Veterans Day

One of the souvenirs created by Barbara Barnett for the 2012 Paper Doll Convention in Dayton, Ohio.

Veterans Day

Barbara Barnett's outstanding women of the military were distributed as souvenirs at the 2012 convention in Dayton, Ohio.

Wartime WWII Women by Larry Bassin

Another souvenir from the 2012 Dayton, Ohio convention, by one of my favorite artists, Larry Bassin.

Bob Hope USO Tour by Marilyn Henry

Last year's convention at the Hope Convention Center and Hotel in Dayton, Ohio, was a heartfelt tribute to the military. Mary Young, Peggy Ell and Louise Leek did a wonderful job, and the souvenirs were right on topic. Love Marilyn Henry's tribute to Hope's tradition of entertaining the troops overseas.

Jean Swings in the Navy

Art by Jean Polus Tobola

Veterans Day

I can't think of a better day to return to some of my 2012 Paper Doll Convention pictures. The convention was held at the Hope Hotel and Convention Center at the entrance to the Wright-Paterson Air Force Base, and had a salute to the military theme. Jean Polus Tobola gave a presentation on "My Life in the Service of the WAVES," and included some of her military paper doll books.

 Jean's military memorabilia.

 I won this Mopsy in her drawing! I'll scan in this week.

Thank you for your service, Jean!

"Trio" paper dolls, 1987

The record album "Trio" featuring Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris came out in 1987 and had an inner sleeve of paper dolls of the three stars. I wonder if a miniature paper doll sheet comes with the CD version? Hmmm....

From the collection of Nina Roebuck, it won first place in its category at the convention Competition. Anne K. Donze has a better picture on her blog, and you can see it here. The paper doll illustration was by Andy Engel.

Mildred, a handmade paper doll, 1902

From the collection of Jean Mallett.

Mary Jane Varden paper doll, c. 1920s

A sweet handmade.

Movie Star Paper Dolls, c. 1940s-1950s

The 1940s-1950s were a golden age of sorts for movie star paper dolls. Talented illustrators and lush wardrobes, in addition to the celebrity doll, make these highly collectible.

More from Barbara Barnett

The artist Barbara Barnett brings to life the characters from the TV series, based on the best-selling book.

The WWI era is one of my favorites for style and fashion, and Barbara captures it perfectly.

Barbara's charming, hand-painted paper doll of Marilyn Monroe.

Margaret G. Hays paper doll post cards, 1907

More from the collection of Elaine Price. Margaret Hays, sister of Grace Drayton of Dolly Dingle fame, had a style and charm all her own. Hays illustrated a number of children's books, including the Mary Frances books of the domestic arts. I have a few things from Hays in my collection including this postcard.

Handmade paper dolls, 1920s

At just about every convention, you can count on Elaine Price bringing in an amazing handmade paper doll, usually with an outstanding wardrobe, and in Dayton she did not disappoint.

Forbes paper doll sailor, 1895

From the collection of Jane Alfano Rasor. This is one of my favorite things to collect: paper dolls and toys that were distributed with the Sunday newspaper in the 1890s. Sturdy card stock and strong colors belie the date of these cut-outs. This is one in the series known as the Forbes Doll. Does anyone know why?

The Strong Museum has posted some of the paper dolls and toys in their collection. Here's what the Forbes sailor looked like uncut on the sheet:

Quite a few layers on our sailor!

Brenda Starr by Dale Messick, 1952

More outstanding original art on display for the convention's Competition. From the collection of Norene Allen.

Janet Lennon original paper doll artwork, c. 1964

 I'm glad Pat Corte Rooney brought in this original artwork of a Janet Lennon paper doll set. There were a number of paper dolls devoted to the Lennon Sisters, the singing group that was featured often on the Ed Sullivan Show in the 1960s.

Click on the last picture to learn more about this original artwork.

Kellogg's Modern Home Kit, 1947

A fantastic piece of Americana: paper cut-outs of actual homes that could be built from a kit. A reminder of the housing shortage in the years immediately following the end of World War II, and the pent-up consumer demand for a new life in the suburbs. From the collection of Jean Mallett.

Mon Journal cut-outs, 1895

For the Competition, Norene Allen brought in a few issues of Mon Journal, a French children's magazine, containing these lovely paper dolls of Napoleon and Josephine. An excellent historical piece that won first place in its category.

Admiral Cigarettes paper doll, c. 1890s

The competition is where collectors bring their outstanding pieces, submitted in specific categories by type and time period. Here's where you'll see the rare antique as well as the original art by a contemporary artist. I always leave the competition room with sensory overload, thinking "I didn't know that existed," or "I never thought I'd see that on display, and in such terrific shape." And suddenly you've added another item to your search list.

The A.P.W. Company

For those of us who love advertising paper dolls and toys, Pat Corte Rooney's display in Special Collections was a pip: The Albany Perforated Wrapping Company is credited with being the first company to produce toilet paper the way we know it today -- perforated and rolled around a cardboard cylinder -- in 1877. You can read more toilet paper history here. Corn cobs and catalog pages! Good grief. 

Pat collects all kinds of A.P.W. promotional ephemera -- and some of it is quite wonderful. The artist Tony Sarg created an A.P.W. marionette theater as a premium in 1926, shown in the last photo. A.P.W. also used the pattern of the crossword puzzle in its promotions in the 1920s,  when crosswords first captured the public's imagination and were something of a craze. Fun stuff. I saw a few of these items when I interviewed Pat for Paperdoll Review magazine a few years back. She has a great eye as an artist and collector.