Friday, August 30, 2013

Dressing Doll's Fairy Tale-Paper Dolls

This set of postcards called Dressing 
Dolls' Fairy Tale, were printed in Great Britain 
and sold in America in 1912.  The directions
for cutting and assembling are on the address
 side of the postcard. The colors are gorgeous
and of course, I love animals as people.  Wouldn't
 it have been exciting for a little girl to receive one 
of these in the mail box?

  Original drawings are by Louis Wain, a British 
artist, best know for his drawings of
large eyed cats & kittens dressed as humans.

 "I take a sketch-book to a restaurant, or other public 
place, and draw the people in their different positions as
 cats, getting as near to their human characteristics 
as possible. This gives me doubly nature, and these 
studies I think to be my best humorous work."
Louis Wain
 
 A prolific artist, Wain produced as many as several
hundred drawings a year.  He illustrated about 100 
children's book, and his work appeared in magazines,
 papers and on postcards.

 He was active in several animal organizations in Britain,
including the Society for the Protection of Cats,
the Governing Council of Our Dumb Friends League,
(couldn't use a name like that today!) and was
president of the National Cat Club.

Author H. G. Wells said of him,
 "He has made the cat his own. He invented a cat style,
 a cat society, a whole cat world.   English cats
 that do not look and live like Louis Wain cats are
 ashamed of themselves."
Louis Wain
1860-1939
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
 As a little girl I loved paper dolls, and my daughter
and nieces played with them too.  Paper dolls
were great for a trip and didn't take up much room.
 Leann's paper dolls are still  kept in the little suitcase
that she'd take to Grandma's house. 
 Here are a few of them. 
Kitty Cucumber and friend.

Ma Petite Amie the French paper
doll that helped teach French.

I wonder if little girls still
play with paper dolls or have
they gone out of fashion???

7 comments:

  1. Oh my, I love these! Mr. Wain could have been a fashion designer...much inspiration here. Our granddaughter still plays with dolls that are paper doll like, but heavy and unbending. Of course, the clothing can be embellished with stickers, glitter pens, etc. WE did have fun playing with them!

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  2. These are all so lovely. Yes, I think little girls still play with paper dolls. Well, the little girls I know of!
    Hugs,
    Susan

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  3. Beautiful pictures and it is amazing that you still have so many of your children's toys. I don't have anything left from when I was little. I remember the paper dolls, but I don't think I had any or very many. I do like the paper dolls and Mr. Wain made such beautiful ones. He did love cats. thanks for the pictures and information. We learn so much from your blog.

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  4. I wouldn't think they're still popular, given how cheaply dolls are sold in stores these days...one beauty of paper dolls was how a little girl could have so many ways to play with a doll she might not have otherwise been able to afford.

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  5. I remember when I was about ten years old sitting on my window bench in my bedroom with my next door neighbor friend Nancy and cutting out dresses from the JC Penney's catalog. We drew our own paper dolls from construction paper and cut them out with tin scissors that wouldn't cut anything but the thinnist of paper. All we needed were sheets of paper, crayons, scissors and a catalog and we were entertained for hours. Thanks for letting relive that memory Sherri,♥

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  6. i love these paper dolls starting my 4 yr old granddaughter with paper dolls and would love to know where I can get these

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  7. LOVE YOUR WEB SITE! THE CAT PAPER DOLLS ARE WONDERFUL! I AM A HUGE ANIMAL LOVER AND JUST LOVE ANIMAL PAPER DOLLS IN CLOTHES! THANKS FOR PUBLISHING THEM AS WELL AS THE ARTIST AS WELL, AS I LOVE TO SKETCH AND DRAW AS WELL.

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