Posted 10 years ago
mulemama
(6 items)
These doll's/statue's belonged to my Grandma, she was born in 1894. as a child when visiting her on rainy day's, we were allowed to take these out of their box, and look at them. they average 2 1/2" tall, there are 11 of them. there are 2 Gentlemen with Top Hat's, and cane's. 2 Ladies carrying small purse's, and parasol's, and wearing lovely hat's. 2 Doctor's carrying bag's. 2 children, 1 little girl in a sundress, wearing a straw hat. 1 little boy wearing a sailor suit, sadly he has been broken. 2 Soldier's in uniform, wearing sword's on their side's. 1 nurse (?) we think one of them is missing. it is thought they may be made out of chalk, they have been in my family for 121 year's !! since my grandma passed away in 1980, both my mother, and myself have tried to find out all we could about them. after 35+ year's of searching, we are no closer to learning any more about them, but I still take them out, and look at them, and remember back 45 year's to when I was little, and we use to make up stories about them...
Lovely! Looks like they're made of papier-mache? Some resemblance to these Japanese from the 40's: https://img0.etsystatic.com/000/0/6376009/il_570xN.329410368.jpg
These are amazing.
Olofz, yes they do resemble those doll's you provided a photo of. my doll's could be made of papier mache, we don't really know what they are made of, since no one that has seen them know's of any other's like them- of their age. thank you so for the photo.
Hi Katherinescollections, they are, aren't they ? They still amaze me as much at 53, as they did when I was 5. thank you, for your nice comment.
At the end of this article there is a section of acknowledgments, several people listed as resources, you might try tracking down the names via google and emailing them to see if they can enlighten you.
http://www.si.edu/mci/downloads/relact/papier_mache.pdf
Thank you katherinescollectables, as I said any information will be welcomed. I am now realizing "you can't take it with you", thank you for taking the time, and helping me with identifying my doll's. I know technically they aren't "doll's, but that is what my grandma called them, aren't grandma's always right? :)
Agree with all of the above. Amazing! They could be in a museum! And what a nice story :)
Very nice . They appear to be pressed paper mache hard to tell without holding them . They paper mache was pressed into a mold and they look like perhaps doll house dolls. What a great heirloom to have !
Vintagefran, and Manikin, thank you for the nice comment's. Yes, I would agree about them being Museum worthy myself ! I have had comment's on them possibly being from a doll house, also maybe from a general store display. I wonder if there is only 1 (nurse) missing ? as far as being molded, the Soldier's boot's are different, the Men have different expression's,the Ladies dresses are different, and so on. :)