Wearing chameleons as brooches

[ldvnicole]

I have been looking everywhere for this trend that came
about in the 1950's. This lady told me that they would purchase alive chameleons with little collars and chain leashes that end with a pin to
attach to clothing. The chameleons would crawl all over the lady all day
and they would later put them on the drapes at home. I have researched all
over the internet for pictures of this, and I assume that someone would
have taken a picture of this or it might be in a magazine ad...

I was
hoping that someone has come across any photos of this or has actually witnessed this in their lifetime. If not maybe you could lead me to some place for me to research further.

 

[Hebden]

I'd never heard of this...so I had to Google it out of sheer curiosity ...two different sites said they were sold at circuses. This one was the most comprehensive...hope it's what you were looking for.

She also pitched "bugs." "Bugs" were chameleons which Eikee bought wholesale from an animal supplier in Florida. When a new supply of chameleons arrived, she and Troy would sit backstage and tie strings around the lizards' long tails so that when they sold them the marks could hold onto them. The lizards would jump away unless there was something to grasp. The body of a chameleon was about four inches long and their tails were almost as long as their bodies. They had long tongues used for catching insects to eat.

The selling point in the pitch was the fact that they had the ability to change the color of their skins. When placed on a colored cloth their skin would adapt to that color. When not on a specific surface, their natural color was a greenish brown. Eikee also sold little collars to place around the chameleon's neck. This collar had a small chain and a safety pin attached so that the animal could be worn as live jewelry.

The chameleons sold for fifty cents each and they were packaged in little boxes. The collars were ten cents each and a box of scientific chameleon food (meal worms) sold for twenty-five cents. Instructions for the care and feeding of the chameleon were enclosed in each box.

 

[ldvnicole]

I'd never heard of this...so I had to Google it out of sheer curiosity ...two different sites said they were sold at circuses. This one was the most comprehensive...hope it's what you were looking for.

She also pitched "bugs." "Bugs" were chameleons which Eikee bought wholesale from an animal supplier in Florida. When a new supply of chameleons arrived, she and Troy would sit backstage and tie strings around the lizards' long tails so that when they sold them the marks could hold onto them. The lizards would jump away unless there was something to grasp. The body of a chameleon was about four inches long and their tails were almost as long as their bodies. They had long tongues used for catching insects to eat.

The selling point in the pitch was the fact that they had the ability to change the color of their skins. When placed on a colored cloth their skin would adapt to that color. When not on a specific surface, their natural color was a greenish brown. Eikee also sold little collars to place around the chameleon's neck. This collar had a small chain and a safety pin attached so that the animal could be worn as live jewelry.

The chameleons sold for fifty cents each and they were packaged in little boxes. The collars were ten cents each and a box of scientific chameleon food (meal worms) sold for twenty-five cents. Instructions for the care and feeding of the chameleon were enclosed in each box.

that is a great article!! Wow, would you mind telling me what search words you used?

I still need some photos of this

 

[Hebden]

^ "chameleon", "circus", "leash"...and something else that I can't remember right now...I think if you can find websites related to vintage circus sideshows you could probably track down some images.

If you do...can you post one or two...I have to admit that I'm dying to see what this actually looks like?

 

[strawberry daiquiri]

they did this on the runway in one of the early seasons of ANTM.
only with giant cockroaches.

 

[Dianochka]

I've heard of this. I'm also curious about how it worked.

 

[chaneladdict]

I think I remember when I was in Mexico at one of the markets they had bugs that were similar idea...I don't think I would E VER want to do this though!

 

[ldvnicole]

I really need photos!! Still no luck!

 

[iluvjeisa]

Kind of like punk rockers wearing rats?

 

[chaneladdict]

ewwww

 

[ldvnicole]

Kind of like punk rockers wearing rats?

Wow! do you have a picture of this?

 

[Thefrenchy]

Funny I found this thread because yesterday I was watching CSI and in one of the episodes, a woman was wearing an alive ****-roach as a brooch and it had a little leash and was covered of stones

 

[blue monday]

I'm not even anti-fur but this just seems creepy and gross!

 

[Deborah]

I have heard of this with cockroaches.

 

[Deborah]

Heres beetles decorated and orn as living jewellery, but I can't find chameleons at all.

Insectia.com

 

[iyemstoopid]

sad

 

[Desi]

wow glad I came across this. Those beetles are so wicked!