Antique DOLL Collector July 2009 Vol. 12, No. 6
July 2009 Vol. 12, No. 6 $595 / $695 Canada www.antiquedollcollector.com
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ike brilliant strokes on a canvas that was all parts obtained through various suppliers. The of late 1870 Paris, bustling arcades presented ambitious nature of Monsieur Bru quickly led to a new icon of the doll industry, the majestic Bébé. customizing the marks on those dolls intended for Enchanting the hearts of many, this genre would his establishment. Early patents for Bru Jne. et Cie endure and evolve into a cornerstone of the industry. would focus on perfecting the bodies of poupées to Those purveyors eminently represent more natural forms; this successful in presentation of emphasis continued and became Poupées reflecting the era of more elaborate each year. Léon elegance turned their focus toward Casimir found significance in invention of a distinct type of doll facial modeling and his company body that would regale children, would register patents relating whose stature in society had been to it with the French courts. He elevated. The curtain for this garnered wide acclaim. Maker and Masterpieces production The firm’s tenth anniversary rises on the spirited and talented of operation fast approached and Léon Casimir Bru. Mon. Bru saw closure of successful Léon Casimir, the son of a chapters for Bru Jne. et Cie. In weaver, married to Appolyne 1877, with sizeable capital, Bru Comyn (daughter of a tailor), had remunerated his partner and fitting lineage for the founder dissolved the agreement. Léon of a firm that would one day Casimir and wife, Appolyne, produce glorious dolls in couturier formed a sole proprietorship costume. In 1867, the first period and the firm became simply Bru of the Bru company, Bru Jne. et Jeune. The 1878 Paris International Cie emerged as a partnership. Exposition was a pivotal point However, only Léon Casimir for the Bru Jeune venture where Bru’s name was affiliated with appeal of the Bébé became that liaison, its other member overwhelmingly evident. Fervor remaining unspecified. Eventually for the Poupée would, in fact, fade the Chautards, retired owners throughout the industry thereafter. Aline Charigot, future wife of Pierreof a Paris establishment which This next epoch in doll-making Auguste Renoir, who often rendered made dolls, who rented a room brought marvels from the masterful Mlle. Charigot in richly embellished to Monsieur Bru, were linked as Mon. Bru. His product became the costume with lavishly ornamented, silent investors. Nonetheless, at Bébé Breveté, a perfect imitation of brimmed hats. The sublime beauty its inception, the purpose of Léon an actual young child. Léon Casimir and sweet expression encountered in Casimir’s company was clear. Bru strove to develop an unbreakable this etching provided inspiration for Jne. et Cie would manufacture example in rubber. This formula naming our leading little lady. and distribute dolls on the proved very challenging and, PRINTED WITH PERMISSION. THE PHILIPS COLLECTION, WASHINGTON, D.C. ANY REPRODUCTION wholesale market. although said to have been OF THIS DIGITIZED IMAGE SHALL NOT BE MADE Initially, Bru Jne. et Cie’s produced throughout subsequent WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE PHILIPS COLLECTION, WASHINGTON, D.C. manufacturing process eras of the firm, his kid-bodied involved assembly of dolls from bébés are those most renowned. 18
Aline’s auburn mohair wig frames her face with splendid curls. Her countenance is that of an idealized child with large, rounded cheeks, clearly displaying the ruddy resilience of youth, further manifested in the slight suggestion of a double chin. The expression on this first generation Breveté head portrayed pure innocence, which led to speculation that it was the craft of Pierre Marie François Oge, a sculptor whose specialty was busts of children. Clearly compelling evidence existed in that Mon. Oge resided at the same address as Mon. Bru. A letter would later reveal Ferdinand Barbedienne to be the talent who told the world about the genius of Leon Casimir Bru. AUTHOR’S COLLECTION
In his 1869 patent application, Léon Casimir Bru painstakingly explained the advantages of hardened rubber compared to wood for the manufacture of doll bodies. Nonetheless, Bru poupée bodies were made of wood…the waist, the feet and the hands, giving the doll a fully perfected grace. Although Mon. Bru made mention of both the wood-bodied poupée and bébé in an 1879 advertisement, the influence of his patented poupée body is highly evident in the Bébé Modèle. While the Bébé Modèle’s waist was solid and could not twist and turn, there was still a powerful potential for play in this fully-articulated body. The Bru paper label signified authenticity and explicitly stated consequences to those with ill intent: Any infringer will be seized and pursued by law. Additional validation was provided on the back torso which was marked and numbered. Bébés with wood bodies were also offered by Leopold and Calixte Huret, brother and sister to Adelaide Huret, and Emile Jumeau. Although generally similar to those offered by Bru, a documented difference was seen in the Huret Bébé sold at auction by James D. Julia in 2005, which had metal hands. Moreover, the Jumeau child body was made largely of composition with articulation balls of wood; those by Jumeau entirely of wood had fewer articulations and were apparently offered in only one size. While wood or wood and composition Bébé bodies were made by other firms, Bru was by far the most prolific producer of the all-wooden Bébé body. PHOTOS COURTESY CARMEL DOLL SHOP ARCHIVES
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The Preeminent Artwork of Tynietoy Part I
by Judith Armitstead ne of the most captivating aspects of the dollhouse furniture produced by Tynietoy is the vast variety of superb hand-painted decorations applied to many of their items. Of the numerous American dollhouse and dollhouse furniture manufacturers of the 1920’s, 1930’s and 1940’s, many companies enameled their wooden dollhouses and furniture in solid, bright colors, but very few added artistic, hand-painted embellishments such as floral and geometric designs. Tynietoy not only painted such designs, but, in some cases, even hand painted complete scenes on items, not unlike a landscape painting for a wall. The furniture was either stained in maple, walnut, mahogany or other wood tones or it was enameled in white, black or vivid colors. Some of these were then ornamented with additional hand painted decorations over the wood tone or enameling. The term “expect the unexpected” holds so true when studying the dollhouse pieces made by The Toy Furniture Shop, commonly known today as Tynietoy, for the longer one collects their work, the more surprises turn up. Marion Perkins and Amey Vernon were two ladies who began the business around 1916 occupying space at the Handicraft Club in Providence, Rhode Island, during a time when a movement to revitalize hand-crafted items was very much in vogue. The Arts and Crafts Movement during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s swept through the nation resurrecting an intense interest in items made by hand. The movement was in response to the dissatisfaction of machine-made products as a result of the Industrial Age. Americans
Figure 2. Grandfather’s clock.
