Little KLAUS the PAPER DOLL

I've mentioned in the past that years ago I was up very late one night, searching around ebay, blindly clicking from page to page. Ebay can be such a bad place in the middle of the night, especially if you've taken an Ambien and haven't gone to bed. The next morning I awoke and remembered I had a debate with myself about a box of paper dolls for sale for several hundred dollars. Did I or didn't I buy them? I did, and my stomach sank. Fortunately when the 29 pounds of paper arrived I changed my mind. Hundreds of paper dolls, all neatly arranged in envelopes for those that were cut, and nicely labeled. It had been a collection that had belonged to a librarian who had died. I put many of them in albums, but there are still several hundred to go.

This little fella, Klaus, is in a booklet that contains 3 dolls. He's a keeper.












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Tattered and Lost: The Quiet Art of Reading

WHICH PAPER DOLL is this?

I've posted this photo at my other blog, but thought that ephemera collectors, especially those who collect paper dolls would enjoy seeing it. What makes this snapshot unusual is that the little girl is holding a paper doll. It's pretty common to find photos of children with dolls, but not paper dolls. I'm sure some eagle eyed reader who collects paper dolls will be able to figure out which doll it is.


Click on image to see it larger.


Click on image to see it larger.

This photo is from the Betty Schnabel estate sale and is in her mother's photo album.

The G.E.M. PAPER DOLL

Another repost, this one from January 2, 2010. The reason is that I've heard from someone related to the man who ran this company that I was curious about. The following was provided by reader Intense Guy:

It's a really small world. George E. Mousley was my (3x) Great Uncle. George was an importer of paper goods, Christmas stockings and novelties.

His brother, Charles, is my 3x grandfather.

George Edward Mousley (2 JUN 1862 - 17 AUG 1940) married Emma Louise Dakenwadel (26 APR 1866 - 21 OCT 1946). He had a shop at Fifth and Ranstead Street (the building is no longer there - it was removed when they created "Independence Mall," the home of the Liberty Bell. In fact, the building that houses the bell looks out across a lawn that was his store.

George moved out of the city (for the summers) when his daughter married a man named Seward around 1910. G.E.M. then had a store on the boardwalk in Wildwood, NJ (just south of Atlantic City.) It was at this time he started with publishing postcards. When he died, someone bought the business and moved it to Rhode Island - I know they made large posters of "Mickey Mantle" holding a bat for young boys to practice throwing pitches at/past.

George's biggest claim to fame was the creation of the toy filled Christmas stocking - the doll's dress paper you show, may have been stuffed in such a stocking. He imported nearly all his merchandise. 

 Thank you Intense Guy!

...............................................

Okay ephemera people out there, specifically paperdoll people. I'm giving you a challenge. Actually what I'm doing is begging for help.

Below you will see the subject of my quandary. This little paperdoll is old and brittle. It came in a box I purchased on ebay years ago. The seller bought it from a fellow who bought it from an estate sale. It had once belonged to a librarian who paid $10 for it. Since it was just one of many paperdolls in the box it cost me about $4. The problem is I have never seen anything about these G.E.M. cut out dolls. Obviously the box/doll goes with only two of the outfits, the other two being for a boy. So this means there must have been a series of these dolls, both boys and girls, but I've found zip/nada/nothin'! Not one of the reference books shows this. I've found nothing online referencing these dolls.

So I'm throwing it out there onto the net in hopes I'll be able to pull back some sort of catch. Any ideas? Anyone?

Click on image to see it larger.

UPDATE: If you look at the comments section you'll find one from Lauren Sodano at the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, NY. She has provided the information that this doll was most likely published by the George E. Mousley Company that was located in Philadelphia. I did a little googling and can't find much about the company other than a few games that were produced in the late 1950s. I did however find a couple postcards that were published by a "George E. Mousley"in 1910 so perhaps that is how this company started. I also found a listing at Ancestory.com for a George E. Mousley in Philadelphia, but I'm not a member of the site so I can't dig any further.

So keep your eyes open for "G.E.M. BRAND", "Geo. E. Mousley" or "George E. Mousley" because sooner or later there must be something about this company and its origins.

And special thanks to Lauren Sodano of the Strong National Museum of Play for sending me this information.

