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Antique DOLL Collector December 2010 Vol. 13, No. 11

December 2010 Vol. 13, No. 11 $595 / $695 Canada www.antiquedollcollector.com

Being Jane…

The story of a wooden doll

ave you ever found a doll that instantly touched you with its sense of age and history so profoundly that you knew it carried a secret story? The lovely wooden doll I want to share with you in these pages started out being roughly turned on the lathes of a long ago craftsman. The year would have been approximately 1810, which makes her some 200 years old. She has a carved “tuck comb” in her skillfully rendered hair and that is usually taken as a sign that the doll’s origins lie in the Grodner tal region of Austria or perhaps Sonneberg in Germany. She stands a magnificent 35 inches tall. You can see from the photographs that she has been cherished and well cared for over the years as she is in wonderful condition for her age. She retains her magnificent period costume that is a true delight to behold. Sadly, these dolls are never marked by a maker so we have no idea who the artist was who sparked life into a piece of wood to produce the stately lady we see before us today. She has a beautiful body with mortice and tenon jointing with tight wooden pegs holding everything in place as perfectly as it was in the first years of her creation. Her elongated limbs have smoothly moving joints at the

This close up of the head shows the delicacy of her features and the lovely painting of tendrils of hair round the forehead. Note also the golden “Tuck comb” and the illusion of braiding of the hair set beneath it. The whole hair area is finely textured to give the feeling of waves and curls in the hairstyle which is so typical of its period. She has lovely amber eyes and finely rendered thin one stroke eyebrows and a very delicate small mouth. The cheeks are rouged and the joint in the neck can be seen showing just above her necklace. The whole aura of the doll is pensive and modest in its demeanor.

by Dee Urquhart-Ross

shoulders, elbows, hips and knees. Coupled with this she has additional joints at the waist and neck which allow her to adopt a myriad number of poses. The joint in her neck is cleverly covered by a beaded necklace, which is backed in flesh colored kid to cover the join and add to the illusion of life that emanates from this enigmatic lady. She has flesh painted lower arms and legs and tiny black slippers are painted on her dainty feet. Her hands are beautifully rendered with long elegant fingers held in a relaxed and lifelike pose. The tall comb is carefully carved just as the tortoiseshell originals were as worn by elegant ladies of the day. The swept up hairstyle has beautifully sculpted waves and curls over its surface and the ears are quite outstanding from the sides of the head. The nose is elegant and aquiline, the eyes deep set and the small mouth enchanting. These features are exquisitely painted with lovely soft amber shading to the eyes, single stroke brows and delicately delineated lips. Tendrils of hair “escape” softly round her hairline. Her sweet rounded chin has a tiny charming hint of puppy fat as it turns and falls into her stately elongated neck. The doll has her original underthings consisting of long slim legged split drawers with

The elegant profile of the early 1800’s doll shows her beautifully rendered, carefully carved features deep set eyes, fine brows and a neat straight but slightly tilted nose. A small bow shaped mouth and a soft small rounded chin smoothly lead to an elongated neck. Neat ears and a pulled back hairstyle with softly feathered tendrils complete the list of desirable signs of beauty of the Regency age.

The doll wears a sweet short chemise with delightful folded back pieces with lace trims at the shoulders and short lace trimmed sleeves. it is beautifully shaped round the bustline so that it fits perfectly under the low neckline of her dress. It ties at the back with several tapes. Her long cotton split drawers, correct for the period, are worn fitting down to the ankle and show below the dress hem when she stands. They are prettily trimmed with lace and fit beautifully at the waist with a back tie.

A rear view of the doll shows the beauty and lovely condition of the body and the texturing and curling in the hairstyle. The lower arms and legs are finely finished in paint and the feet have delicate black slippers painted on. Note also the waist and neck jointing. All the joints work smoothly and are beautifully carved to a tight fit. The hands have long elegant fingers carefully carved. The ears stand out prettily from the head and the reverse of her golden comb is painted black to match the hair. She has tiny brass metal loops in her ears to accommodate her delicate coral earrings.

