19th Century Paper Dolls

I had wanted to post something Halloweeny yesterday, but couldn't muster the enthusiasm to find a paper doll in costume (though I had a couple in mind who are wearing masquerade ball gowns ~ nothing too exciting anyway, so it's probably just as well.

Instead, today, in commemoration of All Saints, I'm sharing one of the most famous of the 19th Century saints of the Roman Catholic Church: Saint Therese of Lisieux, who was also called the "Little Flower" (you can read her story and see images of her at the Patron Saint Index if you click her name). The artist is Patricia Anderson Milan, who has done a handful of saints in paper doll form. Unfortunately, these appear to be out of print, but you can still find copies floating around.

There are a good number of things I love about these dolls. They are made for young children, so they are large, bright, and extremely easy to cut out (all of the dolls and dresses are very simple shapes, making most of the clothing interchangeable between characters (an added bonus). Also, there are just so many of them! This set includes Therese as a child and an adult, her sisters, aunt, uncle, cousin, parents, friends, and even her dog. The range of clothing includes school clothes, everyday wear, Communion dresses, and numerous habits of her religious order. Although the artwork is somewhat crude, it's got a handmade charm you can't get from super-polished work (with which I have a love/hate relationship). And because they are so easy to cut and handle, the set really does encourage play (more complex sets can seem too fragile or have too many very small pieces).

Click on the images to see more details. The overall quality of these dolls make them worth every penny.

Meanwhile, I actually have been working on making clothes. I just haven't had much energy to scan and post anything. As usual, I am at that place where suddenly I dislike my own creations rather intensely. I tend to get bogged down at this stage. Everything comes to a grinding halt. Why continue making a doll I dislike?

I will continue to muddle.

There were a number of paper doll artists in the 19th century and a handful of them were famous (like Rafael Tuck), but it was refreshing to me to be introduced to a woman whose work was never published, who painted for the sole amusement of herself and her niece, and who left behind a wonderfully detailed extensive collection of paper doll families done in watercolor.

Anna Lindner was born in 1845. The image shown here was taken when she was about 18 years old. As a child, she contracted polio and was never able to walk. She taught herself painting and produced more than 600 pieces of work that have survived. A good deal more than half of these works were paper dolls, which she created for her niece Emilie, who apparently also suffered ill health.  The work sat in an attic for 50 years before it was dug up and donated to the New Jersey Historical Society.

Among the things I really cherish about her work is how she personalized the characters (you can imagine the stories she and Emilie shared about the families and their interactions). Also, she created families spanning more than 50 years, so all of the eras are represented throughout her work from the 1850s through the turn of the century.

Pretty impressive!  If that isn't enough, much of her work was double-sided, showing the fronts and backs of the clothing, and wonderfully detailed (shoes, accessories, hats, etc. ). She had a whole miniature little world of her own. On top of which I really love the vivid colors. After 100 years, these dolls look practically newly-painted!

You can see more pictures from the New Jersey Historical Society here. Also, read the American Heritage article about Anna Lindner here. The American Heritage article online unfortunately doesn't include the original pictures, but the two I have shared here come from that particular magazine.  Click on the image to the left to see a little more detail.

I am still organizing content to fill here, but hello in the meantime!  I am using this first post to set up the tagging feature. It's my goal to add new content at least twice a week, so even though this probably won't be a "daily", I hope you will subscribe to the RSS Feed and check back regularly!

One of the things I hope to focus on here is paper doll men, which I think are highly underrated and underrepresented in the paper doll world. So while you can expect to see an array of beautiful dresses, expect to see even more frock coats, military uniforms, and other contemporary occupational wear.