UPDATE 2: This is really getting interesting because it looks like what we have here is some, shall we say, "cross pollination" in the paper toy world. Linda from The Paper Collector has put out a call about this doll and received the following from Peggy Ell:

Hi Linda,

The doll's body is Janet from American Colortype, but her head is different, can't place it. The clothing is from Universal - see pgs 311 & 312 in Mary's 20th Century book.

Peg

Indeed Peg is right on the mark. The clothing on pgs. 311 & 312 in Mary Young's 20th Century Paper Dolls guide do match these clothes attributed to the Universal Toy and Novelty Mfg. Co. And the doll body on the back of the box above does match the American Colortype doll Janet which is on pg. 12, but not the head.

So was there outright theft by one company using images from another company? It's pretty common to find dolls used over and over again by one particular company. There were several dolls on the market that were simply Shirley Temple without Shirley. Same clothing, but the dolls were changed. But, as I recall, this was generally done within in one company that owned the original art work. I've never seen parts of a set coming from so many directions.

The Universal Toy and Novelty Mfg. Co. was based in Chicago and one of the things they produced were baseball cards as can be seen here and here and pull-toys as shown here. And of course the paper dolls shown on pgs. 311-312 in Mary Young's guide.

So, how did all of these bits-and-pieces end up together in the hands of George E. Mousley in Philadelphia at G.E.M. Brand? The mystery gets more complex.

Let's see if any other information surfaces.

The cruel and harsh world of COMIC BOOK PAPER DOLLS

Oh how cruel they were! How evil to have done this! Have they no shame?

Hyperbole? Perhaps, but you take a look at the evidence before you let them off the hook for this crime against little kids who just wanted to play with the paper doll.

Now, imagine you've saved up your 10 cents in 1959 and bought the latest issue of Laugh featuring Archie and his friends. Lo and behold also included was a Katy Keene storyline. And is it just me, but is it doubtful that Katy and sis came from the same DNA?


Click on image to see it larger.

So you turn the page and there are all these wonderful clothes for a paper doll. The only problem is which came first? The doll or the clothes? The doll is on the preceding page, the clothes on the following verso.


Click on image to see it larger.

Hmmmmm...didn't anyone at HQ see this coming? If the kid cuts out the clothes the doll is gone. If the kid cuts out the doll the clothes are gone. Sneaky, very sneaky. But wait, there's a simple solution. Cough up another 10 cents to some unknown ranch in Santa Barbara and a fictitious character will send you the doll and clothes even though you're already holding them in your hand. They even state:

Readers Note: All these fashion cut-outs fit the sis doll on the preceding page!

Yeah, yeah, but you've stuck your little reader in a Twilight Zone episode. How would I have solved this? I'd have traced the clothes, used my crayolas to color them, then cut out the dang busted doll. I'd have been a happy, though slightly irritated, camper.

And I'd have thought the extra clothes on the last page of the story were just super keene. But I still wouldn't buy that sis has any chance at all of growing up to look like Katy. I'm thinking we need to see the milkman, the Fuller Brush salesman, and the paper boy.


Click on image to see it larger.

SNOW WHITE and the SIX GNOMES cut-outs

This Snow White and her Six Gnomes is from The Delineator July 1918 issue. Sometimes the magazine included paper dolls, other times they were little cut out scenes like this.


(SOURCE: The Delineator, July 1918) Click on image to see it larger.

The artist, Robert McQuinn, is rather difficult to research. I cannot find any biographical information about him other than that he did illustration work for publishing and also was involved in costume and set design for the theater.

(SOURCE: Historic Newspapers)

(SOURCE: The Bookman, Vol. 43)

To see other work by McQuinn click here and here.

Okay, you're probably asking the same question I'm asking...where's the seventh gnome? That could be a mystical question for sure.

ANIMAL PAPER DOLLS to Dress

I saw that Linda at The Paper Collector had posted this little bear. This encouraged me to take some shots of the whole book.

I purchased this many years ago; fell in love with at first sight and had to have it. I'd have been nuts for this set as a child but have no memory of ever seeing it.

It was published in 1950 by the Saalfield Publishing Company.

I don't know who the illustrator was. That's a shame, because it's just such a happy set.

I don't know if a set like this would sell today, but I'm betting it would. I mean really...a bowlegged monkey in a pink skirt and boots? How can you say no?

ANNABEL'S HOUSE with Paper Dolls

I bought this book, Annabel's House by Norman Messenger, over 20 years ago and paid only a few dollars. Now online it goes from anywhere from $4.00 to over $100.00. Who knew?

