Halloween

I love to use my dolls to decorate.  I had these two McDonald's Madame Alexander dolls from many years ago.  The witch came from The Wizard of Oz set and the one dressed as a pumpkin I have no idea which set she was in.   The skeletons came from Dollar tree.  I have had them a long time.  I had the other items in my stash (all doll collectors have a stash) and have no clue where I got this stuff.  I think it is a cute display using stuff that is around the house.  

A Small Halloween Display

Ephermera!!!!!!

Original hang tag for Peter Playpal.

Madame Alexander doll with hang tag.

Ephemera        What?!!!!     What is that?!!!!!
What?!!! Was my reaction to the word ephemera when I first heard 
this term. Ephemera is an important part of doll collecting. This 
is the term used for it€;  minor documents of everyday life, non-book printed matter, principally of paper designed in the main for short term use, often for simplicity of disposal€ as defined by The Ephemera Society founded in 1975.
For doll collectors ephemera are simply the paper that comes with 
the dolls or relates to dolls. There are all categories of ephemera, 
but for the true doll collector it is doll paper and is a way to add 
variety to your collection. 
Doll paper can be found anywhere. (even reproductions of ir can be found on ebay) It is through these tiny bits of 
paper that historians have been able to document many dolls and write the reference books. Doll paper can be defined in two ways. The first way is paper that has a specific doll as the main subject and that gives information on that doll. These bits of paper complete the story of the doll; often giving information that is vital. Doll papers that are important to a specific doll include: boxes, hang tags, certificates, booklets and other written information that comes with a doll when purchased new. Much of this material is lost as the doll ages and in order to make the doll complete again the doll papers are important. Also included in this category are paper dolls of actual dolls such as Crissy, Mrs. Beasley, Barbie and Chatty Cathy to name a few. Paper doll collecting is not to be confused with doll paper collecting. Doll paper collecting is a very inexpensive way for collectors to add interest to their collections. A Chatty Cathy doll collection would be more interesting to have a book of Chatty Cathy Paper dolls included.
The prices of dolls that still have their original doll papers command higher prices shows the importance of doll paper.
The second category of doll paper collecting can be categorized by 
paper that has dolls as the secondary subject. Advertising using 
dolls to enhance a product such as old magazine ads. Some of these ads can be found as far back as the 1870's. Toy catalogs that have many dolls are important to collectors to gain information on the original issue of their dolls. Toy catalogs are not easy to find
especially the older ones as collectors usually snap them up at doll 
shows, flea markets, estate sales and anywhere else they can be 
found. A booklet issued by Mattel showing the many fashions for 
Barbie is of great importance to Barbie collectors. 
Christmas cards with pictures of dolls can be a great doll paper 
collectibles, as can old photographs of children with their dolls. 
Even the post office has issued many doll stamps. The US Post Office issued a set of stamps a few years ago featuring Classic American Dolls and many countries also issue stamps with dolls on them. All the major pattern companies issue doll-clothing patterns for more popular dolls. Books are another important category that features dolls. Many dolls have been released based on the characters in a book and books have been written using a popular doll as the main character. There are many coloring books, puzzles and even sticker books. A few pieces of old sheet music can be found with dolls on the cover. Another category has recently been added to doll paper collecting and that is magazines and reference books, especially the older ones. The list of doll paper is endless and perhaps one of the most interesting is Charming  Chatty on the cover of the December 7, 1963 issue of The Saturday Evening Post magazine. So I ask, Do you
collect ephemera?

Storing Doll Paper
All papers that will be kept for long periods should be at a humidity level of about 50%. Too much moisture will cause paper to mold.
Keep paper out of all light. Too much light can make paper brittle

Avoid extreme temperatures. Do not store papers on top of each other as colors may bleed. Do not use transparent tape, as it will stain the paper. Use acid free envelopes and folders to store papers in.
Remember each piece of doll paper lost is history lost.

This is another interesting part of collecting.  As for me the only paper I might keep would be a hang tag.  The only piece of  ephemera I have kept is a letter written by a nurse to a doll seamstress in the early 1930's ordering a replica of her nursing uniform for her doll.  She enclosed a picture of herself in her uniform.  The doll is an A&M porcelain doll from Germany and I am guessing the doll was about ten years old at the time.  I bought the doll about 20 years ago from a doll dealer, who told me she had bought the doll at an estate sale.  I love when I know some of the history on my dolls.
A certificate of authenticity for a Lenci doll and a hang tag.

• pictur

1997 USA issue doll stamps

As you can see there are many kinds of ephemera you can add to your doll collection.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RAGGEDY ANN

                                                             
                                                       
                                                        1915 Raggedy Ann

                                                       



HAPPY BIRTHDAY RAGGEDY ANN.                     104 YEARS OLD                                                           

On September 7, 1915, US Patent D47789 was issued to Johnny Gruenell  for Raggedy Ann.                                                             



Johnny Barton Gruenell

    (1880 - 1938)

Mr Gruenell was born in Areola, Illinois, and was an accomplished illustrator working for The New York Herald Newspaper.  Until his death in 1938, Mr Gruenell  wrote and illustrated over 40 Raggedy Ann books. 