The true magnificence of this lovely 35 inch wooden lady is seen here in this shot of the doll undressed. Dating from C. 181020 she is probably of German origin. Dolls such as this with a carved “tuck comb” in the hair are commonly described as Grodnertals but the beauty and delicacy of the lifelike carving of the features make this doll more of a portrait type to my mind.

lace trimmings to the bottom hems. These are cut, as was the fashion of the day, to reach straight to the ankles and to peep out from the ankle length hem of her dress. She has a pretty chemise with the neckline cut to exactly mirror that of her dress scooping low over the breast line. It also had lace edged turn back trims to the shoulders and short sleeves with lace trims. This, like the simple long petticoat, is made of fine cotton lawn and all fasten with ties to the back. Her original dress is constructed by hand using the finest of white cotton gauzy lawn, which is used in a double thickness. The skirt of the dress has absolutely breathtaking embroidery in rich profusion on the front, back and side panels. Embroidered heavily white on white, sprigs of leaves, delicate flowers and tendrils interweave their way over the skirt both back and front. The sides are not ignored with a lovely tracery of leaves working their way from below the bodice to the hem. The dress is cut in the prevailing fashion of the day with a tight bodice cut low at the neck, leg o’ mutton tops to the sleeves which blouse out fully before being gathered tightly into long very snug lower sleeves which culminate in gently pointed cuffs which fall over the backs of her hands very prettily. The dress is closed at the back by four tiny mother of pearl buttons which close through embroidered loops. The final touch to her outfit is provided by two tiny coral earrings which are attached by small wires to two brass loops which are fitted to the bottom of the earlobes. Dolls such as this were clearly made to be admired rather than played with in the 25

IT’S RAINING BY JULIE BLEWIS

All bisque Rag and Tag are copyrighted Georgine Averill. Rag, the dog, is 4 inches with stationary eyes. Tag, the cat, is 5 inches with sleep eyes.

Here we see a different version of Rag, white with black spots and blue painted boots. Collection and photo courtesy Myra Graubard.

have always loved stuffed animals, my appreciation for dolls did not come into my adulthood and, even then, it took me by surprise. It was not until I viewed dolls as an art form that I really came to appreciate them and it was never my childhood dolls of the 1960s that I was looking to recapture. So my attraction to animal dolls is certainly to be expected and, in the world of antique bisque dolls, the dogs and cats created by Georgene Averill rule! Georgene Hendren Averill was born in Denver, Colorado in May 1876. In 1914 she married James P. Averill and the couple, along with her brother, began the Averill Manufacturing Co. located in New York City. She began doll design under the working name Madame Hendren and in the 1920s used her enormous talents to create bisque doll designs to be produced by the German manufacturing companies of Alt, Beck, & Gottschalck and Gebruder Heubach. The most famous result of this collaboration is the Bonnie Babe, an adorable happy chubby baby that most doll collectors are familiar with. Collectors are far less familiar with the bisque head animal dolls and the all bisque variations that she created during this period. Eventually ties with the Averill Manufacturing Co. were severed and Georgene Novelties, Inc. was created. This new company went on to produce a number of highly successful composition and cloth dolls such as Baby Georgene and Little Lulu. In 1961, at the age of 85, Georgene Hendren Averill died. Alt, Beck, & Gottschalck, was founded in 1854 in Nauendorf, but the production of doll heads did not begin until 1880s. In 1913 they patented a device to insert a movable tongue inside the oral cavity of a doll’s head that was utilized in the production of the bisque head animal dolls. Alt, Beck, & Gottschalck became one of the largest exporters of doll heads to the United States right into the 1920s. Their dolls are hard to ﬁnd in Germany even today; for this reason, it is a safe assumption that most, if not all, of the animals produced with Georgene Averill were distributed in the United States. I would go on to conclude that a very limited number were ever produced, even for distribution to the United States since they surface rarely in auctions or doll shows

CATS

and

(they have even managed to allude the eBay listings!). One of the wonderful things about collecting these animal dolls is their clearly deﬁned markings which even include their names. The all bisque cat is named “Tag” which is incised on the back along with “Trade Mark Copr. By Georgene Averill 891 Germany”. The all bisque dog is named “Rag” also incised on the back with all the same information except “890” mold number. My white cat pictured is 5” with green cat

DOGS

sleep eyes while the brown dog is 4” with stationary eyes. Both have molded booties and braided yarn tails. Another set, both in the 5” size, is pictured on p. 179 of Dimples & Sawdust Volume No. 2 by Marlowe Cooper. In that set Tag is a brownish grey color with dark grey stripes and Rag is white with black spots and both have sleep eyes. The other variations seen have included a brown dog with black stripes and a black cat.

