Antique DOLL Collector August 2010 Vol. 13, No. 7
August 2010 Vol. 13, No. 7 $595 / $695 Canada www.antiquedollcollector.com
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Kestner, the Prolific
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by Samy Odin
ow can one possibly think of a doll maker whose production was wider than Kestner’s? This company, often referred to as the “King of Dollmakers”, has produced such a wide and diverse range of dolls that collectors can hardly keep up with collecting them all. Research has already gone deeply into the history of this German company, both in Germany and in the US. Collectors can easily refer to serious publications to guide their paths into their collecting experience with Kestner (see references). The purpose of this article is not to tell, once more, the history of this firm, nor to unveil unknown models, but simply to show how different, and complementary, collections can be, even when they focus on the production of a single doll maker. In this issue we will present several Kestner dolls presently featured in the permanent collection of the Puppenhausmuseum in Basel. It is interesting to realize that the majority of these dolls came from a private collection built during the 1970s and 1980s. Since then, several major acquisitions have been added since the museum’s opening in 2000. An advanced Kestner connoisseur might be able to recognize the company’s products even among the unmarked early dolls featured in this collection, made out of porcelain, parian or papier-mâché. Pictures of these early dolls are presently not available from the museum but for those who would enjoy a treasure hunt among its four playthings filled floors, there are chances that they would spot out some of the earliest dolls from this prestigious German doll factory. The focus of many generalist doll collections, built during those later decades of the 20th century, was the “dolly face” type. Kestner was masterful in this specific field, as one can notice strolling through the Swiss museum’s showcases. The variety of their classic Kestner dolls is quite impressive. Their comparative study is eased by their accumulation and brings certain points into evidence – such as the natural link between the closed mouth, fully articulated, dolls of the 1880s and their open mouth sisters of the following decades. It seems more apparent that the “look” of these early closed mouth dollies was kept and improved on the contemporary open mouth versions, as well as on their later sisters. Let’s focus, first, on the largest of the examples (right), a 36” blonde beauty sporting a flame red woolen and velvet dress. It only bears the size number 18 engraved high in the back of the neck. She has a closed mouth, slightly pouting, sleeping blue glass eyes, a spectacular blonde mohair wig and a plump articulated body with straight wrists. The visual appeal of this doll is quite typical of an opulent doll of the late 1880s, also seen on some other specimens in the museum’s collection.
This 36” Kestner’s only marking is the incised size number 18.
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Left: Shell dolls often appear as pairs. This couple with their papier mache heads show a French influence. Right: A delightful Grodnertal wooden couple with their baskets of fruits and vegetables. Their beautiful bases are as detailed as the dolls’ costumes. Below and opposite: A lovely and very colorful example has a decidedly French flair. Her intricate shell costume is crowned with the most amazing bonnet!
Shell Dolls
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By Anna May Case
ivilization has been drawn to the sea for centuries. The sea shore has been used in military strategy, commerce, recreation, romance, fascination, and for those of us who were born and raised in the land-locked midwest, it is especially entrancing. The shell form was used in furniture design, in Europe and in America, and shell work has also appeared for centuries. Not much has been written about actual items; sailor’s valentines have been the most extensively covered. These octagon-shaped creations are usually hinged and when opened reveal beautiful designs of shells in all sizes and colors, arranged in mosiac forms, most with messages formed in shells such as “Be Mine” or “Remember Me”. Most were sold as souvenirs and purchased by sailors. The Strong Museum in New York has examples of these. By the 1830’s, it is known that sailors could buy sets of colorful shells and assemble items of remembrance while on ship. There are contemporary artists today who restore these valentines and even create new ones. While restoring one believed to have been made
in Barbados, the artist discovered a slip of paper that was from England with an early 19th century date. This was definite proof that these shell cases were early, and made in Europe, not only in Barbados as was previously thought. Europeans first became aware of fancy shells in the seventeenth century, when the explorers of the Pacific and Indian oceans brought beautiful exotic shells back to the Old Worlds. Many of them were considered so valuable that they were mounted elaborately in silver or gilt. By the nineteenth century, the first flush of shell collecting had subsided and shells became materials for yet another Victorian home craft. The Victorians decorated everything with shells: dresser boxes, trinket boxes, candy boxes, doll house furniture, mirrors, even pocket watch holder. Actually shell items have been dated much earlier than that. Marie Antoinette had a wonderful little shell cottage, “La Chaumiere aux Coquillages,” sometimes referred to as a “folly” built in 1779 which still remains at Rambouillet near Versailles. She corresponded regularly with a Mrs. Delany
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PHOTOGRAPHS BY KEITH KAONIS AND WAYNE GIBSON
by Judith Armitstead Figure 1. Doll table by Loring H. Cushing with various accessories (Armitstead Collection).
