
Look at the second 1922 ad, and just below the bottom right hand corner of the painted lady it says "painted by Coles Phillips".
Also, if you go to the linked site, the second page has an ad we have from 1926, the black and gold ad.
Use the link, you will not be disappointed.
Well, I just got off the phone with Jim Vadeboncoeur Jr. who wrote the book Bob was refering to and while we were talking, he came here (mybulova) and looked at this discussion and inparticular the pics that were supposedly done by C. Coles Phillips. He is now retired ( for what he states as some time now) and he said and I quote,
" none of those pictures were drawn or illustrated by Coles Phillips"
as far as the ad goes (1922 ad) I own the hard copy of that ad and the bottom right hand corner of the "painted lady" actually reads "copywrite (symbol) 1922 J. Bulova Company".
The second part of Bob's linked site with the ad from 1926 along with other Coles Phillips illustrations sent Jim into a small bit of laughter (apparently it is not part of his website) and was placed in amongst other Coles Phillips illustrations by someone with (his words) "a personal agenda" .
His parting message was "no way in hell did C. Coles Phillips have any part in those illustrations" it's not his style.
So this is not real? Doesn't look fake.
And the man who painted this:http://www.americanartarchives.com/phillips_spirit_of_transport_1920.jpg
(Above is signed Coles Phillips)
Or this:http://www.americanartarchives.com/phillips_lhj21oct.jpg
(Also signed)
Did not paint this?
If not, how did they get on this website?
Also, who is Jim Vadeboncoeur? The pictures and articles written on the site I link to are all done by Norman (Norm) I. Platnick.
EDIT:_ Please do not download any pictures I have linked to, they are privately owned, and cannot be used in the public domain.
Bob, Jim Vadeboncoeur has written several books on illustrators from this time period. Link http://www.bpib.com/illustrat/phillips.htm As you will note in my previous comments I just quote what an expert in the history of illustrators from this time period says.
He also gave me several other names of experts to contact, which I'm trying to do at present.
Like yourself, I'm just trying to find proof.
A wise man named Bob once told me, "no sense getting your knickers in a bunch" :-p
In reply to Bob, Jim Vadeboncoeur has by Time Bandit
I think the ad Mr. Vadeboncoeur may be referring to is this ad below, notice the legend "Copyright 1922 J.Bulova Co."
And not this one below, an altogether different advert that comes from the December 16th. 1922 Edition of the Saturday Evening Post.
Looks genuine to me. EDIT:- I just found another ad from the Dec. 16th Stevens Journal, 1922 with the same ad with "painted by Coles Phillips" in the same poition here:
Hey buddy, not getting my linen scrunched!
Just putting it out there that I didn't refer to anyone by that name, where you said I refer to his book?
I thought maybe you got a link to somewhere else!
I also thought that with the Bulova ad on site with the "painted by Coles Phillips" on it, and the Bulova ad from 1926 on the site I went to when I googled "Coles Phillips", along with some very similar looking art work all supposed to be by the same guy there, it all gelled and looked genuine.
All those paintings are amazing, as are the contemporary works in many Bulova ads by the artist Franklin Booth, of which there are many examples in the ads, all signed.