Antique DOLL Collector October 2012 Vol. 15, No. 9
October 2012 Vol. 15, No. 9 $595 / $695 Canada www.antiquedollcollector.com
&
Connie
Jay
LOWE
A very large Greiner (32” plus) with exceptional facial decoration, blonde hair, period clothing and on a cloth body with leather arms. Directly out of a Massachusetts home, this doll is in untouched as found condition. A small damage/hole (approx. 1” diameter) to rear of head/ hair, the piece is intact and should be carefully positioned back into place. Luckily there is no paint touch up or restoration to the head which is quite unusual due to her size! $850 An exquisite 14” Simon & Halbig 1199 Oriental child in all original condition. Perhaps the nicest of the various oriental molds Simon & Halbig produced, her olive skin tone along with her expressive eye cut make her a most appealing example. One of many dolls that I purchased from a New Jersey estate, the lady primarily bought dolls in the 1950`s through the early 1970`s from such well known names of the time such as Grace Dyar, Margaret Whitton, etc. $1850 A 19” Simon & Halbig 1279 with the highly sought after “fly away” eye brows. A most endearing German character child featuring creamy bisque, matching dimples, blue glass sleep eyes, antique clothing, shoes, and mohair wig. She is on a fully jointed composition body with original finish. $1650 An outstanding 24” brown eyed china with the typical center part “Greiner” hair style, painted lower lashes, exposed ears and affixed on a cloth body with leather arms. A great period cotton print dress, with some melting near hemline, which further accentuates her features! A fine hairline on rear of shoulder plate extending to just below the dolls right ear, hairline is present but not offensive or overly noticeable. Priced accordingly. $725 A tiny J.D.Kestner 143 character child marked on rear of head and only 7 1/2” tall! This lass is on a jointed composition body with one piece arms, wearing her original white cotton christening gown (tiny hole on lower front) & matching bonnet, blue glass sleep eyes, and a blonde mohair wig with original plaster pate. A real cutey as well as a most desirable cabinet size. $650 A very fine all original diminutive Kestner pouty child. This fellow is only 9 1/2” tall and is on a fully jointed composition early straight-wristed Kestner body which retains its original finish. Knit socks, hat, sweater w/lace trims match his corduroy knickers. Original blonde mohair wig w/plaster pate and light brown glass sleep eyes. Beautiful bisque with finely painted facial features make this cabinet sized fellow a must have! $2250
P.O. Box 5206 Lancaster, PA 17606
FAX 717-396-1114
Call Toll Free 1-888-JAY LOWE or (717) 396-9879
Always Looking to Buy Quality Dolls, Toys, Marklin Doll Carriages or Entire Estates 20
ANTIQUE DOLL COLLECTOR
OCTOBER 2012
Buy & Sell With Confidence
Email: big.birds@comcast.net
Member of UFDC & NADDA
November 24, 2012: Auction Team Brecker sells Automata from the Gaston Decamps family
BOUTIQUE FANTASQUE
A
visitor to the Paris Exposition in 1900 reported amazement at the “large animated scenes” which attracted the crowds: dancers performing pirouettes, Pierrot taunting the Moon, Hercules lifting a dumb bell, and even Mephistopheles himself, rolling his wicked eyes. Audiences at Martin Scorsese’s film Hugo last year showed a similar reaction to the mixture of magic, motion pictures and mechanical life that the story conjures. Set in Paris in 1931, the action centers around a young boy, Hugo Cabret, who lives secretly within the walls of the Gare Montparnasse and spends his time regulating the station clocks and attempting to repair a mysterious automaton (loosely inspired by Henri Maillardet’s famous Draughtsman-Writer at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia). The film has a happy ending, and happily too, many of the 19th century automata of the Parisian belle époque that form the background of the story have survived today. Auction Team Breker’s toy sale on November 24, 2012
includes a special selection of fine automata from private collections including, notably, pieces from the family of Gaston Decamps. The Cuisinier by Gustave Vichy is undoubtedly one of the most imaginative. Its inspiration is the French nursery rhyme “La Mère Michel”, which tells the story of the rascally old chef Luscosco who sells his neighbour’s cat (as rabbit, always a more popular choice) when she refuses to pay him a reward for its return. Vichy’s retelling of the tale serves up a decidedly more animated cat which would not be out of place in a Dr. Seuss illustration, in a pink satin bowtie, emerging from the copper pan and sticking out its tongue each time the chef takes a swig from his bottle of Madeira. A more serene view is presented in “La Dejeuner du Chat” by Roullet et Decamps, featuring a classic Tête Jumeau bébé and her fur-covered cat which opens its mouth and appears to mew. The sound effects are created by a pair of bellows hidden with the mechanism. ANTIQUE DOLL COLLECTOR
OCTOBER 2012
21
Inside the World of
Guido Odin by Lynn Murray
A painting of the first French doll in the collection, by Guido Odin.
