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Antique DOLL Collector March 2011 Vol. 14, No. 2

March 2011 Vol. 14, No. 2 $595 / $695 Canada www.antiquedollcollector.com

A Jewel of a by Lisa Doering

A beautiful Rohmer has retained her original wardrobe.

Dale was delighted to find out that French fashions like this Rohmer can and did have it all!

Proclaiming votes for women, this Kestner Gibson Girl evokes the spirit of the time.

hen you think of Montana, the state’s nickname of “Big Sky Country” probably comes to mind. Or perhaps its close proximity to Yellowstone National Park and the site of the Battle of Little Bighorn. Well, tucked in the Yellowstone Valley, is the “Star of Big Sky Country,” the city of Billings, Montana’s largest. Carved out by the Yellowstone River, Billings offers outdoor enthusiasts world class hiking, rock climbing, mountain climbing and ﬁshing. But for the doll enthusiast, there awaits a jewel box of childhood delights in The Legacy Doll Museum. Dolls have always been an integral part of life for museum founder, Dale Bochy. As she says, “I was always, always fond of dolls.” As a young child, Santa left her a new dolly every Christmas. For her fourth Christmas, he left her Sweet Rosemary, a doll made by the Deluxe Reading Co. of New Jersey. To quote Dale, “It was the most magniﬁcent thing I had ever seen.” And for those of us who remember the “grocery store dolls” of the 1950’s and 60’s, it’s easy to understand

Museum

Center: This all bisque Simon Halbig is proud of her 11 inches.

Directly above: Close-up of the Steiner Fre A. Top: Proving that good things come in small packages, here are some special cabinet size beauties: a Steiner Fre A with her original trunk and wardrobe, a bent knee praying all bisque, an 11 inch all bisque Simon Halbig and a German Sonneberg doll.

how thrilling it must have been to find Sweet Rosemary under the tree. At age ten, Dale received her first Barbie and to this day, she still remembers how Barbie smelled right out of the box. She couldn’t wait to spend $5.00 of her Christmas money on Barbie’s “Evening Enchantment” gown, complete with white faux fur and long gloves. Barbie also triggered another passion that would serve Dale well in the future: accessories. At age 11, Barbie provided young Dale with a character defining moment. A friend of her grandmother’s had a child suffering from the final stages of leukemia. The little girl longed to play with a Barbie before she died and Dale was asked if she would lend her beloved Barbie with wardrobe to the dying child. Dale understood the child’s longing and shared the joy of the little fashion doll with the grown-up clothes. Sadly, only three months later, Dale found Barbie and her wardrobe sitting boxed on

Imaginative settings like this beach scene bring these 33 inch, circa 1900 dollies to life. 23

Chiffonnette’s Capeline by Sylvia Mac Neil

Chiffonnette, a size 4 doll attributed to Huret, models this coquettish little capeline. Among the considerations while preparing for a season in the country is the choice of appropriate headgear. There exists in the fashionable world, several hoods of the kind called by French milliners, capelines, intended chieﬂy for children and young ladies. They are found very convenient in the country, as they project beyond the forehead sufﬁciently to protect it from the rays of the sun, while a large bavolet, or cape, shades the neck. The capeline is longer at the sides so as to fasten with a ribbon under the chin, the ends being tied in a bow.

illinery establishments displayed their most novel styles and their most attractive ﬁnery for the opening of each season. Shopkeepers and modistes sent out polite missives to those who were supposed to have money and the disposition to spend it, informing them that the new fashions for the season had arrived and invited all for inspection. The opportunity was irresistible, and if desire only prompted some, curiosity prompted all to accept the invitation. There was hardly a lady who would not venture forth on such an occasion, making a round of visits to certain well-known shops and milliners. There was no want of opportunity to secure the desired object. After repeated trials and nice adjustments before the mirror, by the aid of a hand-glass, and the most emphatic assertion that she had the hat that suited her exactly, and which, of course, was the only one of its kind in Paris, the purchase was made. What 44

it actually was, could not be described, and if it could, it probably would not be understood. Keeping pace with each new season, doll shops were, we can imagine, virtually bursting with extravagant ﬂights of fancy, struggling in wild competition with one another, many located in the same district in Paris. Nothing could be more charming than the dainty splendors of Mlle Béreux, located on Rue de Hanovre. The maison Huret is second to none, creating the most sumptuous dolls and attire ever introduced into the realms of the doll world. Some couturiers from various doll shops submitted patterns to magazines devoted to demoiselles. Familiar to all of us are patterns in the monthly issues of La Poupée Modèle. Another magazine, Gazette de la Poupée, featured patterns from shops such as “La Maison d’Autremont, 6 Rue du Dauphin, who offered a pattern for a duchess dress and matching cape

embroidered in soutache,” and “Nélie du Bengali a pattern for an Amazone,” or riding habit. Other maisons include “La Petite Créole, Boulevard Poissonière, a store where dolls seemed to live very well, had offered as gracefully as Le Paradis des Enfants, Rue du Louvre, as well as La Petite Gabrielle, Rue de Penthièvre.” The pattern presented here is unique, in that it was not found in one of the French periodicals, but was drafted from an original doll capeline. This hood is one of many articles of clothing in the trousseau of a doll on display at a toy museum, De Kleine Wereld, in the small, historic town of Lierre, Belgium. The enchanting china doll has a body of leather with bisque arms. An original paper label is found on her back. “Au Père Noel, Perruques en Vrais Cheveux Fins, Figurines Artistiques, Mme Prinsart, 49, Rue Saint Sebastien (Father Christmas, Wigs of Real Fine Hair, Artistic Figurines, Mme Prinsart, 49, Rue Saint Sebastien.)” Her original trousseau is superb and extensive and is documented with an itemized list of the period, hand written in French. Among the treasures listed are two hoods, one of which is the capeline which has been duplicated and featured here for all couturiers today. The capeline is made up in a white, wide ribbed, cotton pique fabric and is garnished with pretty, white, cotton braid. What luck that this antique fabric and trim is exactly the same as the original capeline. Bands of fabric cut in a

