June 8th Rendezvous, Theriault's-If you Love Variety! Courtesy, Theriault's

To see the dolls in the June 8th auction, click here. Theriault's Rendezvous, Nights at the Auction, are conducted at Theriault's headquarters office in Annapolis, Maryland. Plan in advance, get registered, and when the auction is set to begin - 7 PM EDT - click the audio/video on button. Join Theriault's for a fun and fast and fact-filled one-hour auction of great antique dolls. Just have fun and maybe bring home a doll. The dolls are all available for viewing and bidding online. You can leave pre-bids, you can absentee bid, or you can make a reservation to bid by telephone at the actual time of the auction. Or you can be there online when the fun begins and watch the live audio/video feed. For technical help with bidding live online call Proxibid toll free at Theriault's Premier Line at 855-264-8262. To receive notice of Theriault's auctions, go to theriaults.com and register to receive email notices. If you are planning a visit to Annapolis, call Theriault's at 410-224-3655 or email info@theriaults.com and plan to attend in person.

In Memory of Shirley Bertrand, Shirley's Doll House

I was lucky enough to visit Shirley's when I was just a teen, and she had just opened.  I kid you not;

 I gave up a chance to go to go to prom that year so I could see the dolls!  I always did well

and couldn't wait for the next trip.

Recently, Theriaullt's included some of her dolls in their auctions.  I know she had a great

collection, and on one visit, we had quite a chat with her husband.  Each month during the late 80s and 

early 90s brought a fresh newsletter from the doll house, and I eagerly anticipated them.  I've saved

them all.  Even in San Jose, and the Holiday of Black Dolls Festival in 1990, their were postcards

promoting dolls offered by Shirley's.

Like another Shirley we all know and love, Mrs. Bertrand was a beloved institution in the world of doll

collecting.  In fact, it was there I first saw the action figure of Muhammad Ali, who left us only this week.

She had everything there, and her doll library alone made your drool.  May she rest in peace, may 

all in the doll world know she was loved and will be missed.

Obituary of Shirley Bertrand

Shirley M. Bertrand nee Palmer age 78 of Wadsworth, IL formerly of Menomonie, WI. Cherished daughter of the late William and late Evelyn Palmer. Beloved mother of Susan Wade, John (Mary Sue) Petersen, Steve (Kim) Petersen and Ellen (Ed) Stober. Loving grandmother of Samantha, Nick, Dan, Stephanie, Jeff, Lindsey, Abbey, Christian, Eric, Kylie, Maggie and the late Billy. Fond sister of the late Florence (late Paul) Sorenson and Roger (Gloria) Palmer. Aunt of many. Shirley was the proud Owner of Shirley’s Dollhouse in Wheeling for 40 years.

Visitation Saturday 1 pm until time of Life Celebration Service at 5:30 pm at Kolssak Funeral Home, 189 S. Milwaukee Ave. (2 Blocks South of Dundee Road) Wheeling. Interment Private. In lieu of flowers donations to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital at www.stjude.org appreciated. For Funeral info 847.537.6600, www.funerals.pro

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On James Patterson and Toys R Us

Mr. James Patterson, Toys R Us, and Nursery Rhymes; We Salute a Terrific Author!

Today on "Sunday Morning", CBS, author James Patterson was profiled.  I have been addicted to his books for some time, and as a writer myself, applaud and admire how prolific and consistently good he is.  I admit to being addicted to the Dr. Alex Cross mysteries and to The Women's Murder Club.  Many of the Cross novels have titles borrowed from nursery rhymes, including "Along Came A Spider" and "Mary, Mary."  Today's profile revealed that he was an ad man behind the Toy R Us famous campaign, " I don't want to grow up! I'm a Toys R Us Kid . . ."  From time to time, I've seen dolls and toys appear as props in his novels, but this tidbit was icing on the Easy Bake Oven cake for me!  Also, he was his class valedictorian, and wrote stories when he held an early job that proved a challenge.  Same as me! Not that I could ever have his talent, and I was 8th in my class of 500, but Mr. Patterson shares that talent Dickens and King have; he draws in his readers, and makes you feel as if you are there with him,  a good friend sharing confidences.  He also suffered great loss and personal tragedy, and he went on.  This is something I am trying to do in light of a difficult couple of years of family illnesses, emergencies, and tragedies, along with the loss of my other, aunt, and many other relatives and good friends.  But, like Mr. Patterson, my late mother would have urged us that life goes on.  Patterson is a versatile, vibrant author.  He inspires me, both by his life example and by his talent, and for that, we at the museum have to thank him!

Public Domain

Doll Museum: The 21st Century Continued: The Shirley Temple For...

