Antique DOLL Collector March 2013 Vol. 16, No. 2
March 2013 Vol. 16, No. 2 $595 / $695 Canada www.antiquedollcollector.com
The Artful Dolls of
Margaine-Lacroix A
by Samy Odin
ttempting to write about the dolls dressed by Jeanne Victorine Margaine-Lacroix is quite a challenge. Little research has been done in this specific domain, and the few pieces of information found in existing doll-related books are often contradictory. Very few primary source materials seem to be available about Margaine-Lacroix’s involvement in the doll world. This article, very modestly, tries to present the facts that I could verify over the years, hoping this research would bloom, in the future, into some serious publication. The first explicit mention I found of a doll exhibition at the Margaine-Lacroix gallery in Paris, was printed in the Bulletin de la Société de l’Histoire de Paris et de l’Île de France, vol. 42 on page 85: “Du 13 au 15 Décembre 1915, Exposition de poupées chez Madame Margaine-Lacroix, 19 bld. Haussmann.” Another document mentions a different exhibition of dolls, also costumed by MargaineLacroix (M-L), held in New York the same year, found in the files of the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh. In an article by James B. Richardson and Terry Hiener published by the Carnegie Magazine in the November/December issue of 1989, the following announcement appears: “On December 3, 1915, Herbert DuPuy happened upon an exhibit in New York of 37 bisque dolls dressed in historic French costumes.” According to this article, the owner of the dolls at that time was a certain Kurzman. An offer was made to this gentleman for the purchase of the entire collection of 37 dolls on behalf of the Carnegie Museum, whose director was Dr. W. J. Holland. Nonetheless, the offer of $1500, inferior to the price of $1800 actually paid by Mr. Kurzman for this collection, was not accepted and the transaction did not happen. The Carnegie Museum then decided to order similar dolls directly from Paris. A lady named Mme E. de la Mellaie negotiated the purchase of 40 costumed dolls from Jeanne Margaine-Lacroix. These were to be shipped to the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh at the beginning of 1916. The originals of the correspondence concerning this purchase are still at the Carnegie, but I was privileged to study copies of the entirety of these documents in the Coleman collection. ANTIQUE DOLL COLLECTOR
MARCH 2013
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Kewpies popping out of eggs, 5.5 inches.
Kewpies
Looking back at how our obsession started! This is the only known example of a Kewpie coming out of a shell.
by Blain Kukevitch
Ready for the seashore, this rare Kewpie measures 4 inches.
Kewpie offering a bottle to Doodle Dog.
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ANTIQUE DOLL COLLECTOR
MARCH 2013
t was a cool fall day when the movers, marching like an army of ants up the brick sidewalks into the front foyer, up two more staircases to the third floor attic, emptied their three loaded trucks. It took them many trips to move all of our belongings into “The Fenner Mansion,” an Italian Villa built in 1850. The Villa sits on a small hill up from the main road, nestled in a quaint village setting. Being one hundred and sixty years old, it looks much younger, due to the results of concerned owners over the years. Wondering what might be in some of the boxes which had been packed away for at least ten years or more, I headed to the third floor attic. Along the way, I swear I could hear what sounded like little feet running around above my head. As I opened the door to the attic, silence and cool air came flowing down the staircase toward me. I proceeded up to a large open floor area, approximately two thousand square feet which was covered with boxes, neatly placed by the movers. As I walked about, I noticed one small box partially open, with little faces peeking out. I excitably grabbed the box and headed downstairs to the main floor. Sitting in the library with my partner, we carefully removed the little figurines from their resting place of ten years. My partner was excited to see these impish creatures, made of fine bisque and nicely detailed, grinning back at us. He asked ‘what are they’ and I replied, ‘KEWPIES.’ The four little characters were placed on a shelf in the library and the pursuit was on. As a couple, we now had a focus when flea marketing, attending auctions, yard sales etc., not knowing that these little elf-like babies were almost impossible to find in any of the places we were looking. As time went on, we were able to add a few of the more common pieces to our collection, and I use the words “more common” reluctantly, because even those pieces are still difficult to find. Once the shelves were filled, the overwhelming desire to hunt for the really rare pieces began. We started to search the Internet and came across “Kewpiesta,” an annual membership meeting of the International Rose O’Neill Club Foundation, held four days in the middle of April each year since 1967. The event includes a banquet, Kewpie auctions, sales rooms, buying, selling, trading and just a lot of fun. Now instead of getting in the car to storm the yard sales, antique shops, and local flea markets, we jumped on a plane and headed to Branson, Missouri, the location of “Kewpiesta”.
