Harry's Whimsical World of Kitchen Gadget Sculptures
July 27, 2006-2007
Jane Hasson Celehar became an authority on the history of
kitchens, gadgets and kitchenware. In 1982, her first comprehensive book for
the collector of kitchen memorabilia was published: Kitchens and Gadgets 1920-1950. Florist and sculptor Harry Hasson,
Jane’s brother, was intrigued by the vast collection of colorful and unusual
kitchen gadgets that sparked the research for Jane’s book. Desiring to use some of the items in a
sculpture, he traveled to Jane’s Ohio home with his large red florist’s truck
to pick up and transport thousands of kitchen items back to his home in New
Jersey. His figures of “Chef Gadgeteer,” “Martini,” the bartender, and
“Saucey,” the waitress, were made by wiring gadgets and utensils onto
mannequins, cladding them in “suits of armor.” Harry spent countless hours
creating the six pieces in the vignette on display, including ten spent solely
working on Saucey’s fork feet.