Dummy Boards
by Jane Kleindl
A BRIEF HISTORY OF
The Dummy Board
Dummy boards are flat wooden figures painted and shaped in silhouette to primarily resemble humans and animals.
The earliest figures in existence, from the evidence of costumes, date from the beginning of the 17th century and resemble soldiers, servants, children and animals.
Although they have been associated almost exclusively with the fireplace, their exact usage cannot be truly known. However, it is known from some contemporary diaries, letters and accounts, that they were employed variously as pretend servants and sentries, summer fire screens and chimney boards, lantern and visiting card holders and simply as silent companions or decorative jokes to fool the unwary guest.
Later in their history they became advertisements in front of shop premises, props for theatres and pleasure gardens and ornaments for inns and restaurants.
The examples exhibited here were created by Jane Kleindl utilizing tempered fiber board and water or oil based paints. Many are interpretations of Victorian age images, some are original designs, all are hand crafted and painted.
