Buster Brown postcard by R.F. Outcault, 1906

"Resolved: That Nothing Can Stop Us."

Postcard, unused, undivided back. 1906. "Compliments of N.Y. Sunday American & Journal."

Join Us For The 2014 Morgantown Paper Doll Luncheon

The Women of Mad Men in Morgantown

Join us on Saturday, April 5, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Morgantown Holiday Inn, Morgantown, PA. We'll have a sales room, freebie table and raffles.

We invite you to get in the spirit of the era by dressing up for the luncheon in vintage mid-century Mad Men style --circa 1960.

Luncheon registration is $35 per person, and must be received by Friday, March 28, 2014.

The room rate is $83 + tax for those who stay overnight on Friday, April 4. Be sure to mention the paper doll luncheon when making your reservation. A block of rooms will be held until March 19 -- register early!

Sales tables are free, but are designated on a first-come, first-served basis. Some dealers may have to share a table if demand is high -- thank you for understanding!

If you're bringing something for the raffle table, bring it with you, but let me know as soon as possible what your raffle item is so I can prepare the tag in advance. As always, you can reach me at linda(at)geb(dot)net.

Have a freebie item? Bring it with you and deliver it to my room when you arrive. My room information will be posted in the lobby of the hotel.

Jayne Keller is overseeing the Dress-A-Doll. Here are some rules to keep in mind:

• Entries will not be returned: they will be placed in a book to be awarded in a drawing of names of only those who submit costumes (one name per person, regardless of how many costumes the person submits). If you cannot attend, you may also send costumes and be eligible to win the book.

• Entries will be numbered as received, and luncheon attendees will vote for their favorite costume. The artist who sent in the winning costume will receive a gift.

• Costumes should be your own work, preferably in color, cut or uncut. Please put you name on the BACK of the costume(s).

• Costumes must be received by March 30, 2014. Send to Jayne Keller, 3666 Pricetown Rd., Fleetwood, PA 19522

When you click the link below, you'll find the PDF of the invitation and the doll in exactly the right size to dress.

Luncheon Registration and Dress-A-Doll
are all here.

Rainy day cat scrap

More bluster than rain. At least it's not snow...

Ralph Hodgdon's Graphic Novel

One of the great things about being snowbound last week was catching up with correspondence, phone calls and the latest from the paper doll community -- and the time to post news here. This is a card I received from Ralph Hodgdon last month.  He's working on a graphic novel! The above is one of 1,713 drawings in color that will appear in the book. I look forward to hearing more about this from Ralph, who is a regular at our Morgantown party. 

Of course, the card came with a fabulous Ralph Hodgdon paper doll:

Kate Middleton by Norma Lu Meehan

A perfect match of artist and subject: Norma Lu Meehan and Kate Middleton. An elegant book. I love the marginal illustrations and notes. David Wolfe provides another expert essay, this time on the trials and triumphs of the royals and the chic fashion sense of the Duchess of Cambridge.   

You can order this book by clicking here.

Floral Brides by Brenda Sneathen Mattox

Feast your eyes on the perfect antidote this snowbound Valentine's Day: Brenda Sneathen Mattox's "Floral Brides." Beautiful artwork -- Brenda's gowns are exquisite. And an essay on the inside back cover by David Wolfe takes us through the language of flowers over the years. Orange blossoms signified fertility! And violets are traditional for February weddings...can Spring be far behind?

You can order this book by clicking here.

To My Valentine

c. 1920

Jane Arden's Wardrobe, 1939

March 19, 1939

New Connie Francis paper doll by David Wolfe

Delightful! David Wolfe's latest: a Connie Francis paper doll. Lovely artwork, with the authoritative essay that we've come to expect from David's paper doll books.

You can order your book from Paper Doll Studio by clicking here.

St. Valentine card by R. Tuck, c. 1908

St. Valentine Sends Best Wishes This Way

A beautiful card, by Raphael Tuck & Sons. Printed in Germany.

Shirley Temple Paper Doll by Diana Vining

Diana Vining has created this lovely Shirley Temple tribute. You can order it for $5 + shipping from her Paper Doll Shoppe by clicking here.

Diana explains that "Love to You All" is what Shirley wrote in cement at Grauman's Chinese Theater.

America's Sweetheart

Clapsaddle Colonial Couple, c. 1900

P.S. I only want to add,

Your message makes me very glad;

I hope some day, for you and me,

The bells will ring right merrily.

This might have been part of a more elaborate greeting card, given the P.S. Very sweet. No markings, just an "E" on the reverse, which serious collectors probably know something about.

Artist: Ellen H. Clapsaddle (1865-1934), the most prolific postcard and greeting card artist of her time. She was from upstate New York, Herkimer County, and attended Cooper Union in New York City. She produced more than 3,000 designs during the golden age of souvenir postcards, 1898-1915.

In looking up information about Clapsaddle, I found an interesting site: Postcrossing, with an enchanting idea: Send a postcard, receive one back, from anywhere in the world.

Young roadster, c. 1920s

To Jim Fry from 5-13

Printed in Germany. signed on the back in code, perhaps...or 5-13 could be the seat assignment in class.

Mopping up hearts, c. 1930s

Made in U.S.A. The brad at top of the mop rotates the illustration.

Bonzo at the wheel, c. 1920s

Bonzo: To one I love, c. 1920s, printed in Germany. Bonzo was the bee's knees way back when -- and he's still a pretty cool dog to know. You can read all about the Bonzo phenomenon here. Paula Hill has a fabulous collection of Bonzo figurines and ephemera. I probably found this Valentine in her basement shop.

Hello central, c. 1930s

You're nuts

so am I

Give Hippo 

a slap next

time you 

see her

From Corbin

The kind of silly note you pass around when you're a kid in school. I remember it well.

Running Valentine, c. 1920s

A lovely runner, made in Germany, movable legs secured by a brad in her skirt. I'm guessing the 1920s. On the back: "From Helen Hohl."

Walking Valentine, c. 1930s

This time the brad on the Valentine secures a rotary of feet, so your Valentine can take a stroll with pup in tow.

Piggy Valentine, c. 1940s

There's something about this hula-dancing piggy that makes me think it's from the 1940s -- the colors, the cartoon style. Made in U.S.A. And yes, that's a brad in the belly-button, so piggy can swing.

Skating Valentine, 1930

A die-cut Valentine, with heads that "pop-out." In pencil on the back, in a child's hand: "To Kendall Falke from Donald." Inside, a more mature hand wrote with a fountain pen: "Donald A., 1930"-- could that have been Kendall, in later years, going through her keepsake box and taking notes so as not to forget? Or Kendall's mother taking notes for her daughter? We can only guess.

No markings to indicate publisher; this might have been from a boxed set.

Super Valentine

Yes, I posted this one two years ago, but how could I resist? We kick off the month of Valentines on the day before the Big Game, right in my own backyard. If you're in New Jersey tomorrow, avoid the Turnpike and Route 3!