The Paper Collector

Market Street, Newark, N.J. c. 1908

2012-01-22T12:13:00.001-05:00

Streetcars, horse-drawn wagons, pedestrians, cobblestone streets and all those signs. Who could ask for anything more? I work in Newark and pass through Broad and Market streets five days a week, hence my fascination with the city's past.

Check out the sign for Proctor's "Newark's Theatre Beautiful" and then "Refined Vaudeville-Low Prices." Pillsbury's Flour is nice and visible, twice, on this busy street. Some of the signs on the left seem to float, indicating they were pasted on the photo: Reilly's and Van Horn's can be detected if you squint. Red Star Stamps might have been an early version of S&H Green Stamps, but I'm not sure.

Newark has a number of old buildings still standing, in truncated form, along Market Street. Orange, the destination on the streetcar, is the name of a nearby suburb. Unlike New York City, Newark never consolidated with neighboring suburbs such as Orange, Belleville and Bloomfield. It's a fairly small "big city," with a population of about 277,000, according to the 2010 Census.

Miss Fannie Maurer of Gansford, Pa., received this postcard in May 1908:

I guess you are done housecleaning. I am just going to start tomorrow. How is your mother? You had better come along down when I come up. Carrie.

Betsy McCall doll, c. 1967

2012-01-20T01:12:00.000-05:00

Summer of 1967, Ponce, Puerto Rico, the porch of my great-aunt Olga's house. On my lap: a Betsy McCall doll, the one that had jointed arms and knees so she could be posed different ways. I remember I had her on my lap on the plane, too. I flew alone; my older sisters had arrived earlier that summer. I remember that clownish romper very well--I loved it! You can see from my legs the mosquitoes loved me, too. My thick curly hair was unruly in the humid climate, so short was best. I was almost 12, not quite ready to give up dolls and paper dolls. In addition to store-bought sets, I drew a few of my own, with big heads and little bodies, and wardrobes of mini-skirts and double-breasted coats. Wish I had saved those hand-mades!

Betsy McCall was created in 1951 as a paper doll in McCall's magazine. The doll was produced the following year by Ideal in a large size and later American Character, an 8 inch version, which is the one I had. Since the 1990s, the Robert Tonner has produced a charming version in different sizes. You can read more here.

To see how Betsy McCall evolved as a paper doll, check out Teri Pettit's excellent web site. Teri has quality scans of many rare and hard to find paper dolls, and she's made it easy to save to your computer and print out. Thank you, Teri!

Here's one sheet from Teri's site; click to enlarge:

The Betsy McCall series is a favorite with collectors, for the paper doll and the little stories that go along with it. I've sought out sheets that feature some of my favorite New York City places: the Guggenheim Museum, the Young People's Concerts at Lincoln Center, and Central Park. I also enjoy finding sheets that feature shows I loved as a child, such as Pollyanna (shown here) and Romper Room.

Click the sweet logo below to see a dozen dolls or more...

Paper Doll Review Issue #51

2012-01-18T21:35:00.000-05:00

I was delighted to contribute an article to this issue about the artist Penny Ross. And it is an honor to be in the company of such fine writers. Scott Jorgenson on "The Modern Woman Between 1918 and 1940" is a must read. Scott is a collector of vintage fashion, and very knowledgeable on the topic, as though of us who attended his convention presentation last year can attest. Gina Clarke provides a fun overview of TV families, and Marilyn Henry gives us the lowdown on the glamorous Tyrone Power and Linda Darnell. Bruce Patrick Jones brings back all the great memories of the 2011 convention in Philadelphia and Sandy Vanderpool provides some excellent ideas on transforming a Christmas card into a paper doll. Jenny Taliadoros does a great job of pulling it all together, and includes the trivia quiz from the convention.

Order your copy here.

Click image above for readable size.

Artwork by the great Jim Howard graces the back cover of this issue.

Don Quixote, L & B vintage scrap

2012-01-17T00:38:00.001-05:00

Paula Hill's Open House 2012

2012-01-15T23:04:00.001-05:00

The holiday season isn't over until Paula Hill hosts her Christmas-New Year's -Birthday open house. This year her event fell on her actual birthday, Jan. 15.

Always something new to see, or to see for the first time. This lecherous Santa has his clammy hands on two flappers. I never noticed it before, but you can spot it in a picture from my 2010 visit to Paula's.

A wire tree decorated with pantins.

Lovely and odd tableaus found on dressers and table tops throughout the old stone school house in Harriman, N.Y.

Down in the basement, Paula's antique shop. Shelves and tables overflowing with books, dolls and dollhouses and several cradles. Cabinets filled with paper dolls and toys and postcards...

