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19th Century Paper Dolls

Website full of exciting paper doll ephemera!

2/17/2011

 
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Today’s offering comes from Eclectibles.com, a very cool online market with lots of funky Victorian ephemera.  This particular piece is listed as “Uncut Paper Doll Sheet, Neue Ankleidefiguren, with 4 Paper Dolls with Costumes & Room Settings 1880s”. 

The description from the website reads:

A 13 ½ x 17” color paper doll sheet titled Neue Ankleidefiguren (New Dressing Figures) No. 1198 with four (4) different paper dolls the costumes and accessories.  Includes two young women, each approx. 5 ½” high, each with two costumes, hats and furniture accessories.  The third is a bid more matronly and perhaps a maid, as she has various serving items associated with her costumes.  The final is an infant or baby with three costumes an bundle, hats, a rattle and a bassinet.  Paper age toned with board chips.  Fragile.

The lot is currently selling for $90.

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These are lovely in their simplicity and variety (and all the lovely little props). Some of the nicest Victorian paper dolls I've seen have been produced by European printers. The subjects seem generally more sophisticated (possibly due to the popularity of royal personages) compared to most American paper dolls of the same era, which tended to represent children and storybook characters.

As always, click on the images to see them at their best.

I may share a number of items from this website as it contains a good number of pieces that I have not seen elsewhere around the web. It’s always cool to come upon new stuff!

RLC link
2/20/2011 02:40:09 pm

What I find fascinating about these paper dolls (and many others like them) is that they have no tabs or obvious way to hold the dresses on the doll making me wonder how they were played with. Beautiful find, as always.

boots link
2/21/2011 03:50:45 am

the fancy dolls of the 19th century were printed with fronts and backs, so that the clothes would slip over the head and hang on the body once glued together (there are examples of those earlier in this blog).

the double-sized doll was expensive to produce, however (requiring twice the paper and coloring). with these cheaper single-sheet type dolls, girls typically made their own "backs" to hold the clothes in place with scraps of leftover paper. it would be interesting, for certain, to know when precisely tabs came into vogue.

: D

fae
3/20/2011 01:22:26 am

I always found these kinds of paper doll beautiful, they're so detailed! Plus, I
love the pieces of furniture and all the accessories- you don't find those with
modern PDs.
would it be possible, if you're still continuing the series, to post more "reconstruction" dolls and clothing? I love your drawing style, and the time period!

boots link
3/21/2011 08:16:24 am

hello fae!

i want, very much, to return to this site and post more original dolls! i just never seem to have the time, alas. i am going to try to start carving out little pockets during the week to actually work on stuff (and form good posting habits). so i hope you will patiently visit me again!

also, i love the accessories on these old sheets as well ~ it would be fun to do some stuff like that too!

: D


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