The Ozarks “Old Matt’s Cabin” Metal Ashtray Souvenir

THE SOUTH. 
Home Decor, Decorative Ashtray, Souvenir, c. 1950. 

These small metal ashtrays (incorporating tell-tale cigarette rest notches) were very popular for a run of years following World War II. Sold in souvenir shops across America and Canada when smoking was still very much a mainstream habit, these trays, each with a specific regional connection, were bought as memorabilia of trips taken / sights-seen and certainly given as gifts to family and friends. The trays were mass-produced by way of intricate custom molds, be it a state or a site, with the finished piece lightly hand-painted to pull out the details of each tray. Though the rim would normally contain the title and notable site details, this tray of The Ozarks sports only an ornate, almost Victorian floral scrolling around the main feature: “Old Matt’s Cabin.” Though it had become a very popular regional tourist attraction by the time this ashtray was being sold, it was first the house of John Ross. After many stops across the Midwest and Plains States, Ross and family had settled just outside Springfield, Missouri, where he and his son, Charles, had built this house in the late 1890s. They would befriend Kansas City minister and future author, Harold Bell Wright, during Wright’s early trips to the area. And so, when Wright fell ill in the early years of the 20th century and needed a spot in the country far from the city to recuperate, the Rosses were more than willing to let him camp on their land. Wright would employ memories of this time in union with his imagination to write the very popular, “The Shepherd of the Hills,” his fictional characters Old Matt, Aunt Mollie, and Young Matt—the Matthews family—based on the Rosses. “Old Matt’s Cabin”’ was born. The Rosses would move away around 1910, after which the cabin was bought and turned into an Ozark regional tourist attraction. An interesting side note: the chimney, clearly visible in this tray, was added only after the house had become a tourist attraction, done so to more closely align with the idea of the old homestead of The Ozarks; the original Ross house having employed the “more modern” technology of a stove with a flue. As with all the small trays in this souvenir series, it bears the mark: “Japan.” This will seem curious considering the violent events of the early-mid 20th century. Here is a bit more background … Following Japan’s surrender in September 1945 ending World War II, Japan was a military occupied country. This continued until the San Francisco Peace Treaty of 1952 returned national sovereignty to the island nation. Once international trade was allowed to resume in 1947, the General Headquarters of the Allied Forces (GHQ a mostly American military government charged with running the conquered nation) mandated that export items carry the label: “Made in Occupied Japan.” The directive was updated in 1949 for use minus the word “Occupied.” As a result these two labels “Made in Occupied Japan” and “Made in Japan” (often just “Japan”) can be dated with specificity to the 15 years following the Second World War. They have become markers for valuable vintage memorabilia. [This tray is in pretty good condition. Its plating is a bit worn, the title lettering having dulled over time. That said, the highlighting on the house itself has retained a sharp luster and still shines over 70 years later.] 

Condition: Used Good. 
Local / Regional Attractions. 
Dimensions: 4.75” wide x 3.5” high x 0.25” deep