pretty, scallop design forms the folded-back brim as well as the box-pleated bavolet at the back. All is bordered with white braid having tiny, picot loops along the edge. Two little bows of silk ribbon are set at each side. The novel and elegant appearance of the capeline renders it haute couture, though actually it is quite easy to create. First, the braid is set along the raw edge of the pique, beginning at the end of the ﬁrst scallop, as shown on the pattern. This piece will form the bavolet. Three box pleats are made on the bavolet bavolet, then three, small tucks on the band. The band is sewn onto the bavolet bavolet, as indicated. Braid is set along the scalloped edge of the brim, beginning at the straight, short end, and continuing along to the opposite end. Rather than putting the right sides together, attach the brim with the right side of the fabric on the brim set on the wrong side of the fabric on the band, starting from the bottom scallop of the bavolet. This allows the brim to be folded back with a neat seam on the inside. Next, a gathering stitch all around the crown draws in the fullness. It is sewn to the capeline, matching the top point at the center and the other points at each side. An overcast stitch neatens all the seams. Two lengths of ribbon, or cotton tape, as on the original capeline, are sewn onto the inside. And ﬁnally, the fanciful bows of ribbon are stitched in place. At once simple yet charming, this dainty, little affair is sure to please even the most discriminating doll couturier.

Always fresh and tasteful, the capeline is fashioned in white, wide-ribbed, cotton pique. The dainty, scalloped edge is decorated with a fanciful, white, cotton braid with tiny, picot loops. The brim is attached with the right side of the fabric on the brim set on the wrong side of the fabric on the band. When the brim is folded back, just the ribbed pique is apparent.

White braid is sewn along the raw, cut edge of the scallops.

Phil May Antiques & Collectables

Back Row: 8-1/2” Heubach Pouty # 6969 – BJ body, excellent, $1250 Wonderful Incised Jumeau - size 4 – 14”, $5750 Beautiful S & H Lady doll #1159 – 25”, excellent, $2100 25” S & H 1279 – lovely and perfect, $2450 16” Carved hair Schoenhut with blue bow – original finish, $2250 13” Charming cabinet size R.D., $3000 18” Alabama Baby with sweet expression – nice condition, $3250 22” Lenci – beautiful outfit – clean, $2450 Left: Great 18” toddler boy by Swaine – flawless bisque, $1950

Marion Maus Specializing in Dolls and Miniatures

Ellicott City, MD • Phone 443-838-8565 Email mmausantiques@gmail.com • Member NADDA, UFDC

Ocean Grove, NJ 732-604-3011 dollmanofog@aol.com

Second Row: Pair of Gbr. Heubach piano babies – perfect, 8-1/2”, $1950 6” All Original S & H 890 – all bisque – long black stockings, $1150 11” Gbr. Heubach Googly – original condition #10790, $1950 20” Baby Bo Kaye – fresh mold, $1950 17” All original Kestner toddler #260, $850 16” Johnny Gruelle Raggedy Ann by Volland, $1250 Steiff Teddy – early underscored button – original condition, $2900 Early Steiff pig – iron wheels – 14” L x 8” H, $850

Right: 19” Tete Jumeau - marked body- choice bisque – wonderful outﬁt, $4250

Kestner’s “Bru type” by Dee Urquhart-Ross

And bend and stretch! The flexible legs and the intense concentration on our little ballerina’s face as she attempts to do her very best at ballet class are so appealing. It is such fun to position this lovely doll in a myriad of poses.

A close up of the beautiful Kestner child shows her clear resemblance to the Circle Dot model by Leon Casimir Bru. The delicately painted teeth between her seemingly slightly parted lips are a lovely touch. The bisque is pale and very high quality. Her deep brown eyes are of the sleeping variety and her lovely fringed brows and lashes are exquisite in their delicacy. Her thick, original mohair wig is accents her pale bisque. The only markings on the head are two slightly sloping incised strokes high up on the rear which may be number 11.

have always lusted after a Bru with the wonderful Bebe Modele fully articulated wooden body. It has always seemed so magical to have that elusive extra articulation of jointed ankles. Sadly however neither my pocket book nor my luck has granted this collector’s wish so far! The doll with this extra joint is thus granted such elegance of pose and attitude that one is bound to wonder why no one else had used this jointing technique or why it did not become a widespread body type? Obviously, one of the best German doll makers, J.D. Kestner of Walterhausen in the Thuringia toy making center of Germany, got to wondering the same thing. He realized that the new bebe-bodied French dolls were superior to the average German product at that time (around 1880) and strove to make his dolls equal in every way to the French with stringent quality control at his factory and a very high standard in the production of bisque heads and meticulously crafted fully jointed wood and composition bodies. Perhaps inspired by the French bebes, he produced several models that seemed to emulate the products of French doll makers such as Thullier and Bru.