Original WWII "Kilroy Was Here" Bakelite Pocket Peekies - Neller - Lot (3) WW2

Listing is for all three pictured!

Each measures approximately 2.5 inches to 3 inches tall by 1.5 inches to 2 inches across

No cracks and no repairs

WWII "Kilroy Was Here" Bakelite Pocket Peeper (Peekies) – Bob Neller

"Kilroy Was Here" is a phrase that originated during World War II. The representative symbol was imprinted by American soldiers in hidden places across Europe and the Pacific.

Featuring a long-nosed man peering over a wall, the graphic of Kilroy is internationally recognized.

Ventriloquist Bob Neller decided to create a character based on Kilroy. He established a manufacturing plant in his barn, where he sculpted and manufactured the figures in various models, calling them Peekies.

Neller's factory produced up to 10,000 Peekies per day, and by the mid-1940s, Appleton, Wisconsin became known as the Peekie Capital of the World.

In 1947, the highly flammable compound used in manufacturing the figures caused an explosion and fire that destroyed the barn where the Peekies were produced. Following the loss of the business, Bob Neller returned to show business.

(Handwritten note on the original card: "Barn burned down 1947.")

Peekies were designed with a brass screw clamp that attached to a lapel or shirt pocket, allowing the character's fingers and nose to hang over the edge. Today, original Peekies are considered quite rare.