An array of stuffed animals clamber out of a dresser drawer

Some lovely old books


Karen Ham with Puppetrina

Carol Sullivan and Joan Burke

A sweet doll

Now Santa can make his exit. Until next year...

Broad and Market, Newark, N.J. c. 1906

2012-01-15T06:00:00.001-05:00

Postmark: March 22, 1906

Sister Maria
I suppose you are sleigh riding now. Your sister, E.C.H.

Debbie Reynolds by David Wolfe

2012-01-14T06:00:00.000-05:00

Here's a peek into another delightful celebrity book from Paper Studio Press. David Wolfe captures the remarkable career of Debbie Reynolds in paper dolls and words -- he's a wonderful writer, and gives us a succinct overview of Debbie's life and career, up to and including the recent auction of her collection of movie costumes and memorabilia. David has authored capsule biographies for other paper doll books, including Bruce P. Jones' Josephine Baker book. You can order David's book here.

Kellogg's Krumbles Italy Cut-Out Dolls

2012-01-13T06:00:00.001-05:00

You can read about Kellogg's Krumbles here. Apparently, Krumbles was created as a competitor to Shredded Wheat Biscuits, but the Kellogg's biscuits crumbled, and the rest is history...

Natalie Barney

2012-01-11T00:08:00.000-05:00

I first came across the fascinating Natalie Barney (1876-1972) in an issue of The Paris Review which published a tribute shortly after she died, "A Natalie Barney Garland." The picture above is c. 1892.

Below, a picture when Natalie was younger. Her family was quite well-to-do.

Natalie was an American woman born way ahead of her time. She knew she was lesbian at an early age, which must have been unbearable in that patriarchal era when women had few rights. Barney was a writer and poet, and moved to Paris long before Hemingway to live openly as a lesbian with no apologies to anyone. She had a salon of writers and artists (including men), promoted and supported their work, and by all accounts led a fabulous and charmed life, which included art, literature and numerous affairs. Monogamy was not on the agenda.

Below, some marvelous details from the Wikipedia entry on Barney (which you can read in its entirety by clicking here):

In the 1900s Barney held early gatherings of the salon at her house in Neuilly. The entertainment included poetry readings and theatricals (in which Colette sometimes performed). Mata Hari performed a dance once, riding into the garden as Lady Godiva on a white horse harnessed with turquoise cloisonné.

The play Equivoque may have led Barney to leave Neuilly in 1909. According to a contemporary newspaper article, her landlord objected to her holding an outdoor performance of a play about Sappho, which he felt "followed nature too closely." She canceled her lease and rented the pavillon at 20, Rue Jacob in Paris' Latin Quarter and her salon was held there until the late 1960s.

The courtesan Liane de Pougy, one of Barney's amours.

Natalie Barney and Romaine Brooks, her longtime companion.

Natalie Barney was born in Dayton, Ohio, the site of this year's Paper Doll convention. I may have to journey to the marker placed in her honor. And wouldn't she make a grand paper doll?

I leave you with The Myra, the "it" hat of Fall/Winter 1885-6.

My dear, you just never know what a woman is keeping under her hat.

Click the logo below for some more millinery musings.

Kellogg's Krumbles Russia Cut-Out Dolls

2012-01-10T06:00:00.004-05:00

Click image to see larger version, and print or save for your own files.

It's always a challenge to date unmarked paper dolls, but this one is especially challenging. It might be the 1950s, but wasn't the Cold War in full swing by then? Would an all-American brand like Kellogg's show the hammer and sickle and a benign Russia at that time, and risk being labeled "fellow travellers?" Hmmm....I'm thinking this is immediately after WW2-- perhaps 1947-- when Russia was still perceived as an ally, not a threat. You never know where paper dolls will take you -- from fashion history to politics!

If you want to see the other Krumbles in my collection, search this blog for "Krumbles."

Nancy Drew by Darlene Jones

2012-01-09T21:12:00.000-05:00

Another fantastic Paper Studio Press publication, featuring the lovely artwork of Darlene Jones. I love that Darlene illustrated fashions from three different decades, based on cover art and story lines. You can order your copy here.

Josephine Baker by Bruce Patrick Jones

2012-01-03T23:09:00.000-05:00

Bruce Patrick Jones gave us a preview of this book at convention, and it is gorgeous! I'm just showing a couple of pages from my copy--you can order the book for $12 from Paper Studio Press.