Figure 1. Sketch of Tynietoy’s moving day.
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by Alicia Carver n often overlooked and undervalued group of dolls by many antique doll collectors are the Sonneberg-type papier-mâché dolls that were made to compete with their bisque sisters during the height of the German doll industry. These types of dolls appeared on the scene some time during the second half of the 19th century and were made in Germany through World War I. In fact, some of these dolls were made in the likeness of some of the more desirable and high priced bisque dolls that are out of reach for many antique doll lovers - and for a price more closely aligned with many collectors’ budgets. Many of these dolls feature the lovely painting their bisque counterparts are known for: arched, feathered brows, beautifully painted upper and lower lashes, lined eyes, soft rouging, lined lips, and accented nostrils and inner eye accents. They also feature glass eyes and sometimes even have the same quality threaded paper weight eyes and human hair wigs found on high-end French dolls. In addition to having these desirable artistic characteristics, what I personally love about these dolls is their warmer and more realistic skin tone. The terms “papier-mâché” and “hard composition” are interchangeable because the formulas used to manufacture these products were entirely similar with the latter basically having more finely ground wood additives in the mixture instead of paper pulp. Dolls that fall into the category of hard composition that many collectors are familiar with are the elusive and wonderful Munich Art dolls that launched the character doll movement in 1908. Although the factories manufacturing these dolls were numerous during the late 1800’s, this article will focus specifically on identifying dolls that were made in Thuringia during the 1870’s and thereafter by two prolific German doll companies, F.M. Schilling, and Cuno & 34
27-inch hard composition doll by Schilling. The “angel” trademark is barely visible.
Otto Dressel. In their never ending stride in a competitive market to make both a durable and aesthetically pleasing product, doll factories graduated from using wood to papier-mâché, and by the 1870’s, hard composition. Many companies continually experimented with their formulas which they kept secret from one another. By 1878, the F.M. Schilling Company began exporting their famous “patent washables” to countries of varying climates. The family had developed a secret recipe that they used as a final coat over their hard composition dolls to protect them from the ravages of climate, little girls’ whims, and the most formidable enemy of organic materials, time. Schilling cleverly marketed their dolls as, “waschbare Biskuit-Facon” (washable bisque models). Like their bisque counterparts, many of these doll heads were manufactured by being pressed into sulphur molds. (Some firms, however, continued using plaster molds as sulphur molds were quite expensive.) After painting and flesh tinting, the Schilling “secret coating” was applied which rendered them “washable.” The Schilling doll in my personal collection bears the characteristics of many of the high quality hard composition F.M. Schilling dolls created during this period. She retains her smooth and uncrazed high-quality composition, stationary blue glass paperweight eyes, a turned head, well-modeled features, beautiful painting, and a nice quality human hair wig. She bears the Schilling “Angel” trademark on the back of her shoulder plate, albeit a bit faded. Measuring a large 27” tall, she has a deep, molded shoulder plate that is attached to a cloth body with composition lower arms, and has her original two piece silk lady doll dress, antique knit socks and leather shoes. Amazingly, her finish is intact without rubs, crazing, or paint loss and retains a smooth and sheen finish. Whatever secret recipe the family concocted, (as evidenced by this example) it certainly has stood the test of time. Other identifying marks of Schilling dolls are a stamp on the body inside a fancy scroll that reads “Schilling’s//American Pet,” or a trademark stamp on their chemise which, according to Cieslik’s research, may account for so many unmarked Schilling dolls. The Cuno & Otto Dressel Doll Company boasts of being one of the oldest doll companies in Thuringia. According to Mary Krombholz, the company “made dolls and toys for a longer period of time than any other doll factory in Thuringia.” Having been founded by Johann George Dressel circa 1700, by the late 1800’s, in addition to making bodies and bisque heads for many other companies, they were also making papier-mâché and hard composition dolls to compete with the bisque market. In fact, an excellent exhibit of their 1910 hard composition character dolls is on permanent display today in the basement of the Sonneberg Doll Museum in Germany. The exhibit is titled, “Parish
12-inch Cuno & Otto Dressel papier mache with the company’s stylized helmet trademark.
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