3 am musings; 3am is the Darkest Hour of the Soul

Or, so said to that effect F. Scott Fitzgerald. Barring Saturday, I haven't slept since Friday night with one thing or another. So, I tried the usual remedies, and watched my Perry Mason on MeTV, and just did the dishes. I've read, and knitted, and watched Emma-cat sleep, but maybe it's just been to much of a week. We lost at a young age a good friend at work very suddenly; he was a father, son, teacher, marathoner, financial analyst, good friend, caring roommate. It really was too much. One week ago, I was talking with him at length, shop talk and life in general. He had finished one marathon and was training for another at 52, probably in the best shape of his life. Now, he's gone, literally ashes for eternity, dust in the mind of history. None of us will forget him, but coping is very hard. I am shocked at the lack of compassion so many have, and how they think his unexpected death will somehow impact them. Blind mouths; small minds. I have thought of much tonight, of those I love, of how much I've lost. I keep thinking of Mother's Day, and how for me, it is another trip to the cemetery, and my mom hated cemeteries. One of my original 49 tips was "be spritiual, whatever that means to you!" Now, I have to emphasize that for everyone. I try for productive insomnia, and hope for even one solid hour of rest, but this sinus garbage won't set me free this year. This is at least the 4th or 5th time this year, and the last two felt like a walking pneumonia. RE my post on toxins; there are more in facial scrubs and some antibacterialk soaps. Google the topic, and read carefully. I know I can't use certain apricot scrubs due to an allergic reaction, and a certain plus version of a popular cough syrup makes me look like I have pink eye. Plant flowers or trees this weekend for someone you love, and have peace. Tell everyone you love, that you love him/her. You don't know if it will be the last time you see each other. Smile at a stranger; my first grade teacer told us we were all brothers and sisters. It isn't a bad thought. As hard as it is in an election year, try not to judge anyone. If we can't forgive, then try to forget. Sleep well. Now would be a good time to read F. Scott.

Marque

Just something I'm intersted in; bought the Marie Osmond version of the little angel from the Marque mold and was very pleased. From Wikipedia, below, and seems fairly accurate:

