Doll Auction at Bonhams

Los Angeles Fine Art, Antiquities and Collectibles Auction House, Bonhams, will be holding an auction on June 24, 2013 featuring the gorgeous dolls of the Alexandra and Sidney Sheldon collection. Predominating are numerous Lenci felt dolls all in remarkable condition, and some including extraordinary accessories such as trunks or the easter egg trouseau pictured. However there will also be a selection of antique teddy bears, bisque head dolls and other character figures on offer.

The online catalog is beautiful, clickable and detailed. Plus there are viewings of the collection in Los Angeles during the three days prior to the auction. It really is an extraordinary collection.

Sidney Sheldon was a best selling and award winning novelist, screenwriter and tv producer. The couple were well known as collectors of American Arts and Crafts as well as dolls. Alexandra Sheldon now serves on the board of the Bighorn Institute, dedicated to conserving native wild sheep.

Dioramas at Mission San Carlos Borromeo at Carmel

Inside the Mission at Carmel, behind glass is a miniature village scene that looks more like Renaissance Europe than ancient Bethlehem (other than the Greek Temple to one side). It's interesting. Opposite is a Good Friday scene of the Crucifiction. There are several beautiful icons and large scale figurines of The Blessed Mother with baby Jesus wearing richly ornamented Renaissance and Baroque fabric clothing complete with encrusted embroideries, as distinct from the statues where the clothes are stone, marble or plaster.

Seeking Dolls for Auction

Skinner Auction House is seeking antique dolls for consignment to auctions. They are offering a free auction evaluation online.

From the email:
"We are seeking 19th and early 20th century bisque dolls, fashion dolls, china head dolls, as well as cloth, wood, wax, and papier-mâché dolls for our October 2012 Discovery auction."

Upcoming Doll Auction

The estate collection of long time doll collector and restorer, Kathy L. Hipp, is being auctioned without reserves on July 14th by Auctioneers John McInnis in Amesbury, MA. You can set up absentee phone bidding. 

On the website is a lovely slideshow of just a few of the over 700 items that will be available. The doll manufacturers included is a who's who of fine doll making. Her eclectic collection spans French and German antique dolls, Madame Alexander right through to Barbies, G.I. Joes and Star Wars figures. Also included are miniatures and accessories. I should think just visiting the previews would be like attending a doll museum.

Rose Percy - a charitable doll does lunch.

Received from Jean Radke:

Doll Scholars of Southeast Wisconsin, a UFDC Member Club, will host the Remarkable Rose Percy Luncheon on Saturday, May 19, 2012, from 9A – 3P, at the Pfister Hotel Imperial Ballroom, to benefit the Milwaukee VA Spinal Cord Injury/Disease Center.

            The event will feature VIP Miss Rose Percy, “Duty’s Most Faithful Child,” a Civil War era doll, whose mission has been to assist charitable causes throughout her life. Miss Rose Percy began her mission at the 1864 Metropolitan Sanitary Fair in New York City where she was auctioned to raise funds for the aid of Civil War soldiers.  She continued her mission at the Red Cross National headquarters in Washington DC for several decades and was eventually sold to benefit victims of natural disasters.  Once again she is serving US veterans of all wars through her appearances.

  Special guests include Michael Canadas and David Robinson, directors of the Rose Percy Foundation; Louise Hedrick, Elm Grove, WI, author of “A French Fashion Doll’s Wardrobe”, National Antique Doll Dealers Association (NADDA) representatives from across the US, and Miss Rose Percy herself.

            Registered guests will be treated to a full day of festivities including a wonderful luncheon, a special presentation, a display of Rose Percy with her extensive wardrobe and accessories, and the opportunity to purchase fine quality antiques.  A limited edition illustrated book about Rose’s life story and other surprise souvenirs will go home with each guest. 

            The Doll Scholars will host auctions including antique dolls and clothing to raise funds to honor veterans and benefit the Milwaukee VA Spinal Cord Injury/Disease Center and The Historic National Soldiers Home, established in 1865.  Funds will be used primarily for veterans’ medical care and restoration of the national historic site.  The gift to the “Old Soldiers Home” pays homage to Milwaukee’s West Side Soldiers Aid Society who organized a 10-day Sanitary Fair in June 1865 to raise money for a permanent Wisconsin Soldiers Home, and continues Miss Rose Percy’s legacy.

********************************************************

The Doll Scholars are also seeking donations for the Soldiers Home:

Contributions can be sent to:

            UFDC - Doll Scholars of Southeast Wisconsin

            6707 Maple Terrace

            Wauwatosa, WI 53213

I'm quite fascinated with this Rose Percy doll. One thing it shows me is just how long people have been creating personas and stories for the dolls they design. It's not just the child with a doll making up wonderful imaginative play stories for her, which is no small thing. It's that dolls are art and people love storytelling through art. 

Claudia's Adventures

For your viewing pleasure, something to make you smile - The Adventures of Claudia blog.

From the same creative visionary who brings us Gerbils in Hats.

Life is good.

Candy dolls

Thanks go to Shari Harel, who has sent me notice of a series very special events coming up in November of intense interest to doll collectors.

Theriault's Antique Doll Auctions will be presenting for auction "Many Wonderful Things" 19th and early 20th Century dolls and automata on Saturday November 19, 2011, and  "To the Manor Born" 350 Madame Alexander dolls from Candy Spelling's spectacular collection  on Sunday November 20, 2011 at the historic Waldorf-Astoria in New York. These gorgeous MA dolls will be on display, open to the public, for 2 hours that morning from 9am-11am, after which the auction will commence.