It's a fun book. Well, it's not just a book. It's an Edwardian dollhouse. It's a set of upstairs-downstair paper dolls. It's all of these things.

My edition is the first American edition published in 1989. The UK version was published the previous year, 1988. I'm thinking the UK version is the one going for over $100. Mine is probably worth considerably less, though it's in near mint condition. I've put a link to the left in the "What Not" suggestion column where you get the details about the book such as the ISBN.

Enjoy! What you'll be missing out on are all the fun little cupboards and doors to open. People and things to see only when you open the doors. Plus there are more rooms and a garden not included here.

__________

I have a new design up at Cafe Press, My ABC's, perfect for the little grade school students in the house. Or maybe the teacher who teaches them. Then again, at my age a little visual aid for memory purposes is always helpful!

You can find various items at my Tattered and Lost Cafe Press shop.

The SCHOOL ARTS MAGAZINE paper doll

Included in a large box of sheet music Bert gave me is a magazine from 1926, The School Arts Magazine. I'd never heard of this publication. It was published by The Davis Press, Inc. out of Worcester, Massachusetts. It appears the magazine was first published in 1901. When my issue was published, 1926, their offices were located at 44 Portland Street. Today, Davis Publications is located at 50 Portland Street so in over 100 years they haven't moved too far.

A magazine that then, and apparently now, focuses on helping schoolteachers teach arts and crafts. From their website:

SchoolArts is a national art education magazine committed to promoting excellence, advocacy, and professional support for educators in the visual arts since 1901.

Considering that too often schools jettison art programs this is a nice step back in time when the arts were considered of value to a growing child. I won't even go into what I think of people today who see no value in the arts or specifically exposing children to it. I get angry just thinking about it. I'm glad to know this magazine still exists.

To see a full copy of an edition from 1918 click here.

Inside the edition I have is a wonderful little find. A paper doll for children to color.

Click on any image to see it larger.

Paper doll lovers, come out, come out, wherever you are! This one might be a new one for you.

POLLY and PETER PERKINS

The Perkins kids. Once upon a time Polly and Peter Perkins were regulars in the magazine Pictorial Review. Pictorial Review was published from 1899 until 1939 when it merged with The Delineator. Polly and Peter's first issue was May 1933. They were in a total of 12 issues with the final being November 1934.

Illustrated by Gertrude A. Kay. I have not found anything online about Ms. Kay other than she also illustrated several children's books.

Click on image to see it larger. Paper doll people didn't need this instruction. They're already voraciously clicking and saving.

A new year with A NEW CHALLENGE

Okay ephemera people out there, specifically paperdoll people. I'm giving you a challenge. Actually what I'm doing is begging for help.

Below you will see the subject of my quandary. This little paperdoll is old and brittle. It came in a box I purchased on ebay years ago. The seller bought it from a fellow who bought it from an estate sale. It had once belonged to a librarian who paid $10 for it. Since it was just one of many paperdolls in the box it cost me about $4. The problem is I have never seen anything about these G.E.M. cut out dolls. Obviously the box/doll goes with only two of the outfits, the other two being for a boy. So this means there must have been a series of these dolls, both boys and girls, but I've found zip/nada/nothin'! Not one of the reference books shows this. I've found nothing online referencing these dolls.

So I'm throwing it out there onto the net in hopes I'll be able to pull back some sort of catch. Any ideas? Anyone?

Click on image to see it larger.

UPDATE: If you look at the comments section you'll find one from Lauren Sodano at the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, NY. She has provided the information that this doll was most likely published by the George E. Mousley Company that was located in Philadelphia. I did a little googling and can't find much about the company other than a few games that were produced in the late 1950s. I did however find a couple postcards that were published by a "George E. Mousley"in 1910 so perhaps that is how this company started. I also found a listing at Ancestory.com for a George E. Mousley in Philadelphia, but I'm not a member of the site so I can't dig any further.

So keep your eyes open for "G.E.M. BRAND", "Geo. E. Mousley" or "George E. Mousley" because sooner or later there must be something about this company and its origins.

And special thanks to Lauren Sodano of the Strong National Museum of Play for sending me this information.

UPDATE 2: This is really getting interesting because it looks like what we have here is some, shall we say, "cross pollination" in the paper toy world. Linda from The Paper Collector has put out a call about this doll and received the following from Peggy Ell:

Hi Linda,

The doll's body is Janet from American Colortype, but her head is different, can't place it. The clothing is from Universal - see pgs 311 & 312 in Mary's 20th Century book.