Life and workMarque was born in 1872 in Nanterre, Hauts-de-Seine. He became well-known and respected at the turn of the 19th to the 20th century, especially for his sculpting of children.[1] [edit] Confusion with Albert Marquet and relationship to FauvismMarque is sometimes confused for or conflated with Albert Marquet, a French Fauvist painter born three years later. This confusion of artists with similar name and age, and from the same country, is compounded by the fact that Henri Matisse often repeated the generally accepted story of the origin of the term Fauvism which involved Marque. According to Matisse's story, art critic Louis Vauxcelles saw a bust created by Marque on display where it was surrounded by the brash Fauvist paintings and proclaimed, "Donatello parmi les fauves!" ("Donatello among the wild beasts!")[2] [edit] A. Marque dollsDuring World War I, Albert Marque was persuaded by the Parisian couture fashion house of Jeanne Margaine-LaCroix to sculpt one hundred fashion dolls which were then clothed in custom-made outfits.[1][3] The dolls were exhibited in Paris in 1915. Some were sold and others were kept in the Margaine-Lacroix inventory. The dolls were dressed in costumes, often representing regional French royalty or peasantry. They are considered to be artistic works celebrating France and French culture, particularly as a response in wartime to the popularity of German dolls, and created for adults rather than as toys for children.[1] These dolls became known as "A. Marque" dolls from the mark placed on the dolls by the sculptor. The dolls have become highly valued in doll collecting. They are generally considered the most desirable dolls by collectors and demand the highest price of any dolls. On July 15, 2009, an A. Marque doll set the world record for an antique doll at auction, fetching US$263,000. This broke the previous world record of US$215,000 - also for an A. Marque doll.[4] In her work for the Doll Artisan Guild, Ragnhild Margareta Ericson catalogs twenty-five known A. Marque dolls.[5] Stuart Holbrook, the president of Theriault's (the leading auction firm dealing with dolls and childhood ephemera), also notes there are only about twenty A. Marque dolls in existence. Holbrook refers to them as the "Holy Grail of collectible dolls".[6] Holbrook and Theriault's contribute strongly to the allure of A. Marque dolls. Says Holbrook, "The A. Marque has always been a doll of great mystique for collectors. Every collectible category has that "one piece" - the one item, or name, that blends rarity, beauty, and allure; for dolls it is the Marque, and it will perhaps remain so forever."[7] [edit] References1.^ a b c Peers, Juliet (2005). The Fashion Doll: from Bebe Jumeau to Barbie. Berg. pp. 115–16. 2.^ Clement, Russell T. (1994). Les Fauves. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. xi-xii. 3.^ "French doll shatters world auction record". Antique Trader. 5 August 2009. http://www.antiquetrader.com/article/french_doll_shatters_world_auction_record/. Retrieved 11 August 2009. 4.^ Corby, Margeaux (22 July 2009). "Annapolis firm fetches record price for antique doll". The Capital. http://www.hometownannapolis.com/news/top/2009/07/22-22/Annapolis-firm-fetches-record-price-for-antique-doll.html. Retrieved 11 August 2009. 5.^ Ericson, Ragnhild Margareta (24 July 2009). "Albert Marque dolls, their original costumes and labeling". Doll Artisans Guild. http://www.dollsbeautiful.com/uploads/Study_A_Marque_Dolls.pdf. Retrieved 25 April 2010. 6.^ Ferg, Carey (24 July 2009). "Albert Marque Doll Sets New World Auction Record". Dolls Magazine. Jones Publishing. http://www.dollsmagazine.com/articles/news-and-notes/36-newsanotes/247-albert-marque-doll-sets-new-world-auction-record.html. Retrieved 11 August 2009. 7.^ Van Patten, Denise (July 2009). "New World Record Price For Doll Set At Theriault's Auction - $263,000". About.com. http://collectdolls.about.com/od/antiquedolls1800s1920s/a/dollworldrecord.htm. Retrieved 19 August 2009. [edit] External linksAlbert Marque dolls, their original costumes and labeling Persondata Name Marque, Albert Alternative names Short description Date of birth 14 July 1872 Place of birth Date of death 1939 Place of death Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Albert_Marque&oldid=440713876" View page ratingsRate this page Rate this page Page ratings What's this?Current average ratings. Trustworthy Objective Complete Well-written Exceptional clarityI am highly knowledgeable about this topic (optional) I have a relevant college/university degreeIt is part of my professionIt is a deep personal passionThe source of my knowledge is not listed here I would like to help improve Wikipedia, send me an e-mail (optional) We will send you a confirmation e-mail. We will not share your e-mail address with outside parties as per our feedback privacy statement.Submit ratings Saved successfullyYour ratings have not been submitted yetYour ratings have expiredPlease reevaluate this page and submit new ratings. An error has occurred. Please try again later. Thanks! Your ratings have been saved.Please take a moment to complete a short survey.Start surveyMaybe later Thanks! Your ratings have been saved.Do you want to create an account?An account will help you track your edits, get involved in discussions, and be a part of the community.Create an accountorLog inMaybe later Thanks! Your ratings have been saved.Did you know that you can edit this page?Edit this pageMaybe later Categories: 1872 births1939 deathsFrench sculptorsDollmakersHidden categories: Persondata templates without short description parameter

Collector v. Voyeur

It's been one of those days; the bridge was closed, I took the wrong bill to pay with me, the phone died on me midconversation, everyone was yelling at me, I was getting three phone calls at once on my dead phone, everyone else wants me to do their work and cover for them, and I'm having stabbing pains just below my right shoulder.I thought the full moon was last week, not that I get time to look outside. So, it's a good time to vent a little on behalf of collectors. I don't watch "horders" [sic], deliberately, but I did stumble on an episode about a doll collector, and that's what they called her, not a a hoarder. She had fewer dolls in her living room than I did, and lived with a disabled but articulate son who didn't mind the dolls at all. Her other son who did not live there was a different matter. He obviously wanted her house, and maybe her more valuable items, and was threatening her with "adult protective services" and just about anything else. She had a lot of dolls, and liked to repair them. Most were soft bodied or cloth, not very heavy. The claim that her attic floor was "sagging with the weight" was silly; the house may have had structural damage, and I didn't hear sonny dearest offering to repair anything. Then, a prissy, alleged psychologist arrived, but I couldn't har her; a storm was brewing and interfering with delivery.

In short, she was compelled to get rid of her collection, an elderly widow with no husband was taken advantage of. When asked how she "felt" after the dumpster came for two truckloads of her dolls, she said, "I've donated to truckloads of dolls; isn't that enough for you? How do I feel? I regret doing it and I miss them, all of them." That's how I'd feel.