Johnny Gruenell's daughter Marcella looking  around in the attic found an old cloth rag doll in a barrell that had been made by Mr Gruenell's mother for his sister.  Marcella brought the doll to her father and he drew a whimsical face on it.  From his bookshelf he pulled a book of poems by James Whitcomb Riley and combined  the names of two of the poems, ''The Raggdy Man'', and ''Little Orphaned Annie''.  He suggested to Marcella to name the doll Raggedy Ann.  The  doll had shoe button  eyes (buttons were used instead of shoelaces) and a sad smile.  "Raggedy Ann" became Marcella's favorite playmate.      . 
                                    
When Marcella was 13 years old, she was vaccinated at school for smallpox.  She fell ill and died.  Her father was devastated. He blamed the vaccine for her death.  Raggedy Ann became the symbol of the anti vaccine cause.  Knowing how much Marcella loved Raggedy Ann, he began writing stories about the doll.  He applied for a patent on May 28, 1915, and received US patent D47789 for the Raggedy  Ann doll on September 7, 1915.



Knowing how much Marcella loved Raggedy Ann, Mr Gruenell introduced the doll to the public in the 1918 book, " The Raggedy Ann Stories".  The book was a great success.






A second book was published in 1920 and introduced Raggedy Andy, dressed in a sailor suite and cap.


                                                  

Many people are surprised to learn the original Raggedy Ann had brown hair and Tin or wooden eyes.  The dolls are made completely of cloth and the nose is quite thin.  The eyelashes are painted far below the eyes.  Some of the earliest  and most prized dolls had sewn knee and elbow joints.  These rare dolls are highly sought dolls and can command thousands of dollars at auction.



Raggedy Ann and Andy were all originally hand made.  But in time they were manufactured.

Manufacturers of Raggedy Ann

Volland Co. 1920 - 1934. Brown or red hair. Outward-turned feet. Lashes low on her            cheeks. Three different recognized mouths.
•Georgene Averill, Mid-1930's - 1963. Red yarn hair. Painted face. Cloth label sewn in side seam. Both asleep and awake dolls.
•Knickerbocker Toy Co. 1963 - 1982. Printed features. Red yarn hair. Tag sewn in seam. The 1974 doll talks. In 1965 begins the Afro-American beloved Belindy.
•Nasco/Hobbs-Merrill, 1973. Plastic and vinyl dolls with rooted yarn hair.
•Applause Dolls, 1981. Tag sewn in seam.
•Hasbro, 1983 - Onward. Marketed under the Playskool label.

Picture of 100th anniversary Raggedy Ann

There is an enjoyable legend that tells us the original dolls had candy hearts sewn inside.  This legend came about because Mr Gruenell's son, Worth recalls being sent to the candy store to buy sugar hearts and picking out the ones with, "I Love You" printed on them.  This began the legend that the original hand made cloth dolls made by the Gruenell family had real candy hearts sewn inside.
Sadly, no one has ever found a candy heart inside a Raggedy Ann. There have been many books written about the adventures of Raggedy Ann and Andy. These stories have been told around the world and have enchanted people that even s small rag doll was capable of some very imaginative adventures.

Dolls. Of Ancient History - Interesting

Dolls of the ancients
Early figures have been found that look like dolls dating from around
2000 BC. These figures were made in Egypt and were called paddle
dolls as they were made of wood and often in the shape of a paddle.
They were decorated with hair and rough clay beads and were 7 to 10
inches in height.


Other figures made of cloth and wood have also been found about this same time
in the Nile Valley.
Other ancient dolls have been found made from
wood with linen bodies stuffed with papyrus leaves and embroidered
faces. They were costumed in dresses and loin cloths.

                                  


This rag doll found in Hawara, although now in an extremely fragile condition, still holds its charm – made of rushes, with a carved head and real hair still proudly stands at 13cm, despite parts of it missing and being disarticulated. Just like the modern day Barbie, the doll comes with a set of changeable garments. It could be speculated that the doll must have been a treasured possession of a wealthy owner – typically the Egyptian dolls were rather simple creations, made with materials such as wood and clay. 


The early Greeks also made dolls with surviving examples in wood,
clay, bone, ivory and cloth.
When children passed from childhood to puberty, these dolls were often
dedicated at a Temple. There are many examples of these dolls found
in the remains of Temples and Shrines.





Dolls were common throughout the ancient Mediterranean world. In the 500s B.C., Greek artisans began to produce a distinctive form of terracotta doll with separately-made arms and legs, which were attached with string. Unlike today's baby-dolls, these dolls always represent adult women. They have short tunics painted on their torso and this example retains traces of red paint. This doll has simple mitten-shaped hands, but many others carry krotala or castanet-like instruments.