Adorable is the word for these twin Kewpies in a bunting blanket which serves as a bud vase. It was made by Goebel.
Seldom seen Russian Kewpie solder with saber. Just when you think you’ve seen it all! The Kewpie is leaning against a church or a schoolhouse disguised as an egg-shaped vase.
This is the only known example of a goose going through a Kewpie’s legs! It measures 3.75 inches. This is from the extremely rare Kewpie riding series. Kewpie Huggers Candle Holder with rare base, 5.5 inches. ANTIQUE DOLL COLLECTOR
MARCH 2013
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A Treasury of Nostalgia
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THE 900 SERIES OF ALT, BECK & GOTTSCHALK by Alf Ertsland
A
friend of mine had a little doll which she referred to as my Petit & Dumoutier. And it really did look a bit like a P&D doll. It was marked 915, a mould attributed to Alt, Beck & Gottschalk. Early shoulder head dolls from Alt, Beck & Gottschalk are plentiful in the market. The faces of the dolls are very recognizable, most being china and bisque of high quality. We also find early all bisque dolls, and some fine character dolls after 1909. My friend’s doll however, was my first acquaintance with a particular group of dolls with swivel heads from this manufacturer. They all belong to the nine hundred series, marked with a three digit number like this: 915#5, 915N5 or 915 5. I have recorded six different mold numbers and one unmarked doll: 903, 907, 911, 914, 915, 916. In addition there are two mold numbers with different looks: 938 and 989. After 1888 heads from registered design patents (GM) are also marked DEP. (There is also a mold 630 but it was probably produced later, and resembles the S&H 949.) The mold number is generally incised on the crown rim, and very often hidden by a plaster pate or old glue, and therefore the doll may sometimes be described as unmarked. Some of these heads are attached to separate shoulder plates, and some on early composition bodies. AB&G distributed heads in large scale but did not produce bodies. Most of them have something in common; they have a little bit of the French touch about them. It seems like AB&G may have used various French doll heads as models for their own products. Many German doll factories produced French looking dolls in the late
This is probably one of the earliest bisque dolls from AB&G with a swivel head even though it is not linked to the 900 series. The doll is unmarked but is similar to the 639, which is frequently found as a shoulder head doll with wig, or with different molded hairstyles and bonnets. She has a cut off flange neck on a composition body. A wooden knob going inside the head makes the head turn around, a feature sometimes seen on smaller bald head dolls. The head is bald with two holes for stringing on top, and with an incised number 9. The doll measures 16.5 inches. The body is nicely shaped with a hint of chest and ribs. Her hands and feet are beautifully shaped. Unlike the later dolls she has quite narrow, almond shaped, set, blue spiral threaded eyes with fine details to the lip painting. The expression is very soft and delicate. ANTIQUE DOLL COLLECTOR
MARCH 2013
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Patricia A. Vaillancourt 561-512-7193
I offer a full array of dolls and accessories 1. 10 inch rare and seldom seen all original fashion. The dress is in rough shape but original to the doll. She has cobalt blue eyes, a skin wig with original cork pate and a leather body. One of the prettiest fashions, she has on replacement blue shoes. $1950 2. This Just Me is in perfect condition. She is so cute, has the original Vogue label in dress (I have never had one with original Vogue label which proves it is prototype of Ginny). The little yellow dress is just adorable, as is the matching hat with flowers. Her wig is original and she has sleep blue eyes. The number 50 is sewn into dress, perhaps this was a museum de-acquisition, 8 inches tall. $950 3. Beautiful Alexander, 21 inches, a rare size (pictured in the Alexander book). She has wonderful coloring, her hair is still in the net, and the top of her hair has a different color to it which just adds to appeal. Original silver shoes and underwear, her blue Cinderella dress has maintained its color; the doll is in really excellent condition. $1250 4. 