These shows, and the people in them are voyeuristic. I don't want to generalize, but go to about.com and read Denise Van Patten's newsletter/blog where she addresses doll collectors in the media. I have quotes I'll post that are positive about collectors, and the innate hunter/gatherer instincg Marily Gelfman Karp identifies in In Flagrante Collecto. I suggest they have no lives or love of history. Collecting as a hobby began in the ancient world as a means to show wealth, but also to preserve heritage and culture. Read E.D. Hirsch, Cultural Literacy, and Craig Childs on archaeology in general, though he is not fond of museums per se. Museum originally came from words meanin Temple of the Muses.

I don't think Rosalie Whyel, Susan Quinlan [even if she was snotty to me!], the late Flora Gill Jacobs, the late John Noble, the late Lenon Hoyte, The Brooklyn Doll and Toy Museum, The Yokohama Doll Museum, Musee de la Poupee, and others would share the view of the H. team. H. is making money; I don't know their credits, but I don't think they are a team of licensed psychiatrists. Nor are all news and reality shows the same. I will watch Cash in the Attic, Mission Organization, American Pickers, Collector Inspector, the old Collecitn across America and The Collectors, and enjoy them. I love both Antiques Roadshows, but enough of the the shows making people out to be "wacky" because they like history, or like to collect or trade with other collectors. Here is a quote from Richard O'Brien's Collecitng Toys, 2nd edition that is positive. The quote is from a New England physican whose hobby is collecting, "researchin and writing aout toys" who started to collect in the 1930's (O'Brien 1). The doctro's pen name is C.B.C. Lee (1). and "[He} was lucky enought ot have a mother who saved his collection while he was disintersted, serving int he Army, gettinghis education, and getting starte in practice. It as still safley in her attic when second childhood set in prematurely 19 years ago, and he has been busily enslaved by the hobby ever since. He has contributed to books and magazines on the subject, publsihed not only in the U.S.A., but also in England, france, Italy, New Zealnd, Australia, and Japan. He is in touch with collectors on five continents, and enthusiastically recommends the hobby as "escape therapy" and an antidoe fo the poressures, anxieties, furstrations and insults of live in the real world" (1).

Are we to give up our past to satsify the reality TV voyeurs? Watch the intro of American Pickers to see their take, and study about great collections and museums, look at the UFDC mission, and read Genevieve Angione, All Dolls are Collectible. Most of us have crowded spaces, but we can't all be Candi Spelling or the Strong Museum, or William Randolph Hearst, legendary and great collectors who should be admired for their work and collections.

The people on the H show can stay out of peoples' lives and homes. It isn't their business, and I suspect some people are duped into appearing on it. Collecting is not a disease; hoarding is a bad habit, like smoking or nail biting. Let's not mix it up or overdramatize it for entertainment purposes.

Here are some books that are more positive, and most are listed in my Bibliography of Dolls and Toys, in case I can't remember all the authors: Mary Randolph Carter, American Junk, Kitchen Junk, Garden Junk, Big City Junk, see her website Susan Sontag, The Volcano Lover Publication by The Strong Museum on the life of Margaret Woodbury Strong Publications by The House of the Rock, including biographies on the life of Alex Jordan Documentaries and monographs of artists who collected, including Rembrandt, Georgia O'Keeffe, Joseph Cornell, and Frida Kahlo Histories on the Library of Alexandria, now rebuilt Books about Rosalie Whyel and her dream Books by Gold Horse [Theriaults} on great doll collections Magnificent Obsessions Cabinets of Curiosities Make Magazine and Wired Magazine A Gentle Madness [book collections] Mary Hilller, Dolls and Doll Makers Books by Luella Hart, Clara Hallard Fawcett, Laura Starr, Janet Pagter Johl and Samuel Pryor Biographies of Isabella Stewart Gardner, Peggy Guggenheim, and Ima Hogg Finally, I keep lists of famous doll collectors, for that matter, I know a lot of judges and doctors with huge collections, many of dolls and figurines; here are a few, living and dead: Demi Moore, Charles Lindbergh and Sam Pryor, John Wayne, Barry Goldwater, Jane Withers, Shirley Temple, Sigmund Freud, Claude Levi-Strauss, Shirley Jackson [100,000 books and artifacts/statues on the occult], Umbero Eco [over 50,000 books]; Clara Scroggins Johnson [over 1 million Christmas Ornaments/artifacts alleged, including ALL the Hallmark ornaments]; Hattie McDaniels, Michael Jackson, Paul Rubens, International Doll Museum in New Dehli;

Doll Museum: The Doll Book Again

Doll Museum: The Doll Book Again: I will follow with a series of posts on Starr's wonderful book. It is available as a free eText on the web. I don't find the writing archa...

