Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Painting the New Year red ca. 1910, by H.B. Griggs

This unused postcard is signed H.B.G., indicating the artist H.B. Griggs.

Here's what I found on the web about Griggs:

Designer of more than 500 postcards who worked for the firm of Leubrie & Elkus, NYC. The subjects are often for holidays,the style is influenced by Art Nouveau, and the artist signed as HBG.

The Roaring 20s

For everyone dressing up tonight, here's Dorothy Provine, the star of the TV show, The Roaring 20s (it ran from 1960-1962). It was one of my favorite shows. My sister Maria had this paper doll, which I bought years later at a convention. Most of the outfits are early 1960s, but these two flapper dresses were included in the set. Whitman, 1962 (in its own carrying-case folder).

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Monday, December 16, 2019

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Happy Thanksgiving


Best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving

"Ripe fruits 
as well as
leaves and
flowers be
yours this
Day"

A perfect sentiment for all my vegetarian friends!

A lovely card by the legendary Ellen H. Clapsaddle, ca. 1908.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Paper doll Review ca. 1930s by Chic Young


Two fine ensembles. 

If you have paper dolls you'd like me to identify, your best bet is to post pictures to the Paper Doll World group on Facebook. There are a lot of experts out there who can help, and they love a mystery!

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Bearly a Ghost


Who wouldn't want this ghost to visit tonight? By Gay Curran, 1985. It's marked #43, a limited edition, or 43 in a series of paper dolls? Let me know if you know the artist and his work.




Thursday, October 17, 2019

Chanticleer Paper Doll, 1905



It was a thrill to find this paper doll in the October Paper Doll Catalog of Eclectibles (Sheryl Jaeger). The 9-inch doll comes with four outfits and three hats (it's missing one hat). Published in 1905 by the J. Ottman Litho Company. I'm digging into the story of this doll and that strange outfit...




Here is the beautiful uncut set, from the Maurine Popp collection, which sold for $646 in 2003 at a Skinner auction. As you can see, there are variant spellings: Chanticleer on the envelope, but Chantecler on the different costume cards.






Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Linda paper doll, Child Life Oct. 1949


Well gee, both costumes are kind of plain. 
The skirt is pretty nice, so leave what you have on and grab a mask!

Salty Sally paper doll


This is a pretty strange paper doll, found at Bowne Printers in the South Street Seaport Museum this week. I named her Salty Sally.

I love Bowne's stock of papers and postcards, but wish they had tried again with the paper doll! Oh well. I paid $15 for it, which is way too high. But I coughed it up because I love this store which has some great old printing presses--they still do specialty letter press printing jobs here. And all proceeds benefit the seaport museum and programs, including printing workshops.  OK, take my money!




Saturday, October 5, 2019

Autumn

This is a small card (3.5 X 5 inches) that I found at a stationery store earlier this year. It's printed by Rossi 1931, an Italian company that produces decorative papers and other items. You can see more of their products at https://rossi1931.com/

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Beatrice, age 12, paper doll, ca. early 1920s

This doll was cut from a magazine, and in addition to her two magazine dresses, three outfits were carefully drawn; my favorite is the gym suit shown above. I'm guessing this is from 1920-24. "Beatrice, age 12" is written on the back of the doll in pencil.


Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Friday, August 2, 2019

Year 'Round Drawings to Color, 1926


Artist: Etta Corbett Garson







Very prescriptive about what colors to choose! I've posted six of the 12 pages.

Tuesday, July 2, 2019

2019 Convention Souvenirs


I head to Kansas City tomorrow morning, can't wait to see everyone.

Couldn't make it this year? There's still time to order absentee souvenirs!

Jenny has all the details here:

The 2019 convention souvenirs look even more spectacular than I anticipated. Inside these 9 books are 64 pages of paper dolls!! Plus 3 super cool menus not shown here. Absentee packs are still available! To get all these amazing souvenir paper doll books and more, send $110 to convention host: Pat O'Rourke, 12 Horseshoe Falls Dr., Ormond Beach, FL 32174. 

Friday, June 7, 2019

Alice Faye paper doll, Merrill Pub. 1941


Lovely illustration of Alice Faye in this paper doll set... by the artist Norman Mingo, famous for creating the image of Alfred E. Neuman, the great mascot of Mad Magazine, which I adored when I was a kid. This was another one of my purchases from the Morgantown sales room last month.

Sunday, June 2, 2019

My smallest doll's room--furnished nursery, ca. 1920s


This is one of my favorite paper doll series: My smallest doll's room. I also have the fishery--every small doll should have it's own fishery! Germany, ca. 1920s.







Saturday, May 11, 2019

Valkyrie! by Trina Robbins


Mystery, Murder and Mayhem! This paper doll by Trina Robbins suggests she is capable of all three. Valkyrie could be the femme fatale in film noir, the secret agent in a World War II movie or the avenging angel in a dystopian novel. The great Trina Robbins has given her an authentic 1940s wardrobe, of course. This appears on the back cover of the AirBoy comic book, No. 29, published by Eclipse Comics in September 1987.

Wednesday, May 8, 2019

Papercut Puppets by Jennifer Linton


The articulated paper dolls by Jennifer Linton are absolutely enchanting in their strangeness. 
In addition to her Etsy shop https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/PapercutPuppets
check out these videos of Jennifer discussing her art, and the animation that brings it to life:
https://vimeo.com/papercutpix

Saturday, April 27, 2019

Jack and Jill "Scrappies" paper dolls, April 1944



I was going through my collection of children's magazines last week, and came across this April 1944 issue of Jack and Jill with a story by Maud Hart Lovelace--the beloved author of the Betsy, Tacy and Tib books. Lovelace's story is about a family that collects scrap metal for the war effort. One day, they find an old trolley car and dream of using it as a clubhouse, but ultimately realize their treasure has to be reported so it can be chopped up and used for scrap. Happy ending (and spoiler alert for anyone who finds another copy of this issue): the metal is removed, the rest of the trolley (wood) is painted and restored so the kids can use it as a clubhouse after all! Dad comes home on furlough, and all is well. 

Little Bobby has the last line in the story: "Clang, clang! All aboard! All aboard for the end of the war!"