Mrs. Stella Thomas: A Memory

My travels have taken me all over the world; my educational travels are no different. At one point in the early 80s, I landed in Iowa City to study. At the time, we didn’t have Goodwill at home. We had it in California, where my family lived, and it was a huge treat to go there at Christmas to look for dolls. I liked to prowl around the IC store and then stop at the Amelia Earhart deli for coffee or breakfast. We had everyone in IC, and there were times you were not sure if the person you were seeing was a or a woman, or if your movie theater companion would emerge wearing a Mohawk when the lights came on—and it didn’t really matter. We all managed to get along, to class, and stay friendly. The trouble was Goodwill downtown didn’t have many dolls. I would find maybe one in the whole store. Finally, I got the courage to ask where the dolls were, and was given a flier for a doll show, that very weekend, right before graduation! It was a Doll Show and Sale at the home of Mrs. Stella Thomas. She lived on College, which was part of the downtown, but too far to walk, especially if one had shopping bags full of doll treasures. I called a cab, universally $2.00, and started off. In Mrs. Thomas garage, not too far from the park we liked, and our favorite Haunted Book Shop, home of National Velvet paper dolls, were dozens and dozens of dolls. Most were restored, some dressed in original clothes, the oldest dating from the fifties up to the contemporary early 80s dolls, now vintage themselves. There were undressed dolls I later learned would be given away to those interested in dressing them, and there were boxes and boxes of doll parts. I went to work. I found Miss Revlon types, full dressed with the high heels so hard to find. I brought home a Bam Bam for free; he needed an arm and counted as free “parts.” I found hard plastic dolls, and Baby Secret, a doll I had wanted in the sixties. I took home an undressed Crissy to dress. All told, I had four white garbage bags filled with dolls, and these I sneaked by my 84-year-old landlady, not that she would have minded. The dolls went home to the cases at my parents’ home. After that, I went to the dolls show every year I lived in IC, and took my mom with me. After that, we would call Mrs. Thomas, and visit. She and I looked forward to talking to each other. The antiques dealers tended to leave her alone; comp and bisque dolls were the rage. A few would show up at her garage, but they were modern bisques, and a few compo babies in need of serious repair. One dealer we knew was her friend; Theo would help her by pricing some dolls, and donating some of her own stock to sell. Theo was a nice lady, and she, too, would encourage those interested in all types of dolls to visit. I don’t know if the UFDC would have applauded her efforts. She told me that a couple of times, someone would criticize who the dolls were dressed. Mrs. Thomas and her friends used donated material to dress the dolls, and often made ties and ribbons from pieces of yarn. Undaunted, she replied to these nay Sayers, “If you’re old enough to comment and criticize how the dolls are dressed; you’re too old to be playing with them!” That should be a battle cry! There were also stories with the dolls; Mrs. Thomas told me one cloth bodied baby doll had returned to her at least twice, redonated so that she could have a new cloth body cover twice made for her. That dolls resides at The Museum now, never to be redonated again. Mrs. Thomas was a simple person; her home was a modest fifties ranch. Her son, a science teacher, lived with her. When she found out my mom was a teacher, she talked about him proudly and often to us. She wore her salt and pepper hair page boy length, and wore old fashioned horn rimmed glasses. She had a simple rain coat for cool weather, dark in color, and favored flowered house dresses, like my grandma wore in the sixties and seventies. She and her friends made the doll show a party, and would have lunch during the show, usually bologna sandwiches and apple pie and cookies. Theo told me she died about ten years ago or so at 91. Theo, to, is no longer with us, and another era in doll collecting history, at least mine, has ended. I recently took a trip to IC, and couldn’t help but think of her as I drove through the familiar streets. I like to think She, Theo, Mary Hiller, our friend Violet, and Mom are all together somewhere now, talking dolls, maybe dressing a few, reminiscing, and waiting for me. Happy New Year 2013.