Doll Museum: The 21st Century Continued: The Shirley Temple For...: With the World Stamp Show concluding June 4th, I thought this would be a great time to talk about the new stam...

Ruby Lane Celebrates World Doll Day | Ruby Lane Blog

Ruby Lane Celebrates World Doll Day | Ruby Lane Blog

Soirée with Theriault's!!

 Some of my favorite films involve ballet, parties, and dance!   I love  "The Turning Point" and "White Nights", anything with "The Nutcracker Ballet", ballroom dancing, Gene Kelly.         A couple of good friends and I, including my dear Greg B., who passed away suddenly 6 years ago, used to get together for our own soirees.  Greg believed in me and the museum, and I dedicated "A Bibliography of Doll and Toy Sources" to him. He liked to tease me about Margaret Woodbury Strong's collection by saying, "So she  has three or four more dolls than you do!!"  Below is the press release, graciously shared with us by Theriault's, on an amazing array of rare dolls and automatons.  As Lord Byron wrote, "On with the Dance/Let joy be unconfined!"

         Theriault’s antique doll auction in Las Vegas on May 14 was titled “Soirée”, a play on the French word for an evening gala and a nod toward the extraordinary musical automata that were featured. But the auction was actually an entire day of auction treasures that had fascinated bidders eagerly competing the entire time.  Highlighted was the estate collection of Ron and Mary Ellen Connors of Rogers, Arkansas, whose interests had clustered around musical automata, music boxes, and the glorious 19^th century bisque bébés of Emile Jumeau. 

“Bébé Triste with Toy Theatre and Pup in Basket” Courtesy Theriault's

            Automata and Jumeau came together in many of the most important pieces, notably a grand-sized automaton by Gustav Vichy known as “Bébé Triste with Toy Theatre and Pup in Basket.”  Vichy’s use of the rare “triste” model by Jumeau was a clue  to the luxury quality of the piece , which featured a tumbling acrobat in the theatre, a pup with waving paw in the basket, and a bisque child delighted by all the toy treasures she was holding.  A splendid 30” tall, no other example is known to exist; she sold for $44,800.  Other automata included Vichy’s “organ Grinder with Dancing Doll” topping at $22,00, Lambert’s “The Spanish Mandolin Player” at $20,100, a “Troubadour Playing the Mandolin” by Roullet et Decamps for $8700, and Lambert’s “The Ballerina” for $11,500; 25 musical automata, in all, were sold to enthusiastic bidders.

            Among the beautiful dolls of Emile Jumeau that were presented at the auction were the very rare E.J.A. which was made by the firm for one or two years only, circa 1879; it soared to $34,700.  A very rare size 20 Bebe Jumeau, the largest model made and likely for exhibition purposes only, topped at $33,400, selling to a private collector who had bid against Mr. Connor some 15 years ago when the doll was originally presented at a Theriault’s auction.  “I’ve dreamt about this doll forever, it seems”, she said, joyfully.  Other rare Jumeau bébés include a lady-bodied tete model with her original elaborate Spanish costume and wooden shipping box, topping at $10,000; a tete model in outstanding original couturier Asian costume and headdress at $9000; a gorgeous and all-original Bebe Jumeau, size 16, with original chemise, wig and box at $15,000, a “Paris Bebe” at $7700, and a tiny 8” bébé with rare “F” markings at $6000.  More than 50 gorgeous examples of the Jumeau dols were presented at the auction, with prices especially strong.

Little Nell by Chase, Courtesy Theriault's

            The auction also featured the collection of the late Carolyn Guise of Dayton, Ohio.  During the heyday of her collecting years, Mrs. Guise lived near Pawtucket, Rhode Island, the hometown of the revered American cloth dolls by Martha Chase.  The seeking and acquiring of rare Chase dolls became a preoccupation of the discerning collector, whose collection included nearly two dozen examples, each different.  Especially notable was a brown-haired lady with rare double chignons, presented in their original box, which sold for $4800; another brown-haired lady with are double spit curls at the sides of her forehead went to $3900; “Little Nell” lady topped at $1700, while another brown-haired lady with classic chignon and original box realized $1900.  A large black cloth “Mammy” doll sold for $5500; while a rare 12 “black-complexioned child was $6000.  The bald-headed gentleman known as “Mr. Micawber” topped at $5200, while a younger handsome lad with stylish side-parted hair soared to $7000.  All prices reflect a 12% buyer’s premium.

            Theriault’s Marquis cataloged doll auctions are considered “events’ in the doll world, featuring museum-quality displays, pre-auction lectures by noted authorities, and even the signature hot fudge sundae breaks.  For those who cannot attend, absentee bidding is encouraged including written bids, live telephone bidding