Averill’s Allie Dog serenades his girlfriend, Allie Kat. This fetching pair has furry-type bodies and wonderful character heads. Wobble tongues and tiny pointy teeth add personality plus to this delightful pair.

Learning About American-Made Dolls

Little Brother and Little Sister Designed by Grace Corry Rockwell:

Another Detective Story

Close-up of Little Sister. A surprising feature is her air brushed blue eye shadow. 14” Marks: © // By // Grace Corry. Ink stamp on body: Genuine// Madame Hendren//Doll//60//Made in U.S.A. (All dolls illustrated with this article bear these markings on their shoulder plates.) Little Sister is all original including shoes and socks. The hair bow has been added. It is held in place by an original staple.

n the nineteen twenties American-made composition mama dolls were immensely popular. They featured sweet little doll faces, and a cloth body with embedded mama crier. In 1927 the Averill Manufacturing Corporation of New York City introduced an appealing little doll pair called Little Brother and Little Sister. They looked like real children. To create the likenesses of real children was obviously the Averill’s intent. Their full page ad in the trade magazine Playthings, dated July 1927, read as follows: “ The creation Playthings of Grace Corry – who has caught in clay the delightful moment in child expression, just before a radiant child breaks out into a smile.” However, only the head of these dolls was a new design. For the bodies, the Averill Company used the above mentioned mama doll body assemblies with composition or cloth legs and with jointed hips or stitching at hip level. All of the dolls illustrated with this article feature a mama crier imbedded in their cloth bodies. The pair was sold dressed in adorable little outﬁts as shown in the 1927 ad. They have also been seen with colorful felt coats and matching tams. During the 1920’s, the Averills had been very successful with their Dutch and Indian doll pairs dressed in colorful felt costumes. Some of the Corry Brother and Sister pairs were dressed in these popular Dutch outﬁts as well. Various color combinations were used.

“Playthings” ad dated July 1927. Note the over sized hair bow. Little Sister is wearing the identical dress as the doll seen in illustration one.

This 14” Dutch pair is all original including their “wooden” shoes, which seem to be made of some kind of composition. The dolls feature cotton yarn wigs over their molded hair. They have cloth legs with stitched hip joints. 48

by Ursula R. Mertz photos Otto Mertz

Two years later, in May of 1929, the Averill Company had again placed a full page ad in Playthings, advertising “Madame Hendren Kiddie Karakters,” for which the Corry heads were used. Featured was Little Bo Peep with her staff and Mary had a Little Lamb, with a toy lamb tied to her wrist. Little Boy Blue with his horn is seen also and Captain Kiddo. Grace Corry’s name was not mentioned in this ad. I was puzzled even more, when not so long ago I was able to acquire a Corry child dressed from head to toe in a big red heart shaped costume made of felt, obviously ready to make someone happy on Valentine’s day. I decided to consult a biographical essay written by Mary Lou Ratcliff entitled ‘The Pied Piperess Grace Corry Rockwell and Her Beautiful Children.” I remembered it to be quite extensive. Might I find a clue there? I quote from this article: …“Somehow the Pied Piperess’ doll performance came to an abrupt finale and appears to have ended on an unhappy note. William (Grace Corry’s son) said even though Little Sister and Little Brother were copyrighted, someone stole the idea and his mother made only a few hundred dollars on the dolls.” Was this a reference to the Kiddie Karacters and the Valentine doll? Why could this disagreement possibly have happened? There may have been other reasons but I would like to offer one explanation as to what might have happened. Little Brother and Little Sister were introduced in 1927. The Effanbee Company’s Patsy created by famous doll sculptor Bernard Lipfert was introduced This tag was seen on an all original in 1928. Patsy was a doll of totally new design. No mama doll body with voice Corry Dutch boy. It does carry Grace Corry’s copyright. box here. Patsy was made of all composition with a shapely body. Her molded hair was very short and straight, just like the flappers. Her mouth was tiny, just as popular taste dictated. In other words, she might not have looked like a real child, but she had all the modern beauty attributes that women were fascinated with. Patsy was an immediate success. Before long, there were not only the Patsy’s to contend with but all manner of “Patsy look-alikes” that just about everybody else produced, including the Averill Company. The above development may have seriously impacted the expectations of the Averill Company for Little Brother and Little Sister. Were sales so slow that the period for paying royalties was up, while the Averills still had large numbers of the Corry heads left that they meant to use up and did? We will probably never know. To this day, Patsy is popular with collectors but so are Little Brother and Little Sister. I was very happy when I found my all original Little Sister, as seen in the ad. I was never able to acquire the matching Little Brother dressed in those cute short pants with buttoned on shirt. The Dutch pair is also hard to find. I have never seen any of the Kiddie Karakters, but I would love to have just one! Wouldn’t you? “Playthings” ad, dated May 1929, introducing Happy hunting. the Kiddie Karacters for which the Corry heads were used. In the middle we see a larger doll, representing Mother Goose.

