Antique DOLL Collector April 2013 Vol. 16, No. 3
April 2013 Vol. 16, No. 3 $595 / $695 Canada www.antiquedollcollector.com
Helen Jensen’s Laughing Child
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t started with a doll. It usually does. This one was 20 1/2” tall with a biscaloid head, a cloth torso and composition arms and legs. She has an extensive wardrobe that is a picture of a well dressed child of the end of the 1920s. I photographed her with all her clothes and thought I’d like to write a article about her. Time passed, as it will, with no accomplishment. (Note to readers, a future article by the author will focus on this doll and her wardrobe.) Then a plaster bust of the original sculpture used for Gladdie’s doll head showed up at an auction of the Yvonne Baird Collection at the Morphy Auctions in Denver, PA. Interest was rekindled with a change of theme. How did this doll come into being? Who was the Helen Jensen whose signature was on the back of the doll’s neck? Was she a doll designer or an artist? Andy Ourant, who took the catalog photo of the plaster model, gave me a copy of the photo and permission to use it. The next great event was a trip to the Rosalie Whyel Museum of Doll Art planned in conjunction with the Schoenhut Collectors’ Convention being held in Bellevue, Washington. I went out a day early just to see an original bronze model of a statue called Laughing Child, by Helen Jensen as well as the largest example found of a bisque head version of Gladdie in the museum collection. Rosalie Whyel and her daughter, and co-director of the museum, Shelley Helzer, were more than gracious, hauling items out for me to study and photograph and best of all, Rosalie discussing her observations of the bust, including her real doubt
An original bronze head by Helen Webster Jensen called Laughing Child. Taken at the Rosalie Whyel Museum of Doll Art.
Signature on original sculpture
Plaster bust of sculpture (Photo courtesy of Andy Ourant) 18
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From Sculpture to Borgfeldt by Carol Corson
that it was of the same child as the doll. I absolutely love discussing observations with other curious collectors as they make me see more and notice details that I had previously missed. Yvonne Baird had sent me a copy of an article by Holger Jensen, Helen’s husband, written for Coronet Magazine in May, 1957 and reproduced by Theriault Auctions when they sold the large example to the museum. It is the history in this article I use for this writing. According to Holger Jensen, Helen and he, having recently left studies at the Chicago Art Institute, were given an exhibit of their sculpture at a Miami, Florida gallery. They had 23 completed sculptures and wanted one more to fill the gallery. Helen made a quick portrait of their two year old daughter, Janet, and he cast it in bronze. He doesn’t specify how he accomplished the casting, but does say that the speed with which Helen accomplished the original clay sculpture gave it an impressionistic charm. The sculpture, which the Jensens titled “Laughing Child”, sold for $50. He says that an executive from “a doll and novelty company in New York” bought a bronze copy and invited them to the company to arrange to make a doll from it. They were delighted at the idea of royalties to add to their tiny income, but became dismayed when they found out that it would be at least a year before the doll came out and the royalties would begin. While they were in New York the model was seen in the manager’s office and several orders for bronze castings were placed by people who came into the office and fell in love with the figure. The money they were given allowed the Jensens to make ten more copies to take on the road with them. It seemed that every time they completely ran out of money another bronze copy sold. The Jensen’s referred to the statue as their guardian angel. They even paid for
The 20-1/2” biscaloid Gladdie that inspired the search.
Positive and negative molds for the doll. From the collection of the Rosalie Whyel Museum of Doll Art ANTIQUE DOLL COLLECTOR
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Blessed with the palest bisque, this first period portrait is a stunner. Left, Evelyn enjoys creating inviting vignettes with her small dolls.
A Visit with
Evelyn Phillips by Donna C. Kaonis photos by Paula Claydon
A gorgeous C Steiner wears a magnificent formal gown.
A Kestner 221 googly can’t hide her delight that spring is coming!
