In this great black-and-white video we get a solid look at yoyo contests of the 1950s and “World YoYo Champion” Art Pickles.

I have to confess, I don’t really know much about Art Pickles. His name has come up a few times here and there in my various diggings into yoyo history, but I’ve never been able to find very much. He seems to be using and promoting an “off-brand” yoyo made by a company called Outspan, although I can also say I don’t really know anything about them either. Art Pickles is an anomaly in yoyo history…he seems to have come and gone without leaving much of a trace, and doesn’t appear to have ever worked for any of the major companies of the day. But damn he was stylish…check out those double Walk The Dogs!