Muzeo contrasts Victorian Mourning with Edward Mobley’s Cute Critters

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Content Warning: The following post includes images and discussions of death, including images of post-mortem photography. If you wish to not view or read that portion of the post, stop reading after the mention of Bitter Squeaks’ Etsy shop.

Last week the Muzeo, Anaheim’s beloved little museum, unveiled two new amazing exhibits, Rubber Menagerie and Eternal Mourning. While incredibly different types of exhibits, I was excited for both of them.

Image of me, with my red hair down, and a blue and white scarf in it as a headband, wearing a cream dress with a lace panel in the center. At the high neckline is a blue flower brooch, standing in front of the Muzeo with its banners advertising the exhibits.

Exterior view of the Muzeo building, which features stairs and columns. A large banner features an illustration of a man and a woman, dressed in black, Victorian attire, next to a tombstone. Script at the top reads "Eternal Mourning."

Image of me, with my red hair down, and a blue and white scarf in it as a headband, wearing a cream dress with a lace panel in the center. At the high neckline is a blue flower brooch.

Close-up detail of my dress, an intricate lace panel in the middle of the dress, leads up to a high collar with a blue flower brooch in the center.

Exterior of the Muzeo, to the right of the stairs is a large banner featuring a photograph of a rubber dog wearing a yellow shirt. Bubbly text reads "Rubber Menagerie"

Image of me, with my red hair down, and a blue and white scarf in it as a headband, wearing a cream dress with a lace panel in the center. At the high neckline is a blue flower brooch.

If you have been to an antique mall then you’ve probably spied ultra cute squeaky toys of cats, dogs, elephants, and other critters. Maybe you gave them a squeeze to hear that familiar sound. But did you ever think about who made them? Kate Hart did. Hart found out that one man, Edward Mobley, was behind the variety of darling rubber squeaky toys. With the post-war baby boom, Mobley sought to create safe toys for children, specifically using toxic-free dyes. The result was a range of charming animals, from kittens to large kangaroos.

Hart’s passion for Mobley’s adorable animals led her to acquiring his estate, which included original wax cavings done by Mobley, from which the molds were made, as well as items he hand painted so the factories knew how to paint the toys, some of which are on display at the Muzeo. In overseeing Mobley’s estate she also has the ability to faithfully reproduce his iconic toys.

I especially loved the collection of children’s furniture, including a giraffe coat rack, kangaroo hamper, and whale toy box.

A large sign reads "Rubber Menagerie" in pink and green bubbly letters, and features an image of a cute lamb toy. In smaller black text it reads "The Squeaky Toys of Edward Mobley."

Overall view of the Rubber Menagerie exhibit, which features cream walls, and small green shelves, atop which are small rubber animals, including cats, dogs, horses, and more. In the center of the room are larger animals, including a kangaroo, giraffe, and whale.

Close-up of a black poodle with a yellow collar, and red fabric ears.

Myself standing next to the shelf with a cat on it.

Overall view of the animals sitting on little green shelves. Including lambs, cats, elephants, tigers, horses, and dogs.

Close-up of the head of the giraffe, one of Mobley's larger toys, that served as a coat rack, and features little red and white pegs jutting out from the neck.

A display case features original wax sculpts of three monkeys in clothing, one covers its ears, the next covers its mouth, and the third covers its eyes. On the next row, small rubber figures, two girls and two boys, and the third row shows the first row of monkeys, but as they were made as toys.

View of a pink poodle, still in its box, which features a cartoon illustration of a little girl walking her very own poodle. White text reads "Bon Bon" at the top.

Close-up of the larger kangaroo, which has multicolor polka dogs on it, and its pouch served as a hamper for children.

Close-up of one of the horse toys.

Angled view of the wall filled with the various toy animals.

Close-up of the larger green whale, which serves as a toy chest.

Close-up of a shelf filled with different cat toys.

Close-up of the tiger toy.

Want to get your hands on your own cutie by Mobley? Check out Bitter Squeaks’ Etsy shop!

With the last month of summer around the corner, many of us have Halloween on the mind, and a fitting exhibit is Eternal Mourning, a look at death in the Victorian era. From a recreation of a Victorian wake to burial records, the exhibit showcases various elements mourning. A particularly unique item was a baby doll in a casket, believed to be an aid for children in understanding death.

A white banner reads "Eternal Mourning Death & Remembrance in Victorian America" in black script. The banner hangs on a black wall and is flanked by white floral arrangements.

An illustration of a man and a woman dressed in black, Victorian attire, looking at a tombstone that reads "In memory of" and sits below a weeping willow tree.

A book lays open to a page reading "Deaths" and below in cursive pen are a series of names.

A black Victorian dress, a prime example of mourning attire.

Ladies and Gentleman's Etiquette, a book from 1870, lays open to text describing etiquette for funerals, including descriptions for "exhibition of the corpse" and "receiving guests at a funeral."

A baby doll dressed in white lace lays in a small casket.

Intricate beadwork makes up a large floral arrangement in purple and pink.

Red embroidered gothic script is framed and reads "Absent but not Forgotten"

A black and white photo sits in a frame, the photo is of a large group of people standing around an open coffin with a body inside.

A silver plaque reads "Father" in cursive script.

A recreation of a Victorian funeral, with chairs off to the left, dimly lit, a fireplace in the center, with an oval mirror above, which is draped in black cloth, and to the right is a wicker casket with white flowers in front of it.

A map showcasing a portion of the Anaheim Cemetery, with plots labeled.

A receipt book is open and reads "Anaheim Cemetery Association" at the top.

Many of the items from Eternal Mourning are from Haunted Orange County, who offers several walking tours showcasing the spooky side of Orange County.

Both Rubber Menagerie and Eternal Mourning run through October 27, 2024. Stop into the Muzeo, located at 241 S. Anaheim Boulevard in downtown Anaheim. For more information, including tickets, please visit the Muzeo’s website.

What’s Nearby?

Anaheim Packing House

Linbrook Bowl

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One comment on “Muzeo contrasts Victorian Mourning with Edward Mobley’s Cute Critters”

  1. Wonderful post! Great writeup and photos and Janey is looking sharp! Really like Muzeo in Anaheim…gorgeous place and they get some fascinating exhibits. Not only are these two cool, the compare and contrast is kind of wild. Thanks!

    Reply