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urning sixty-five marked a new, exciting chapter in the life of Evelyn Phillips. Retiring as a clothing designer, she could now, with her children grown, become a full time antique doll dealer. But before we get to that, let’s get to know Evelyn and the fascinating career path that brought her considerable success and accomplishment. Born into a family of three boys, she was admittedly more than a little bit spoiled. Her father worked in New York City’s garment district, commonly referred to as the “rag trade” and her mother was a clothing designer. Dolls were Evelyn’s refuge from her brothers’ boisterous games. From an early age, she adored dolls and was encouraged by her mother to make clothes for them. During school holidays when her mother had to work, Evelyn would visit her relatives, taking along a doll for which she would make an entire wardrobe. She recalls how she and the cousins would fashion a doll carriage out of a shoe box by poking a hole in one end and putting a string through it with a knot at one end so they could pull it along with their dollies in tow. Following high school, Evelyn attended the New York City’s Fashion Institute of Technology and upon graduation opened a ladies’ clothing shop on the lower floor of the family’s apartment building. Located around the corner from the city’s Grand Concourse, famous for its Art Deco architecture, she named her store The Shop Around the Corner, a nod to the beloved Jimmy Stewart movie of the same title. The skills that she learned buying for her ANTIQUE DOLL COLLECTOR
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Doll Collectors of America Special Exhibit of Dolls by
J. D. Kestner D
by Donelle Denery
oll Collectors of America (DCA) is the oldest doll club in the United States. It celebrated its 76th birthday in 2011. Each year, a special annual weekend is planned for members and their guests. DCA focuses only on antique dolls and features a special exhibit during some of the annual get togethers. In 2011, the dolls of J.D. Kestner were the subject of the special exhibit. Although there are many ways to categorize Kestner dolls, for our special exhibit, we grouped Kestner dolls as early dolls (papier mache and wax), china, early bisque (mid 1890’s and earlier), all bisque, later bisque (later than mid 1890’s), character dolls and lady dolls. In studying Kestner dolls, you need to understand a little history of the firm. Johannes Daniel Kestner was an extremely savvy and influential businessman. He began his firm in approximately 1805 making household goods of papier-mache and wood. Between 1816 and 1824, their knowledge and skill in woodworking translated to high quality bodies on early Kestner dolls with articulated wooden bodies and papier mache heads. Just prior to 1850, Kestner is said to have employed three quarters of the population in and around Waltershausen. During the 1850’s, Kestner added china head dolls with china limbs which greatly increased the company’s sales. After J. D. Kestner died in 1858, the firm was run by various people until his grandson, Adolf Kestner, took over the firm in 1863. In 1860, the Kestner firm purchased a porcelain factory in Ohrdruf and enabling them to produce their own porcelain. The number of employees grew to 1,700. The exhibit included china dolls with rare hair styles, rarity features or uncommon hair color (Photos 1, 2 and 3) as well as the more commonly found Kestner chinas (Photo 4). Look closely at the facial features of this china doll which exhibits some of the painting styles Kestner commonly used: no paint between the upper and lower lips and a hollow red circle in the nostril (Photo 5) and a curved line for a tear duct and eye highlights that could be made by removing some paint from the iris (Photo 6).
Photo 1: China with bun and wonderful original outfit
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Photo 2: Rare cafĂŠ au lait color hair and elaborate, molded black snood
Photo 3: Grouping of rare chinas
Photo 5: Detail of lip and nostril painting on china
Photo 6: Detail of eye highlight and tear duct on china
Photo 4: Grouping of more commonly found chinas
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17” CM German Character #111, French Jumeau body, stationary blue eyes, hairline on forehead and back of right side of head (has been sanded), antique undergarments & shoes, mohair wig $9500
17” CM Paris Bebe, blue pw eyes, pierced ears – chip at right ear, peppering on forehead & cheeks, body marked Paris Bebe, hairline on forehead from rim $2995
30” Heinrich Handwerck Simon & Halbig 5, pierced ears, blue sleep eyes, body has repair on upper legs, hands repainted, lower legs old but not hers $350 16” Head Circ. Wax Byelo by wax mannequin maker Milio of New York, marked © Grace Storey 22 on left side of head, cloth frog body with Sateen arms, cloth strip used for the “Wobbly” effect to hold head to body, original tagged dress, doll pictured in April 1986 Doll Reader Mag $1050 10 ½” CM Steiner Paris F A 3 on stiff wrist body, torso repainted, brown pw eyes, rub on nose, chips on pierced ears, HH wig (cut), vintage clothing & leather shoes $2995
