Historical society turns N.H. icons into bobbleheads

By ALBERT McKEON
Telegraph Staff
Published: February 05, 2006

Imagine John Stark improvising his defining catchphrase to “Live Free and Bobble.”

Actually, it’s hard to guess what the general would think about his likeness being immortalized in the quirky shape of a bobblehead doll. But there he is, standing at ease, his black boots nearly touching his knees, right hand tucked inside his military jacket, and an oversize cranium shaking away.

The New Hampshire Historical Society has brought the war hero back to life, or at least into a state of movement, in an attempt to educate and have fun. No, historians aren’t above thrills, said Bill Veillette, the society’s executive director.

“It’s something that is fun, but also something they don’t expect us to do,” he said. “Here we are putting energy into bobblehead dolls.”

The 1950s fad that never faded, the bobblehead doll has become a unique element of Americana. Athletes, movie stars, presidents and even lesser personalities have taken shape as a bobblehead.

Seattle Mariners fans waited outside the ballpark for more than a day to get a shot at a free Ichiro Suzuki bobblehead. Locally, the Nashua Pride have had a few bobblehead giveaways, offering characters ranging from manager Butch Hobson to former WMUR-TV sportscaster Charlie Sherman.

Not everyone appears as a bobblehead, but everyone can be one – for at least $430. Thebobblehead.com – the cyberspace site for a Missouri factory – manufactures bobbleheads with only a submitted photo of a loved one.

After a one-time setup fee of $420, each bobblehead costs $10, dropping in price for bulk orders.

Thebobblehead.com made the Stark figurine. The Manchester native fought in the French and Indian and Revolutionary wars and was a hero of the Battle of Bunker Hill. Because he coined the phrase “Live Free or Die,” Stark was an obvious choice for the society’s first bobblehead, Veillette said.

The historical society must meet a “scholarly standard” when it hosts exhibitions and publishes books, Veillette said. But the society can let its hair down and approach history with some levity through its museum store, where Stark and other bobblehead figures will be sold, he said.

About 280 Stark figurines have bounced off the shelves since December, at a cost of $15.95 each, Veillette said. The society will probably have to restock because the remaining 220 bobbleheads will likely sell, he said.

The general will be followed by other key people in New Hampshire history. Daniel Webster, the renowned statesman and orator, will appear in a few months.

“In his day, he was one of the most famous statesmen,” Veillette said. “He certainly was as prominent as Lincoln. There’s a highway named

after him and a statute of him in front of the Statehouse. He’s a no-brainer to do.”

The society will introduce a new bobblehead every few months, Veillette said. Franklin Pierce, the only U.S. president to hail from New Hampshire, will probably follow Webster, he said.

Female figures in history will be harder to choose because there are no clear-cut candidates, Veillette said. He does have a few in mind, though.

Hannah Dustin certainly made a mark. Captured and taken by Indians from her Haverhill, Mass., home, Dustin killed and scalped at least nine of her captors in present-day Concord.

Sarah Josepha Hale had a more peaceful existence. An educator and writer, the Newport native convinced President Abraham Lincoln to make Thanksgiving a national holiday. In her spare time, she wrote “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”

The society will also consider living people. Jeanne Shaheen, the state’s first female governor, is worthy, as is U.S. Supreme Court Justice and Weare resident David Souter, Veillette said.

When the society is stuck for an idea, it will welcome suggestions from the public, probably in a contest, he said.

Amherst native Horace Greeley, the influential journalist who founded the New York Tribune, deserves consideration. Greeley supported the nation’s early settlers and coined the phrase “Go west, young man.”

Sure enough, countless trailblazers went bobbling along.

Article retrieved from http://www.nh.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060205/HISTORY/60205001

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