Fabulous Find #7 ~ Kiddie Koop

Look what D and I came upon this weekend ~ an original Kiddie Koop! When I turned the corner in the basement level of the River Market Antique Mall and saw this, I had no idea what it was until I saw the xeroxed copy describing this crib/bassinet/playpen from the 1940's. The photo of the baby in the advertisement drew my attention as it looked like some sort of circus attraction ~ it really looks like a cage as it has mesh screen. This one seems to be missing its top ~ yes, there is actually a lid on this contraption! Aside from the wire screen, the chipping lead based paint and the multiple pinching hinges, it seems a wonderful place to keep your baby entertained ~ and contained. What mother wouldn't love to keep her little monkey locked up in a cage while she cooked dinner or caught up on the laundry ~ plus, the rolling wheels would make it easy to transport the little tot anywhere ~ as long as you live in a one story home. I was so entranced by the oddity, that I never did even look at the price ~ also, I've already bought my sister and her husband a baby gift ~ I'll have to put this on the back burner for someone else!

While looking for visuals to go along with my photo, I found out that the Kiddie Koop was, by some accounts, designed by none other than Buckminster Fuller, the father of the geodesic dome. You can read more about the Kiddie Koop here and here. The advertisement above and the images below are all from daddytypes.