Because we never Know!

Just when I think I'm going to give it all up and have a new eBay career, something happens to motiviate me and inspire me. I have my "aha" moment re the world of doll collecting. I was surfing eBay recently, and found out I had some real treasures. I only talk money because it is a way for us to value our collectibles; I have no intention of selling, but I identified one of my thrift shop doll-diamonds in the rough as a Brigite Deval procelain doll.

Then, I recognized another of my "inmates." About three years ago I bought to reproduction dolls, beautifully dressed, as a pair. One is large, about 27 inches, and the other, her twin except in size, is about 12-16 inches. They were artist dolls, and the clothes are magnificent. I thought they were both Bru rerpos., but the smaller one as it turns out is an A.T. repro, and she is worth nearly $800 alone.

I was floored. I bought them because I loved them, and because I love to display them. I also saw Pat Loveless dolls going for between $100 and nearly $1000 dollars. About 8 years ago, I paid $35.00 for a black version of the Tete Jumeau. Actually, people got tired of seeing reproduction dolls at dolls shows, but few make them now. There is a lot of workmanship in these dolls, and alot of artistry. They are expensive to make, and are often better made than their high end antique couterparts. They serve a purpose when not involved in a fraud, especially; they teach new collectors about doll history and serve as an example of what was. They are also becoming old themselves; some of Emma Clear's dolls will soon be 75 years old. My first reproducton dolls are well over forty years old, so go figure. I bought two at an estate sale this weekend on compo, Seeley bodies, I think. One is another Tete Jumeau, dresse in pink and maroon with a wide, pleated bonnet and French shoes. The other is also about 24 in. high, and is an A.T. with blonde wig. She is dressed as a snow angel, in off white silk. Both are fantastic dolls, made by an acquaintance of mine who used to be well-known as an artist. She didn't sell many of the dolls she made; she was creating her own collection of "antique dolls" because as a child of The Depression, she did not have any dolls growing up. My grandmother was the same way; she loved dolls, but didn't have any till she was older and my family brought them to her from trips. These dolls were the seeds of my collection. So, you never, never know! For those who want to buy my book on Dolls, it is no longer on eBay. You may contact me directly to buy it.

Strong National Museum of Play

Here are some updates from the Queen of all Doll/Toy Museums! Last Chance to Visit The Wizard of Oz Exhibit Saturday & Sunday May 12 & 13 Journey with Dorothy and friends from the sepia-colored Gale Farm to the vibrant Land of Oz. Explore Munchkinland, the Crossroads, the Witch's Castle, and more. To mark the closing of the exhibit, the Dryden Theatre at the George Eastman House will screen the original film at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 11 and 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 13. Bring your museum admission receipt or mention this offer and receive $1 off each movie ticket. Local media sponsors THE WIZARD OF OZ Children’s Educational Exhibit was created by Miami Children’s Museum and SPARKS, in conjunction with Warner Bros. Consumer Products. Judy Garland as Dorothy from THE WIZARD OF OZ. THE WIZARD OF OZ and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © Turner Entertainment Co. (s12) The Strong's Online Collections Now Largest Among History Museums The Strong, home to the world’s most comprehensive collection of toys, dolls, games, books, photographs, documents, and other historical materials related to play, now offers more than 40,000 artifacts in its Online Collections—making it one of the largest online artifact assemblages available among history museums anywhere. Fan Photo of the Month Winner Congratulations to Chantel Orr from Ontario, March's Fan Photo of the Month winner! During the month of May, capture an image of your family creating at one of the many craft tables in the museum. Upload your image to the museum's Facebook page for your chance to win a FREE membership. For more information, become a fan of the National Museum of Play on Facebook and see Fan Photo of the Month contest rules. Traveling this Summer? Become a Patron-level Member and Save Become a Patron-level member and receive reciprocal free or discounted admission to nearly 200 children’s museums nationwide and in Canada. Patron-level members also receive four free one-time use guest passes (a $52 value) and four free one-time use passes to Dancing Wings Butterfly Garden (a $16 value). Upgrade today!

