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What Is YZ?
If you've arrived at this website via a search engine, you probably typed in 'YZ birds' or something similar. In which case, you will already be familiar, to some degree, with the subject of the site. If you arrived here by accident then please read a little about these superbly-crafted, humour-filled individuals from the 1920s and 1930s. Browse the pics and I'm sure you'll soon be well and truly hooked on them.
As Henry Howell & Co Ltd's 1920s advertising literature put it:
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thank "somebody" for adapting nature in such a way that a friendly, quizzical "YZ" about the house definitely makes one's outlook on life more optimistic and humorous, even in these troublous days.  |
The YZ-branded range of novelties was produced by Henry Howell and Company Ltd and sold through retail outlets such as tobacconists, department stores and a number of small fancy goods retailers. For a two year period though (between 1925 and 1927) Alfred Dunhill Ltd, well known for their high-quality pipes and lighters, entered into a loose collaboration with the company, during which period a select range of YZ products was also sold through Dunhill's outlets (see this link for an image of Dunhill's catalogue for the American market). The designs for the YZ products were drawn by Bernard Charles Howell, a highly competent draughtsman and cartoonist.
Since 1832, Henry Howell and Company had manufactured walking sticks and canes and it was their use of exotic woods and, later, of the new plastics being developed in the early 20th century, which gave rise to the idea of the YZ range. The original samples were devised as part of a scheme for using up waste material and they were offered, initially very tentatively, to the trade. They were an immediate success.
Since they were aimed at, primarily, a smokers' market, YZ novelties were largely smokers' products - ashtrays, match holders, pipe holders, pipe racks etc.
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Though many had non-smoking-related functions, eg. gongs, clocks, lamps.
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Just to confuse matters, not all YZ 'birds' were birds.
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And not all novelty birds (or other animals) made in the 1920s and 1930s were made in Henry Howell's factory.
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Though some show the high-quality craftsmanship typical of most of the YZ output.
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If you any comments about this site, or if you have any further information or suggestions for topics to include, or if you simply want to talk/ask about YZ birds please get in touch.
Whether you have a single novelty item or a large collection (YZ or non-YZ), I'll be happy to include photographs within the Images section. (Please send as email attachments.)
To save anybody wasting time contacting me to ask if I wish to sell any items, sorry but I don't.
You may notice acknowledgements to Chris Howell for the use of photographs on the site of some of the pieces from his YZ collection. Chris is the great grandson of Jonathan Howell and he is working towards the publishing of a complete history of the Howell company. He would greatly appreciate any additional information, anecdotes, photographs, advertising, etc. associated with the company. Contact with Chris can be made through this website.
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