Great Big, Beautiful Dolls
Dolls, no matter their height, are the companions of
childhood. Nothing less, certainly. I
have dolls that are microscopic, smaller than a grain of rice, and others that
are life-sized, five, six, even 8 feet high. A great article in the May/June
Doll Castle News on Patti Playpal dolls and friends piqued my interest in “big
dolls” yet again. The article is
“Playroom Companions, Patti Playpal and Friends” by Mary Berry.
 |
| An assortment of large bisque dolls and plush |
 |
| Patti Playpal |
 |
| Large Quincenera Doll an AT artist Replica, each about 27 inches |
 |
| My Size Barbie and Friends illustrate how big dolls can fit in a corner |
A few years ago, I wrote an article on Patti Playpal for About.com
Doll collecting. I wrote in response to
a reader’s request. She shared lovely
photos of Patti and friends gathered around their own Christmas tree, glowing
in the light of the twinkling ornaments.
Big dolls have inspired their own books and have a certain
allure. Restaurants in California often had a big antique doll
posed in their window. The Canal House,
an old restaurant in Sterling,
IL, had a large A&E companion
doll that was dressed and posed for
different seasons. In similar fashion, the local Bishop’s Buffet dressed a Mrs.
Claus mechanical doll, over two feet tall, in holiday outfits.
My first grade teacher, Mrs. Evelyn McCallister, had four
big dolls that represented Dick, Jane, and Sally. There were two Sallys, and one was an A&E
companion doll with platinum curls.
Dick, Jane, and the other Sally were cloth, soft sculpted dolls,
life-sized with embroidered features and yarn hair. I got to take Jane home for the summer. The other dolls visited me at home, too. I was thrilled one night after open house
when my parents came home holding the vinyl Sally; she got to have a slumber
party with me that lasted the weekend. I
wish I knew where these dolls were now!
 |
| My Size Barbie Ready for a Run |
 |
| Great Bisque Head Artist Doll, about the size of a two yera old |
 |
| 36 inch Buddha |
Grants had a huge assortment of dolls, including a large
group of the A&E dolls. I got my
wish when I turned six and my Uncle Tom brought me one with red curls. To this day, she wears my dresses and some
that my grandmother made. In Home Ec, I
sewed her a companion, a life sized cloth Betsy McCall; she helped me get an A+
on my report card. Later, I found a
large Amish doll of the same size.
When I was nine and we went to Europe,
my godmother gave me an Italian hard plastic doll with an organdy dress that
had lights all over it. My parents
bought me a newer version at the airport on the way home. In a doll shop near the Trevi Fountain,
there were 36 inch Furga Dolls; I was entranced. From Spain came a 1904 Bullfighter that
walks. From Germany came a large Minerva,
celluloid head Scots boy, nearly three feet high and very rare.
 |
| Renaissance cage doll, nearly three feet high. |
My Bru lady mannequin artists doll was once in the festival
of trees. She graced the sleigh at the German American
Heritage Center
one Christmas with a large Mrs. Claus.
Her bisque head comes off; I had to remove it to bring her home. She sat headless in the passenger seat of my
car. Lucky no one stopped me! I also have a life-sized Harold Gale Santa,
posed to peak around the door.
Antique dolls were often made in large sizes to serve as
mannequins; Bru, FG, and Kathe Kruse all created life-sized dolls. King Tut had
his own mannequin, featured in the traveling exhibition of his treasure and in
Mary Hillier’s Dolls and Doll Makers.
 |
| Life Sized European Baby Doll modeling a Kilt, Celtic Games, 2016 |
 |
| Very large vrown eyed china head with corkscrew curls |
 |
| Companion doll at Skellington Manor |
 |
| 1920s Comp baby with her Jar Jar Binks toy |
Sasha Morgenthaler made big dolls for exhibitions as have
other artists.
French and German doll makers made gorgeous 31 inch and
bigger play examples, and there are Play Pal Shirley Temples, remade by other
companies during the early 2000s. One
lovely pink tint Rohmer is the grand dame of her doll family at 29, all
original inches.
Shirley Temple had a five foot Japanese doll in her
collection that arrived by coffin! I was
lucky enough to have Uncle Tom take my photo next to that doll. It sold in January 2014 for over $13,000 at
the Shirley Temple Auction by Theriault’s.
 |
| Large dolls preside at Thanksgiving 2016 |
 |
About 29 inches tall, this cloth doll wears real accessories and is part of a set of dolls in various outfits made in Galva, IL,
over forty years ago. She and her five companions were found at Spoon River Scenic Drive. |
 |
| German bisque big girl, Bussey Museum, photo by author |
 |
| Two large brides, German bisque and hard plastic. Bussey Collection, photo by author |
 |
| This large inflatable Santa and his friends are taller than the house they decorate during Christmas |
 |
| Life sized guard, MacNider Museum, Mason City, by the late Duane Hanson. |
 |
| Shirley Temple's Japanese Doll with the Author. Photo by Tom Fanakos. |
 |
| Gigantic Wooden Bunny, jointed like a doll. I rescued him from a bonfire |
Many large companion dolls appear at our friends Terror at
Skellington Manor. They also feature
great animatronics and figures that are life-sized.
 |
| Artists Lay Figure, Public Domain |
 |
Madame Tarnowska, an animated doll customized by the girls
at Abernathy's |
 |
| Four foot Nutcracker Prince and Friends |
 |
| Ophelia, our Skeleton Bride sings "Fright Wedding" to the tune of "White Wedding." She loves her holiday sweaters and guards our downstairs. |
 |
| Three foot papier mache doll from Mexico; traditional folk doll in a rare size |
 |
| Magnificent, all original 29 Inch Rohmer |
 |
| Scarecrow at Spoon River Days |
 |
| Tiffany |
 |
| Large bisque doll tops a Xmas tree at The Festival of Trees |
 |
| Zelda, six foot witch by Gathered Traditions. She guards the upstairs of our doll house |
You can always find room for a big doll in the corner;
Barbie the size of a three year old
child fits well in any vignette, as do the large Frozen dolls, Darth
Vaders, John Cena’s, Giant Plush and
other big dolls and friends. Our 48 inch
Nutcracker Prince is a hit wherever he goes, and our three foot mechanical
skeleton Ophelia has traveled to various programs and exhibits along with her
automaton friends from Marshall Fields.
There was a magnificent doll museum in Marengo, IL many
years ago, I think called the Time Was Museum, that featured big antique dolls
dressed in lavish costumes by their owner.
The gowns were to die for beaded silks and velvets/
So, enjoy the pictures, and make room for that dolly
in the corner, big and beautiful as she might be!
Posts
wCWk~%24(KGrHqV,!h8Ew5GsnS3dBMUy3MzVPg~~_3.jpg)