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T01:30:00.000-05:00

Vintage postcard, c. 1912

Kwanzaa by Bette Wells

2011-12-29T05:55:00.000-05:00

Original art greeting card by Bette Wells, c. 2010.

Dress coat, 1912

2011-12-28T06:30:00.001-05:00

Circle and Dot by Karen Reilly 2011

2011-12-26T13:53:00.000-05:00

What is Christmas without a doll? Here's Karen Reilly's lovely interpretation of Circle and Dot by Leon Casimir Bru, c. 1879. You can find this paper doll version in the Nov. 2011 issue of Doll Reader.

A Jolly Xmas to you, 1905

2011-12-25T06:05:00.000-05:00

Ernest Nister, London. Printed in Bavaria. Postmarked Dec. 23, 1905.

Santa and Me, c. 1960

2011-12-22T23:42:00.000-05:00

I was a ragamuffin, pulling on the thread of my knit cap. This was most likely the Santa at Macy's Herald Square, where we always shopped for clothing and toys. I was probably asking for a Tiny Tears doll and the CandyLand game. I tell you this was a great Santa, he's exactly how I imagined him as a child. You can see I was thrilled--shy, but thrilled! I'm surprised the photo (faded as it is) survived in its folder.

Find more Christmas cheer at Sepia Saturday by clicking the logo below:

Christmas postcard, c. 1920s

2011-12-21T07:28:00.000-05:00

Not mailed, divided back. Someone did write "Wish you a Merry Christmas," but the pen's line was weak then blurry and blotted. So I'm guessing it seemed too messy, so it was never addressed to anyone. Printed in Germany.

Woman's Day, 1946

2011-12-16T07:10:00.000-05:00

This week's Sepia Saturday prompt got me thinking of food and additives people once ate without another thought. Food that today gives us, shall we say, great pause. I plucked a few ads from the Jan. 1946 issue of Woman's Day. The cover features a babe sucking its thumb, perhaps worried about what mom will cook up next. 1946 is also the first year of the Baby Boom generation, which would grow up to start all kinds of interesting things, including the back-to-earth and natural foods movements.

Prem must have been a rival to Spam. It's a meat substance in a can. The era of greater cooking convenience for women had dawned.

Mor is more meat in a can. How did a shopper choose between Prem, Mor and Spam? Flavors no doubt varied.

Ched-O-Bit! Fun name and packaging. Recipe shown calls for 1 tablespoon fat, to saute celery and green pepper. Ah, the days before EVO, extra virgin olive oil. Nice use of illustration to complement photo of the casserole.

WW2 was just ended, but shortages were still affecting daily life.

Many of these foods and add-ons are still available, of course. I'm sure I have some A-1 Sauce somewhere in my cupboard.

Here is Betty Hutt's suggested meals on a budget. I'll pass on the cheese spoon bread, deviled kidney and sausage casserole, and the bean and bologna bake. Ginger dumplings sound good, but I don't know if I'd follow the recipe that includes dark corn syrup and molasses. Pears baked in grape and orange juices sounds intriguing and simple enough to do.

Jellied tomato ring?! The dessert cheese arrangement is still popular, and I can see the veggie relish bowl holding its own today. The Black and Gold dessert calls for prune juice and stewed prunes in the middle of a round gold cake. Hmm, maybe all these strange eating habits led to problems, as evidenced by these ads...

You'll find other juicy tidbits when you click the logo below...

The Paper Doll Art of Gregg Nystrom

2011-12-13T01:07:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Gregg Nystrom for the excellent profile of his work in Fashion Doll Quarterly, Winter 2011 issue! Two fabulous fashion icons of the 1950s: above, Dovima; below, Suzy Parker.

Fluffy Ruffles post card, c. 1909

2011-12-08T00:33:00.000-05:00

I spotted this postcard from a distance at the East Hanover show, and immediately recognized the Fluffy Ruffles silhouette. Large hat adorned with flowers, tailored jacket (slightly longer) and full skirt with pleat detail. Ah, and the verse confirms it:

Oh, you kid! How she does it I don't know, / Gets but 10 a week or so /Always dressed in latest styles /"Fluffy Ruffles" wreathed in smiles /Every week a brand new beau/How she does it, /I don't know/Oh, you kid!

This verse is a play on the popular tune of 1909, "I Love My Wife, But Oh You Kid," by Harry Von Tilzer. My earlier blog posts on Fluffy Ruffles can be read by clicking the link in this sentence. I consider Fluffy Ruffles the Carrie Bradshaw of the early 20th century, a career woman/fashion plate bedeviled by the opposite sex.

The card was produced by the Magor Novelty & Post Card Co., 1193 Broadway, N.Y.