This Valentine’s costume is simply but quite ingeniously designed. Note the stitching at the shoulders and the triangle cuts for armholes. A small felt heart was glued to the front. I assumed that the two cuts in the heart held an arrow. The blond mohair wig is original but shoes, socks and hair bow have been replaced. The hair did hold the shreds of a red ribbon. Her all composition legs are jointed at the hips. Note that this doll also features air brushed blue eye shadow.

Reference: “The Pied Piperess” Grace Corry Rockwell and Her Beautiful Children, by Mary Lou Ratcliff, Doll Reader, November 1989.

ince NADDA’s inception there have been numerous special educational exhibits. NADDA’s purpose is to present doll shows that are conducive to learning about antique and vintage dolls and to promote honesty and integrity in the doll market. The exhibits are a marvelous opportunity to study world-class dolls. The theme of NADDA’s 2010 show in Seattle, WA was “Dolls Through the Ages – Celebration, Ritual & Commerce.” A comprehensive theme to be sure, one that offered something for everyone. We think you will enjoy it as much as we did!

German wooden toy, early 1800’s. Collection Diane Hoffman English poured wax, 1850’s, 17”. Collection Judy Lofall

English wooden, late 18th century. Collection Rosalie Whyel

Kister china, c. 1840. Collection Lisa Pepin 54

Doll by Izannah Walker. Collection Margaret Kincaid

Poured Wax shoulderhead. Collection Valerie Fogel

Early Rohmer Fashion. Collection Donna Dolan

China dressed as Jenny Lind. Collection Rosalie Whyel

Early Rohmer. Collection Donna Dolan

Early Fashion with wardrobe. Collection Judy Lofall F. Gaultier in original communion gown, swivel neck, 15”. Collection Mary Ann Spinelli

C.F. Kling, c. 1860. Collection Rosalie Whyel

Original Paper Doll, 1885. Collection Diane Hoffman

Simon and Halbig Parian Lady. Collection Margaret Kincaid

Smiling Bru Fashion, 14”. Collection Lisa Pepin

Lilly, c. 1850’s, shoulder head probably by Barrois, labeled kid body, La Poupee de Nuremberg,” original costume. Collection Rita Johnson

French male candy container, all original. Collection Sandy Kralovetz

Small Bru Fashion, original costume, sculpted hands. Collection Sandy Kralovetz

Rendezvous with the Ladies

A SPECIAL UFDC EXHIBIT Fashionable ladies from celebrated private collections were part of this special exhibit presented at this year’s national convention in Chicago. Photos by Keith Kaonis

Barrois Fashion Bride, c. 1870, swivel neck, wood and leather body, bisque arms and fingers, original costume. Collection Rita Johnson

8” china with original wardrobe in the style of Huret. Collection Michael Canadas and David Robinson.

Unmarked fashion, all original. Collection Karen Rockwell

Circa 1860, leather body, limbs by George Most, open closed mouth with teeth. Collection Gail Cook

Rohmer China, c. 1850â€™s, marked Rohmer body in kid and wood, china hands. Collection Rita Johnson

Male Fashion by Gaultier, Gesland body (Pannier armature), bisque limbs. Collection Gail Cook

Wax doll with molded hat, wax hands and feet, original riding outfit. Collection Sandy Kralovetz

Huret Fashion, swivel waist, pewter hands. Head marked Huret 3; body marked Huret 68 Rue de la Boetie. Collection Gail Cook

Unmarked Fashion, jointed kid over wood body. Collection Marianne Burke

Dehors Fashion, c. 1870â€™s, wood body, molded breasts. Collection Sandra Ottiger 63