A WEE LOOK BACK AT DUNDEE - 1960's, 1970's & 1980's.
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Tuesday 13 October 2009
THE TOMMY SMALL DOLL - 1983
Not sure how many other cities had a newspaper street vendor as a cult figure, but Tommy Small certainly left his mark on the Dundee art community. He's been painted, sculpted, sketched and here, turned into a doll. It was made by Hilary Elder from Broughty Ferry and was displayed in a craft exhibition in the Marryat Hall in 1983. Tommy was then presented with the model after the show.
Tommy Small was a vendor in the city for many years (decades, in fact) from around the 1950s/60s, his distinctive call-to-arms "Tully Gar Aff" was well known throughout Dundee and beyond. I have no idea as to the whereabouts of the doll ... I was informed by a Mr Barry Sullivan of DC Thomson that Sadly .. Tommy died in May 1994, which probably wasn’t too long after his retirement.
Slightly off topic, but loosely related. I was having a few jars in The Fishermans on a Monday lunchtime (Broughty Ferry) a couple of weeks back, and was reading The Courier. At about 12.30, someone delivered the "Tully" - which the manager then passed over to me. Apparently there is now just the one edition, which I assume is printed late morning - I remember not too many years back there were several editions, the late one being distributed at the back of 4pm across the city.
My late father had a painting of Tommy Small hanging in his home. The painter lived in Dundee for many years. I always assumed the portrait was of an Auckland news seller because that's where we live (New Zealand). Can you share some more details/stories about Tommy Small? Thanks, Wendy
Not sure how many other cities had a newspaper street vendor as a cult figure, but Tommy Small certainly left his mark on the Dundee art community. He's been painted, sculpted, sketched and here, turned into a doll. It was made by Hilary Elder from Broughty Ferry and was displayed in a craft exhibition in the Marryat Hall in 1983. Tommy was then presented with the model after the show.
where is he now or wheres the doll
ReplyDeleteI have just been researching Mr Small.
ReplyDeleteTommy Small was a vendor in the city for many years (decades, in fact) from around the 1950s/60s, his distinctive call-to-arms "Tully Gar Aff" was well known throughout Dundee and beyond.
I have no idea as to the whereabouts of the doll ...
I was informed by a Mr Barry Sullivan of DC Thomson that Sadly ..
Tommy died in May 1994, which probably wasn’t too long after his retirement.
Slightly off topic, but loosely related.
ReplyDeleteI was having a few jars in The Fishermans on a Monday lunchtime (Broughty Ferry) a couple of weeks back, and was reading The Courier. At about 12.30, someone delivered the "Tully" - which the manager then passed over to me. Apparently there is now just the one edition, which I assume is printed late morning - I remember not too many years back there were several editions, the late one being distributed at the back of 4pm across the city.
My late father had a painting of Tommy Small hanging in his home. The painter lived in Dundee for many years. I always assumed the portrait was of an Auckland news seller because that's where we live (New Zealand). Can you share some more details/stories about Tommy Small? Thanks, Wendy
ReplyDeleteHe just sold newspapers, and that was it.
ReplyDeleteSorry to disagree, but Tommy Small was much more than that . He was an icon in the City of Dundee for many years, and greatly missed.
ReplyDelete