Peg

Indeed Peg is right on the mark. The clothing on pgs. 311 & 312 in Mary Young's 20th Century Paper Dolls guide do match these clothes attributed to the Universal Toy and Novelty Mfg. Co. And the doll body on the back of the box above does match the American Colortype doll Janet which is on pg. 12, but not the head.

So was there outright theft by one company using images from another company? It's pretty common to find dolls used over and over again by one particular company. There were several dolls on the market that were simply Shirley Temple without Shirley. Same clothing, but the dolls were changed. But, as I recall, this was generally done within in one company that owned the original art work. I've never seen parts of a set coming from so many directions.

The Universal Toy and Novelty Mfg. Co. was based in Chicago and one of the things they produced were baseball cards as can be seen here and here and pull-toys as shown here. And of course the paper dolls shown on pgs. 311-312 in Mary Young's guide.

So, how did all of these bits-and-pieces end up together in the hands of George E. Mousley in Philadelphia at G.E.M. Brand? The mystery gets more complex.

Let's see if any other information surfaces.

__________________

A special thanks to Linda at The Paper Collector for choosing to honor me today with a mention of my blog. Her blog is a special place for those who especially love paperdolls and she has been very helpful to me in discovering the name of one set I purchased at an estate sale.

I would in kind like to pass along this honor to Janice at Janice Pattie who is constantly testing her creative juices, always entertaining, and makes me smile when I think of Scotland.

And I'd like to acknowledge Pieces of the Past, the funoldhag, for sharing her personal vernacular photography collection with all of us. Her families story in photographs is something rare to find online.

And frankly, Spotty Dog is a gem I wouldn't want to be without. The drawings always bring a smile. Another Scot with a sense of humor.

ELVES GONE WILD!

As we all get ready to start partying for the next month and a half until the final tolling of the bell on New Years Eve, I think it's time we take a few moments and silently reflect on elves. Yes, ELVES! What do we know about them? Really, nothing. They're the straight men to Santa's one man show. They're the ones left behind Christmas Eve at the melting North Pole. And what exactly do they do that evening? Okay, so probably they're still working that night in case Santa has any screw-ups along the way. But when the jolly one pulls the sleigh into the barn and says "No, really, no more cookies. I'd like a nice California Chablis, a bag of Cheetos, and my slippers" what do the elves do? I'm thinking...they get plastered! Elves Gone Wild! I give you Beech the dancing party fool, and Ham the mixer of all things lethal. Imagine the YouTube videos of the mayhem. I'm guessing the partying goes on for a couple days before Santa tells them all to chill out and get started on next years haul of consumer items. 

Okay, so maybe it's just my imagination run wild, but I often like to think of what elves do in their time off. Maybe it's just me.

As often is the case there's more to this story. These little fellows are actually advertising promotional paper dolls from the late 19th century offered by the Beecham's Pill company. Want to know why they look like this? I think they might have used the product. Do you know what happens when you take a pill made out of soap? Well...you get Elves Gone Wild! but not in the way they'd hoped for.

Beecham's Pills were a laxative first marketed around 1842 in St Helens, Lancashire. They were invented by Thomas Beecham (1820–1907), grandfather of Thomas Beecham (1879-1961).

The pills themselves were a combination of aloe, ginger, and soap, with some other more minor ingredients. They were initially advertised like other patent medicine as a cure-all, but they actually did have a positive effect on the digestive process. This effectiveness made them stand out from other remedies for sale in the mid-nineteenth century.

The popularity of the pills produced a wide range of testimonials that were used in advertising. The poet William Topaz McGonagall wrote a poem advertising the pills, giving his recommendation in verse. Two slogans used in Beecham's advertising were "Worth a guinea a box," and "Beecham's pills make all the difference."

The pills, and their marketing, were the basis for Beecham's Patent Pills, which became Beecham Estates and Pills in 1924, eight years after the death of Sir Joseph Beecham, the son of Thomas Beecham. The pills continued to be made by a succession of Beecham Pills Limited, Beecham Pharmaceuticals Limited, Beecham Health Care, and SmithKline Beecham. The manufacture of the pills was discontinued in 1998. (SOURCE: Wikipedia)

And so it goes...so to speak.