T
hose who have recently visited the Musée de la Poupée, in Paris, will have missed the amiable Guido Odin, who with his son, Samy, established the museum. The effervescent Guido has taken retirement and is only an infrequent visitor to the museum these days. In a quiet suburb of Paris, stands a large house, surrounded by a six-foot fence that only partially hides the glorious hydrangeas, the trellised vines of wisteria, the shaded grape arbor and the oldfashioned roses. Children on their way to and from school can be heard calling “Allo, Pappy,” as they pass by. Inside this sanctuary is what can only be described as a private museum. For it is here that Guido surrounds himself with his bountiful collections. Born in northern Italy, just pre WW II, Guido was the youngest child and only boy in a family of girls. Perhaps inspired by his Godfather, the Italian artist Golia, Guido showed a natural talent for sketching. In the next few years he added to his repertoire, watercolors and pastels. A solitary child, he was drawn to the fantasy world of the movies. Movies were his escape. Movie stars fascinated him and he avidly clipped and saved every picture of every glamorous star that he found. Today his vast collection of movies and
Guido’s love of monkeys stems from his “close encounters of the primate kind” in Africa.
26
ANTIQUE DOLL COLLECTOR
OCTOBER 2012
Until the 1960s, the French still had many colonies in Africa. This 60cm baby, made by Petitcollin, is the largest in the “Negri Series.”
On a trip to Africa during his days as a professional photographer, Guido shot this remarkable portrait that was later used on a UNICEF poster.
memorabilia holds more than a million images, all catalogued and precisely organized. Perhaps it was this fascination with glamorous photographs that led to his choice of profession. Guido became an accomplished and well-known art and portrait photographer. Eventually he established a studio and photography shop in Turin. A selection of Guido Odin’s photography was published in “Una gerla di sassi” which translates to “A Basket of Stones.” Indeed there have been times in his life when he felt he had nothing more than a basket of stones. His wife died very young, leaving him with the responsibility of raising their only child and plunging him into a time of depression and anxiety. All in good time the pragmatic side of Guido emerged and he focused his attention and devotion to nurturing and educating his son, Samy. On a trip to Africa, he spent weeks taking wildlife pictures. He was particularly fascinated by the community of monkeys inhabiting the jungle nearby, and spent many long, hot afternoons observing their behavior and social structure. In time he believed he was able to communicate with one or two of the individual members of the troop. Stories of his interaction
Portrait of an African child by Guido Odin.
When the Odins opened the Musée de la Poupée in 1994, Guido commissioned this portrait doll of his son Samy to act as a museum mascot.
ANTIQUE DOLL COLLECTOR
OCTOBER 2012
27
38
ANTIQUE DOLL COLLECTOR
OCTOBER 2012
Interesting New Discoveries Learning About American-Made Dolls
C
by Ursula Mertz photos by Christopher Partridge
omposition dolls from the nineteen forties are fairly easy to locate on E-bay and at doll shows, even in original clothes. Effanbee’s Mickey and Candy Kid are not considered rare dolls. Usually, Mickey will be seen in pink corduroy overalls with light blue and white striped long sleeve knitted top. The doll was available in 15, 18, 20 and 24 inches. The 15 and 18 inch sizes are more common. Pictured with this article is a 20-inch Mickey in bright red corduroy overalls and matching cap and a white and red striped blouse. I had never seen that outfit before. Only once did I encounter a 24” Mickey clad in black corduroy overalls and matching cap with a red and white striped shirt. When all original, having good coloring and being in excellent condition, these last two dolls would be “stand out” additions to a collection.
20” Mickey, marked Effanbee on head. Composition flange head and hands, cloth body and limbs with stitched hip joints. Molded, painted hair, closed mouth and eyes that move from side to side. All Original.
12” Candy Kid, marked Effanbee on head. Pictured in “Effanbee, the Dolls with the Golden Hearts by M. Kelly Elllenburg, © 1973. All composition fully jointed, with molded, painted hair, closed mouth and sleep eyes. All original.
Many collectors of composition dolls will be familiar with M. Kelly Ellenburg’s book Effanbee, The Dolls With The Golden Hearts. On page 132, an original catalogue page is reproduced, showing a line up of seven Candy Kid dolls. Shown are: an adorable pair of twins in matching outfits, a sweet little girl in fluffy skirt and flower decorated hat, a boxer, a majorette and a cowgirl and cowboy. I had never seen the latter three. The book illustration is in black and white. When an actual Effanbee Candy Kid in cowboy outfit was eventually located, he did not disappoint. His colorful outfit of red and white plaid shirt, richly decorated blue felt spats and bolero, and a big brown hat is well designed and carefully constructed. I am still looking for the other two! When searching through my Effanbee file, I came across a full-page ad the company had placed in Playthings in 1923, advertising their “Beach Baby.” Shown in the accompanying illustration is a dolly face mama doll dressed in appealing play clothes of matching dress, apron and bonnet. To reproduce these ANTIQUE DOLL COLLECTOR
OCTOBER 2012
39