20 inch Kestner Gibson Girl with a really regal face. She has the most wonderful wig and her bisque is gorgeous. She has some damage to her hands and a faint hairline on the back but I have taken this in consideration in pricing her. Original clothes and wonderful shoes are part of this lovely doll’s presence. $1200 5. Kammer & Reinhardt 121, 19 inches, on a beautiful wooden toddler body (all Kammer & Reinhardt’s have wooden bodies if correct). She has on a lovely blue lawn dress. Great face with sleep brown eyes, a beautiful wig. A perky little doll! $950 6. This is a wonderful 19 inch Reproduction Bru. I rarely buy reproductions but this one is amazing, marked with a ribbon and dated 86 which I presume is 1986. She looks just like the real thing and if you can’t afford the real thing you will love her. $750 7. 23 inch Simon Halbig Lady Doll, with lady body, a really beautiful doll with marvelous Gibson Girl upswept hair. Beautiful bisque and she wears a gorgeous dress. $2300 8. 13 inch Steiff bear (no button but has all the characteristics) good mohair, no damage to the paws. He is a bear with attitude…a wonderful face. This is one pleasure you can not miss and they always hold their value. $ 1150 40
ANTIQUE DOLL COLLECTOR
MARCH 2013
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9. 13 inch rare mohair Teddy Baby a great piece with pewter button and original collar. A hard to find bear and very special piece! $1200 10. Roullet & DeCamps mechanical with Poulbot-like face, works great. It is made of hard composition. A totally charming character! He is 13 inches and is a very hard piece to find. $1300
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Find me at www.dollsantique.com and www.rubylane.com/shops/dollsantique or e-mail: dollsantique1@gmail.com
Flexy Dolls: Fun with Celebrities T
by Judith Izen
he Flexy dolls, produced in 1939 by The Ideal Toy Company of New York and designed by Joseph Kallus, are an example of innovative doll making technology. Advertised as “assuming fifty seven different positions” the Flexy dolls were made with a bendable rubber wire that could be bent and remain in place giving children more play value. The seven Flexy dolls— Fanny Brice’s Baby Snooks, Mortimer Snerd, Otto the Clown, Sunny Sam, Sunny Sue, Soldier and a “Black” version of Sunny Sam—are also examples of Ideal’s focus on producing celebrity dolls. Ideal was scoring huge successes with celebrity dolls such as Shirley Temple, Deanna Durbin, and Judy Garland in the late 1930s. The Flexy dolls combine comic character celebrities with the additional play value of innovative technology. The Flexy celebrity characters include Baby Snooks, Mortimer Snerd, and Otto the Clown. The Baby Snooks Flexy doll was based on Fanny Brice’s comical character Baby Snooks which she created on the “Ziegfeld Follies Of The Air” radio show starting in 1936. The Baby Snooks character was such a hit that it spawned its own popular “Baby Snooks” radio show. Baby Snooks was a mischievous imp who according to radio historian Arthur Frank Wertheim did pranks such as: “...planting a bees’ nest at her mother’s club meeting, Baby Snooks and Mortimer Snerd (1939). 13” composition. Baby Snook’s tag reads “Fanny Brice’s BABY SNOOKS/Flexy an Ideal Doll.” Courtesy McMasters-Harris Doll Auctions.
Baby Snooks. Photo courtesy Suzanne DeMillar. Photo by Dennis Brevik.
cutting her father’s fishing line into little pieces, …inserting marbles into her father’s piano and smearing glue on her baby brother. “ (Wikipedia, The Baby Snooks Show) The Baby Snooks character perfectly blends with the technology of the Flexy doll due to the comedienne’s comic awkwardness and ability to make fun of herself. Ideal promoted the “Baby Snooks” Flexy doll at their New York World’s Fair Exhibit. Fanny Brice may be best known to modern audiences due to the film based on her life, Funny Girl (1968) starring Barbra Streisand. Fanny Brice’s Baby Snooks, and the Baby Snooks Flexy doll, inspired many hours of laughs during the Great Depression. Mortimer Snerd, a ventriloquist’s dummy created by Edgar Bergen and his dummy cousin, Charlie McCarthy, starred on Edgar Bergen’s “Charlie McCarthy” popular Sunday night radio show starting in 1937. The Mortimer Snerd character with buckteeth and an elongated nose was an amiable hick with a streak of innocence. The Mortimer Snerd comic character was perfectly suited to be made into a Flexy doll that children could pose in comical positions. ANTIQUE DOLL COLLECTOR
MARCH 2013
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