19” CM Bru Jne 8, brown pw eyes, shading above eyes, antique dress, undergarments, socks & burgundy leather boots $13,850
29” CM Incised Depose Jumeau w/ applied ears, blue pw eyes, fabulous antique type 17” Jumeau type French pink grosgrain jacket, vest, skirt & hat, Fashion, no marks, CM antique undergarments, socks & shoes, swivel head, pierced ears, newer mohair wig, 3 sealed hairlines $4950 light blue pw eyes, kid gusseted body, original mohair wig, blue skirt & jacket, undergarments, leather boots #3, few fingers as is $3095
13” Raleigh Doll by Jessie McCutcheon Raleigh of Chicago 1916 - 20, molded hair boy, painted blue eyes, head has repair and repaint $350 11” x 8” Steiff US Zone Germany tagged Horse, glass eyes, some wear $125
23” CM K star R 117, blue sleep eyes, blonde mohair wig, antique dress & shoes, professionally repaired neck socket – overspray as is $3295
17” Marotte German AM 370, blue stationary eyes, cream and blue costume w/ pink & cream poms, music works great, whistle on wood handle, rub on nose & cheek $300
15 1/2” CM Petit & Dumoutier? marked 270, blue pw eyes, 5 piece body with jointed metal hands, feet have been worked on, pierced ears, fur wig, antique style dress, antique shoes & socks $5250
16” French Fashion on kid over wood articulated body, bisque arms, forefinger left hand professionally repaired, blue eyes, mohair wig $3700
20” CM Jumeau w/ 10 in red, blue pw eyes, pierced ears, bisque “pimple” at left corner of mouth, small ½” hairline at forehead rim, antique style dress, 15” Nursing Bru - Bebe Teteur antique undergarments & leather shoes on kid body with bisque arms, $3450 one arm reattached, blue pw eyes, original blonde mohair wig and pate, no rubber ball in head or turn key on back of head $6650
9” CM French Fortune Teller, blue painted eyes, bisque shoulder head, arms & bare footed legs, skirt is all French hand written fortunes, pink silk dress (as is), shoulder plate repaired, blond mohair wig $1095
12” K *R 114, original mohair wig, shoes & socks, great molding & coloring $2100
8 ½” Pull Toy of Mechanical Boy with Donkey on 10” x 4” Platform w/ metal wheels, CM bisque flange headed boy moves head & arms, blond mohair wig, blue glass eyes, original outfit (as 25 1/2” #15 German Sonneberg, is), 5” x 3 ½” glass eyed Donkey, similar to the Carrier - Belleuse cloth covered body (as is), “triste” model of Jumeau, brown pw wooden legs, works great $1050 type eyes, stiff wrist 8 ball elongated French type body, small eye chip lower right eyelid, molded open closed mouth, pierced ears $2950
9” AM 341 Baby in Presentation Basket w/ silk “Baby” pillow w/ bib and 2 diapers, blue sleep eyes, antique bonnet & gown $250
17” SFBJ 301 Paris 6, HH wig, hairline on back of head, some touch up on body $350 19 1/2” Kestner 161, hard to find mold, original pate & wig, 1 replaced lower leg $750 Now $625
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Learning About American-Made Dolls
Old Smuggler and Other Rare Advertising Dolls by Ursula Mertz
photos by Christopher Partridge
Old Smuggler
H
22” Old Smuggler. No Identification marks. He was made of rubber over a wire armature. He is all original. The close-up of Old Smuggler reveals that his eyes are decals.
14” Peter Pan, marked Amberg // Pat. Pend. // L.A.&S © 1928. Cloth tag marked: An Amberg Doll With A //Body Twist //all, all its own! // Pat. Pend. SFR No. 320.016. All original. He is made of all composition and jointed at the neck, shoulders, hips and waist. Close-up of Peter Pan. Note the special treatment of outlined eye openings and eye shadow.
e caught my attention at a doll show. At 22 inches he towered over most of the dolls displayed on the table. His whimsical features and impish smile appealed to me. He was dressed as a Scotsman in a green jacket, plaid kilt and tam. The dealer indicated that he was an advertising doll for Old Smuggler scotch, but she had no further information to prove her claim. I was intrigued, and the purchase was made. Eager to find more information, I started with the local liquor store and learned that Old Smuggler scotch was still available, but no one had ever seen my Old Smuggler. I guessed that he was available before WW II, as he was made of rubber over a wire armature. After World War II, I reasoned, such items would be made of plastic. Extensive searches on the Internet yielded some information. I had hoped that I would find advertising posters depicting my guy. The earliest illustrated ad and label I located was from 1948 and showed a drawing of the Old Smuggler dressed in tam and kilt, just like mine. I had hoped for a picture based on a photograph of an actual figure. The ad had been placed by W. A. Taylor of New York City. Eventually, a 10” molded vinyl doll was located on eBay. His face and outfit were of similar design as my man. A molded medallion on his chest displayed the following information: “ Old Smuggler The Fashionable Scotch.” This circumstantial evidence lets me assume that my 22” figure actually is an early advertising item for Old Smuggler scotch. Does any reader have more proof of that? I would love to hear from you. ANTIQUE DOLL COLLECTOR
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