From T. Tudor Newsletter

This is an excerpt from Cellar Door. Since the Dolls' Christmas, I think I've lived and breathed Tasha Tudor, and I've collected her books and memorabilia for many years. My prize is a letter she wrote and illustrated for me, with sketches of Sethany Ann and Nicey Melinda. I now have original dolls like them in the Museum, and I ahve dressed another like Annabelle. I sued to show video of her and play a tape; she was a tough woman, but gentle. How I wanted to live like her! I've never found anyone who's art I like better; she has something about her style that is both whimsical and realistic. Enjoy the excerpt below; she was a woman for all seasons- McCready and Dorr Residencies in New Hampshire Artists know other artists, of course. We can be grateful that the watercolorist Tasha Tudor should have been a close friend of the photographer Nell Dorr. Dorr encouraged Tudor. And Tudor served as both a photographic model for Dorr as well as living out the ideals that Dorr espoused. If you do not know Dorr's work, Google her and you will find that she learned photography from her father at a young age. Her Mother and Child is a lovingly presented photo essay featuring her family and Tasha Tudor's family. The two women collaborated to create the 1955 dolls' wedding and the filmic record of the event The Golden Key. You may also have seen the 1955 Life magazine that reported the fantasy dolls' wedding to the world. Nell Dorr was a generation older than Tudor. We do not know the circumstances of the young artist Tasha Tudor's meeting with the older photographer Nell Dorr. It is certain that they met while both lived in Connecticut. Perhaps Tudor's artist mother introduced them. Dorr's daughter Elizabeth and Tudor were born in 1915. Tom and Tasha McCready's first child Bethany was born in 1940 during their Redding, CT, residence. Nell Dorr was Bethany's godmother and remained close throughout her life. We know from a brief history of the Saugituck Reservoir that Nell Dorr and others met Connecticut governor Wilbur Cross in his chambers about 1930 to protest the flooding of the Saugatuck valley to create a water supply for the city of Bridgeport. The project went forward and today the 827 acre lake covers part of the town of Redding. It is only ½ mile from the house on Tudor Road where Tasha and Tom McCready began their family life. This is the house Rosamund Tudor purchased after her divorce to be close to her friend Rosamund Mikkleson, a granddaughter of the author Nathaniel Hawthorn. There is an often repeated story that Nell Dorr moved her daughters and grandchildren to New Hampshire from the Connecticut coast for safety during World War II. Her husband John V. N. Dorr and her three sons-in-laws were serving in the war. In truth, the war was nearly at an end when she purchased a farm in New Hampshire, although the family may have been renting for some time prior to the purchase. I have not been able to determine who discovered Southern New Hampshire first - the McCreadys or the Dorrs. Their legal actions were nearly simultaneous. The Merrimack County, NH, Registry of Deeds gives some facts, but it doesn't answer the question. Thomas Leighton McCready, Jr. and Tasha Tudor McCready purchased the Ed Garrish farm in Webster, NH, on March 20, 1945, Liber 607, folio 136. One month later on April 24, 1945, 613:318, Nell Dorr purchased the Harry Pelren farm in neighboring Hopkinton, three miles distant. Another often repeated story is that Tudor used the proceeds from her Mother Goose to purchase the Gerrish farm. Mother Goose was published in October 1944; a first royalty check for the work would have been received in Spring 1945. The McCreadys give their address at the time as Hopkinton, indicating that they had already left Connecticut and were renting temporary housing. Virginia Nell Dorr (of Westport, CT) purchased her property in her own name. John V. N. Dorr signed a mortgage with her, but relinquished his right of curtesy at the same time. Dorr sold her first purchase to her daughter Elizabeth and husband John Howe a year later. She bought another old property nearby and retained it until August 27, 1959, 848:525. She remained in Connecticut until her death. The McCreadys divorced with her husband signing a quit claim deed to Tasha Tudor McCready May 3, 1961, 881:279. His former wife changed her name legally to Tasha Tudor, remarried, divorced a second time, and finally sold her 400 acre farm to a neighbor up the road, Abby A. Rockefeller (daughter of David Rockefeller) September 10, 1971, 1107:405. At that time she moved to her final home in Marlboro, Vermont