Marque and Rockwell

I was pondering my dolls, and one of the newest editions, a Repro A. Marque, and was struck by the similarity to a Grace Corey Rockwell head in my collection. I also recently read an article in Antique Doll Magazine about an "American Marque" that was, well, an "unmarked Marque" which strongly resembled the French Doll. Below is some catalog information on the A. Marque doll, examples of which were in collections of Dina Vierny, Mildred Seeley, and Dolls in Wonderland. Lot: 17. An Outstanding and Extremely Rare French Bisque Doll by Albert Marque 22" (56 cm.) Bisque socket head with highly-artistic sculpting achieved by a unique four-part mold used only for this doll,prominent definition of facial planes,softly-rounded nose,heart-shaped face with elongated slender throat,brown glass paperweight eyes,thick dark eyeliner,painted dark curly lashes,feathered brows,accented eye corners,shaded nostrils,closed mouth with petulantly-shaped lips,well-modeled pierced ears,original brunette human hair hand-tied wig,original uniquely modeled body with elongated tapered-shape torso,wide hips,undefined waist,composition upper arms,bisque lower arms with bisque attached-ball-joints at the elbows,separately sculpted fingers,wide upper thighs,elongated lower legs with shapely calves,elongated narrow feet. Condition: generally excellent. Marks: A. Marque (incised signature) 65 (inscribed number on head) Cauchoise (pencil signature on foot). Comments: France,circa 1916,the artistic doll was commissioned from and sculpted by the esteemed French sculptor,Albert Marque,for an exhibition presented by Parisian art patron,Margaine-Lacroix in her fashion boutique. It is believed that only about 100 models of the Marque doll were created,most bearing their particular number in the series,this being #65,and some still bearing the pencil notation on their foot describing their costume,this being Cauchoise,referring to French Normandy region of Caux,near to Rouen. The history of the doll from 1916 to 1943 is not known,although at some point it was acquired by the North Carolina antiquarian,Mr. Tipton,whose antique shop in Charlotte and summer shop in the luxury resort town of Blowing Rock,North Carolina presented prestige art objects. In 1943,Mr. Tipton sold this doll to its present owner who cherished and preserved for its next 67 years until its presentation at this auction (the name of this owner will be available to the buyer). The Marque dolls were presented at their 1916 Paris Exhibition in costumes of one of three major themes,this being from the theme of dolls in historical French costumes,namely Cauchoise (the other themes were French court and Russian folklore). Value Points: superbly preserved condition of the extremely rare doll,with outstanding quality of bisque and painting,original wig,perfect original body,original undergarments,signed shoes,and superb ivory silk faille costume with patterned flowers,black velvet ribbon trim,rose silk apron with lace edging,silk sash,earrings,cameo brooch. Realized Price: 160000 I have no pretensions of finidng the ultra rare original Marque, but am currently looking for good replicas and information about all things Marque. I read in a Coleman publication years ago that Andrew Carneghie commissioned Marque dolls for display, and that these cost almost 1000 in the early 1900s, a about 1914. This is a relatively late French bisque in the world of antique dolls, and it comes at a time when other French dolls are supposedly "in decline," though I've always thought even the later SFJB dolls were wonderful.

I include some photos from my files for comparison, and some information on Grace Corey Rockwell, who, like Marque, was an artist.

Here is a link from the Antiques Roadshow Guide to Collectibles, a Google book online, with info on dolls and in particular, comments on Rockwell dolls by the late Richard Wright: http://books.google.com/books?id=Nk14Us8-iCsC&pg=PA265&lpg=PA265&dq=grace+corey+rockwell&source=bl&ots=c-RMANwc0m&sig=L2IH2BeOV_NsH5ciV015ZsswCWY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=vCPfUMD1OoiFqgGQ-4CwAw&sqi=2&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=grace%20corey%20rockwell&f=false The site Items of Antiquity advertised a Rockwell doll for $5000; these dolls were usually made in the 1930s, about 16 years after Marque. From the site eloradollhouse.com, comes a repro Rockwell doll for 59.99. http://www.eloradollhouse.com/products.php?cat=85&pg=2

Here is a German database for old toys with information for a Rockwell doll sold by Julia auctioneers: http://www.historytoy.com/Rockwell-Grace-C_4 Database for Old Toys:

Doll Museum: Doll Museum: Nativity Sets and St. Francis

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Happy New Year and Photos from Cinicnatti; Long Awaited!

I was at an estate sale today, and ran into an old friend. She used to have a shop called De Kleine Winkle, or Little Store. Oh the dolls and antiques my mother and I used to find there, Nancy Anns mint in their original boxes, a 3' plust Minierva celluloid head, all original, dressed as a Scots Highlander, many art dolls and pieces of china, old lace, a 1920s photo in a guilt frame of a group of women dressed in 1880s styles. It was wonderful. She said she was glad to see I was still dolling, and I said, "Are you Kidding, till they haul me in a box to the cemetery! And even then, I may not stop!" That is my battle cry for 2013. At the sale I found a Marque replica, 24 inch, well made, and a lovely french replica, both wearing lavender silk and lace dresses and poitned french shoes on ball-jointed bodies, dressed in Golden Age stypes. I found a Chinba Poblana paointed, jointed cloth doll, similar to dolls from costa rica, and a Topsy Turvy girl from The Dominican Republic. There was a doll sized yuellow dperssion glass pitcher, and a ragtgedy andy made of rocks, a German beeswax angel, famious, and the manufacturer is escaping me now. These were very reasponaby priced, none more than 30.00 and some less than 10. I was selective, but there were some more collectible foreign dolls, all presented by my friend DT, the most honest person and antiques dealer, and a gentleman to boot. This was the first Xmas I did not get a doll, or for that matter, presents. I am not disgruntled; there are many good reasons for involving bills, many, many bills, surprise blizzards, surprise snow blowers, surprise car reparis, sands in the hour class dribbling too fast, relatives, inlaws, [good in laws], grades and finals week, etc. So, I am buying dolls and going to after Xmas sales when I can. Have done well with vintage Hallmark and Carlton, and Alexanders at discount stores. Found some beauties at Goodwill, and was able to dress and repair some of my dolls that have been waiting and languishing. I am constantly organizing and arranging The Museum, till we can find our permanent dream home. Here are some photos form Cinciniatti, all Ushabit, Cyclaid Idols, some African, expecially a bees was headed doll from the Sudan, the type my friend Mary Hillier researched and pictured in Dolls and Doll Makers. I've always marveled the wax dolls were made in such a hot climate. There will be more research on these dolls later, but for now, enjoy the long promised photos:

An Apologia for Countess Erzebet Bathory: Merry Christmas

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