Claire paper doll by Judy's Place

Judy Johnson does a terrific job restoring and reproducing hard to find vintage paper dolls. Her reproductions are not just plain fun to collect, cut and collage with; they are also an invaluable guide for collecting the genuine vintage article and identifying missing pieces if you collect cut vintage sets as I occasionally do. Check out Judy's remarkable inventory: "Paper Goodies from Judy's Place."

Claire is from the mid 1950s, published by De Journette. Back in April, the N.Y.C. paper doll group used Judy's small postcard version of this doll for a round robin.

The Glue Family paper dolls, c. 1898

 UPDATE: This IS the GLUE family. My tired eyes betrayed me, thought I read McGlue, but in fact the tiny print says Mr. Glue and Mrs. Glue!

This fragile page was found at Unshredded Nostalgia in Barnegat, N.J. The store was jam-packed with paper, posters, dolls and toys of all kinds. The thought of any paper being shredded (as age has done to the Glues) is too upsetting to ponder!

Vintage Valentines, c. 1920s

Here are three valentines I purchased at Verde Antiques and Rare Books. The two small ones have movable eyes, and the large one has a fan that flaps open to read "I'd like to vamp you for my Valentine." On her sock in a little circle you can read, "Louis Katz, NY  C 1923." There was a repair made on the back of the fan, so all the words don't show when the fan is moved. But I found the art irresistible.

Fairy Tale Series paper doll by Tuck, 1894

 Raphael Tuck paper dolls are highly regarded by collectors.  

Verde Antiques and Rare Books.

Thanks to Ginny and Ray, owners of Verde Antiques, for allowing me to photograph the treasures they had on display.

Old books (updated)

 More from the Verde Antiques and Rare Books store in Manahawkin, N.J.

 An old metal toy shares a shelf with an early pop-up book of Cinderella.
UPDATE: The book is from 1950, and used copies are for sale on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Cinderella-Peepshow-Book-Roland-PYM/dp/B000M6BPCY

Patti PlayPal, c. 1962

This Patti PlayPal isn't as nice as the one I saw in Genoa, Il., in 2009, but she has all the charm of a well-loved and well-played with doll. Verde Antiques.

Hummels

I've seen so many dusty and poorly made knock-off Hummels over the last 30 years in cheap antique stores and flea markets, that I breeze right by them, barely taking them in. This display at Verde antiques stopped me in my tracks and I looked at Hummels for the first time.

Verde Antiques and Rare Books

What to do at the Jersey shore when it's raining? Antique stores, of course. Verde Antiques and Rare Books in Manahawkin was a lucky find. Ginny and Ray, the owners were wonderful, and their store is neat as a pin. Be sure to visit the web site for more samples of their wares.

Not everything is posted on their website, so don't be fooled. This is a deep and broad collection.  Old toys, children's books, boxes of postcards, photos, comic books and binders of fascinating magazine art, ads, and illustrations. A binder of Valentines included letters from the early 19th century.

Rob and I spent the better part of today going through the binders of ephemera, and even found a few interesting paper dolls. I'll scan my purchases in over the weekend. For now, a look around their store.

A lovely Arranbee doll.

Is there any celebrity more identified with a doll than Shirley Temple? Decades after her last film as a child actress, her dolls are still highly collectible. Seeing a Shirley Temple doll anywhere is like bumping into an old friend.

Winterthur II

 Stunning, 18th century hand-painted wallpaper in the Chinese parlor.

Winterthur I

 The Winterthur tour, prior to the first day of convention, was excellent. The duPont estate in nearby Delaware is filled with fine early American antiques, and surrounded by lush and walkable gardens that seem to stretch endlessly in every direction.

 Jim Howard's reflection in a mirror.

Patti Fertel magazine paper dolls

Patti Fertel creates paper dolls from old magazine and catalog illustrations, and places them in colorful folders. Patti has displayed her altered art at past conventions and luncheons. It's inspiring to see how she uses her evident love of vintage images to create something new.

Frankfurt, 1930

 I miss Streetcar Sundays! I'll post as many as I can find. Always great to have a mission when rifling through postcard boxes. A tip of the hat to The Daily Postcard.

Afterglow Ave.! Sweet. The message is in German,  all I can make out is "Mein" and a couple of exclamation points.

Dayton, Ohio factory and workers, c. 1910

This company has a long and storied history. NCR was based in Dayton since 1884, but in June 2009--so recently!-- sold off its properties and moved to Atlanta. I remember working an old brass register at the NYU bookstore in the village, c. 1974, one of my first jobs. It was like driving a truck! Heavy handle to push down, and that loud noise when a calculation was complete. From cash registers to computers, NCR has stayed relevant and in business for a very long time.

These are unused post cards, but I will guess c. 1910 because of the fashions. The postcards have a slightly glossy, not a matte finish. I found these cards at the Rutherford Labor Day Street Festival here in N.J. I love cards that show workers from long ago, but I especially love these cards because the 2012 Paper Doll Convention will be Aug. 9-12 in Dayton. More on that in the months to come.

The Daily Postcard blog has great pictures of workers at the turn of the century, such as these ladies at the Endicott Johnson shoe factory.

(And I see many other favorites posted in recent days, like old New York City hotels!)

Eileen Rudisill Miller paper doll

Who can resist Marie Antoinette? Love the way Eileen employs vivid color and bold patterns in her fanciful interpretation of this historic figure. From the Artists Gallery.

Sylvia Kleindinst paper doll

Sylvia's lovely artwork on display in the Artists Gallery.

Martha Davis paper doll

I believe Margaret Brown brought this lovely Martha Davis paper doll to the Artists Gallery at the convention. Her paper dolls have a fabulous 3-D wardrobe carefully crafted from crepe paper, fabric, ribbons and lace.

Paper doll gems from the silent auction

Karl Beason supervised a silent auction at the convention that featured a great deal of original art and rare paper doll books.  Above, Tom Tierney's original sketches for a book highlighting the fascinators that fascinated us during this year's royal wedding.

 Did you know Marilyn Henry's "Vivian Leigh" was the last paper doll book produced by Merrill? Hard to find, too.

The beautiful Hedy Lamarr.

Miss Liberty

More paper doll treasures

A last look at the Competition...handmades (above) and antique foreign paper dolls (below)...

Sally's Wardrobe, a handmade set including the four dolls and a stunning wardrobe, was submitted by Cynthia Wuthrich. It is a gem. Many of the clothes were made from vintage French envelope liners. Exquisite.

Another handmade set, this one shows a young girl's varied wardrobe. I think this one was entered by Elaine Price.