Margaret Menamin Eshbaugh

Margaret died this afternoon after a brief illness. She was a paper doll artist, collector and a poet, too. Many of us enjoyed seeing her and husband Bob at the April 4 luncheon in Morgantown, PA hosted by Jayne Keller and Marlene Brenner. You could usually find Margaret and Carol Carey, talking, laughing, poring over paper doll binders, or comparing purchases. They were very close friends.

The paper doll of Margaret was drawn by Bruce Patrick Jones. The one above is a copy of the original drawing, handcolored by Margaret.

Paste-up dolls were one of Margaret's specialties. She had a knack for finding the celebrity face in a magazine to match with an existing paper doll body. She was wildly creative. Margaret's collage paper dolls were featured in issue 82 of Paper Doll Studio (Summer 2005), and she has an excellent article in it about her paper doll art. "The clothing is made from found pieces cut from magazines, catalogs, and other sources," Margaret wrote. "Sometimes the clothing is a combination of found pieces and my own drawing, and I may draw on wallpaper samples, paper bags, colored paper, tissue paper, crepe paper, or any other kind of attractive paper."




Many of Margaret's poems--several published in prestigious literary magazines -- can be found at her website: www.menamin.com/

Margaret created these items, based on actual items in her wardrobe. She jotted down a few details behind each article of clothing.

Cape: "I made this 'fleece' cape in 1969--and am still wearing it!"
Winter hat: "My Australian lamb hat--falling apart now."
Floppy hat: "My floppy old felt hat which I wear with various scarves."
Skirt and blouse: Copy of outfit designed by Margaret Menamin.

She will be missed.