Figure 2. Loring H. Cushing label from table (Armitstead Collection).
Figure 3. Three miniature ladderback chairs by Loring H. Cushing (Armitstead Collection).
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today is a lovely seaside town still retaining much of its old New England charm with many of its early, well-maintained homes. Driving through streets such as Hersey Street, Lincoln Street, Friend Street and by landmarks such as Cushing Pond and Tower Brook, one can still get a small sense of what the town was like during the 1800’s, the heyday of the wooden toy and doll furniture manufacturing and cottage industries in Hingham. Part I of this article discussed the history and the important work of Hingham natives William S. Tower, his brother Charles, and their nephew, Ezra Wilder. Samuel Hersey, chronicled in Part II, was another accomplished Hingham toy craftsman who made miniature boxes, firkins and doll and dollhouse furniture. Also related in Part II were the works of Samuel Hersey’s uncle, Cotton Hersey, the oldest known toy maker, and numerous other Hingham toy craftsmen. Part III concludes with Loring H. Cushing, George W. Fearing and Marita Otis Lincoln. Loring Hersey Cushing was a prolific doll furniture maker and he is best known for this type of work. Born on April 3, 1840, Mr. Cushing’s mother was a relative of
Figure 6. Loring H. Cushing stepback dresser pictured with early German parian doll and accessories (Armitstead Collection).
Figure 4. Loring H. Cushing sideboard (Armitstead Collection).
Samuel Hersey. He served as a private in the Civil War in Company K with George W. Fearing, another Hingham toy maker. After returning from the war in 1865, Mr. Cushing at age 25 worked as a shoe maker as listed in the 1865 census. He must have learned these skills from his father, Loring who was also a shoemaker, at an earlier date as his father passed away in 1862 at age 59. The 1865 census lists him as living with his mother and siblings. It is not exactly clear when he abandoned the shoemaking field to produce doll furniture. In the book, Toys in America, the McClintock’s related that they interviewed Loring H. Cushing’s daughter, Miss Ella Cushing. Miss Cushing indicated that her father apprenticed under William S. Tower who taught him wood working and toy production. Mr. Cushing most likely worked directly at William S. Tower’s plant at Cushing Pond during the beginning of his toy producing career; but since many of his labeled pieces were marked with his residence, 14 High Street, it is believed that the majority of his work was produced as a cottage industry from his home. Studying the genealogy records of early Hingham provides some clues to the people’s lives and some of the hardships the families endured. Working conditions in the Figure 5. Heubach doll and early Steiff bear enjoying a tea party with Loring H. Cushing doll furniture (Armitstead Collection).
1800’s were, by all means, not always ideal and safe. Loring H. Cushing’s parents were Loring Cushing and Martha Hersey, both born in 1803. They had seven children, the first of which was a son, Loring Hersey Cushing born in 1825. As a lad, Loring H. Cushing worked at Jacob’s Hatchet Factory, previously discussed as being adjacent to William S. Tower’s toy producing building at a later date. At age 13 in June of 1838, the boy died in an industrial accident at the hatchet factory. Not long after, the Cushings had another son in April of 1840 and named him Loring Hersey Cushing after their first son who was lost. This second Loring Hersey Cushing, the accomplished doll furniture craftsman, is the individual referred to in this article. Records indicate that Mr. Cushing passed away in 1927 at age 87. Mr. Cushing’s furniture was produced in light, medium or dark wood stains in a matte or gloss finish. Some examples were also painted in colors as the example of a red enameled rocking chair discussed below. Rectangular-shaped small off-white paper labels, approximately 1” long, were firmly attached, generally underneath, and a surprising number of his furniture pieces have survived with the label intact. Two labels with Loring H. Cushing’s name are known, one with his street address, “14 High Street,” and one without the street address. Both labels have an L-shaped design on the top right corner, creating an open box with the simple lined border, as can be seen in Figure 2. Besides the items pictured here, Mr. Cushing also crafted many other pieces of doll furniture including benches, cradles and wash stands. The dark mahogany stained table by Loring H. Cushing in Figure 1 has a one-piece top with a deep skirt on all sides and four turned legs. The 37