Catalogs featuring the dolls from both auctions are available from the Theriault's website. (There are some nice links to informative sites there also.)

The press release description of Candy Spelling's well chosen and cared for collection makes me wish I had the wherewithal to participate:

"early portrait models such as Victorian Bride, red-haired Pink Champagne lady, Judy portrait, and Deborah Ballerina. There are Godey ladies and gentlemen, rare models from the Coronation series including Estrella, dolls from the Me and My Shadow series including Mary Louise, Victoria and Agatha. “Most of these dolls are so rare that they only appear on the market every ten years or so”, notes cataloguer Florence Theriault, adding “And to find them in such impeccable condition is just pure pleasure”.

The collection also includes four examples, Rachel, Joseph, Ruth and David, from the rare biblical series, a number of Wendy models inspired by Gone with the Wind including Aunt Pitty-Pat, Cousin Grace¸ Nana, Cousin Karen, and Aunt Agatha, and a baker’s dozen of rare dolls created exclusively for FAO Schwarz during the 1950s. There are plentiful and exquisite examples of the Alexander fashion icons, Cissy, Elise and Cissette, and legendary Alexander models costumed by the couturiers of the Ice Capades. The 8” Alexander child charmer, Wendy-kins, has been a special favorite of Candy Spelling, and rare and bountiful examples are offered including fashionable children, ballerinas, storybook princesses, brides, clowns, and dolls in historical fashions."

On Saturday November 19th, in the evening Candy Spelling herself will attend a Gala Reception, ready to sign copies of the catalog, to be held at Alexander Doll Company in New York - with the opportunity available to make more special purchases.
Please call 800-638-0422 or email info@theriaults.com to RSVP.

Doll Auction

Absolute Auctions is currently holding a huge doll auction continuing through February 21st. There are some antique dolls, porcelain antique and vintage repros and contemporary collector dolls. The current bids on many are remarkably low - although that may change as the auction moves forward. Many pictures of interesting dolls - click for more views.

October 6th is German-American Day commemorating the arrival of German settlers to Philadelphia in 1683.

There have been a lot of wonderful German doll makers. Here's a link to a travel site specializing in doll tours of Europe, including the International Puppenfestival Tour in May, 2010. Pardon me while I dream for a few minutes.

I'm ready to pack my bags after reading about visiting the ancient buildings that were once doll factories in Waltershausen, Germany. The page contains a fascinating description of doll making as a family based cottage industry in the 18th century and earlier.

In a similar tradition and closer to home, Sowatzka's Dolls is a family of doll makers, collectors and expert restoration artists. Gary has several pages of useful tips for collectors and many restoration techniques. As well, they are collecting personal doll memory stories(and offering prizes!). Many of these moving tales are about love and loss and redemption - the importance a doll can have in a child's life, or an adult's.

Antique Doll News

News from Skinner Auctions:
Skinner will be presenting the auction of The Richard Wright Collection of Rare and Important Dolls (Session I) on October 10th from 11am. The event is to be held in Marlborough, MA, but it is possible to attend virtually and bid online. Previews of the dolls will be held in the two days before the auction, and the pictorial catalog looks beautiful also.
In conjunction with this auction is another event of intense interest to antique doll collectors, The Rare Doll Gallery Walk (scroll down the page) on the evening of October 9th, discussing dolls from the Richard Wright Collection.

End of an Era Auction

Magnificent prop house 20th Century Props is closing its doors after 40 years of supplying props and set dressing to the motion picture industry. There will be an online and live auction running from Tuesday July 28 through Friday July 31st facilitated by auction house, Great American Group.Why is this of interest to doll folk? Well in the brochure I received by snail mail are shots of some of their toys, figurines and dolly hand props. Looks like there may be some antique and certainly some reproduction dolls, and robots, amongst the crowd.

Auction

Skinner Inc is offering a number of antique dolls as part of an upcoming Science, Technology and Clocks decorative art auction. The event will be in Marlborough, MA on July 25th.

Izannah

I had never heard of Izannah Walker until I was browsing recently. I'm so glad to have learnt about this part of American doll making history, an extraordinary woman whose work continues to be such a huge influence on many contemporary dollmakers. Izannah Walker Chronicles is a beautiful website, very pretty with a serene feeling, and lots of links.

Antique bears

I found the cutest site - a Teddy Bear Museum. Here are some pictures of sweet faced teddy's, and their historical context, including a copy of the original Teddy Roosevelt cartoon that started it all. Plus links and a forum.

Here is an online store that specializes in Antique Teddy Bears. I mention Lucky Bears Limited here both as a place to browse and investigate the old teddies, but also because under the Encyclopedia tab there is a lot of really useful information about caring for them to preserve their value and beauty. I like the idea of freezing out bug larvae.

Lotz of Carved Dolls

Here is a great collector's resource, that could lead to hours of happy reading. Lotz Doll Pages form a comprehensive collection of great information about carved dolls of all kinds, vintage and new and of all nations. I particularly enjoyed reading about Chinese Dolls of Hope which have a sweet quality about them.

Inspired

Ulla Milbrath maintains an absolutely elegant inspiration blog, that includes home decor, assemblages and dolls and figures by many different artists, including herself! It has romantic, sometimes shabby chic vintage aesthetic, but all the photography is just beautiful. You can almost smell the Lily-of-the-Valley and Gardenia, with the occasional hint of Jasmine. Visit often and be transported.

Ruby Lane

Ruby Lane is an antiques and collectibles online auction store with member stores including one called Old Babes that specializes in estate dolls and doll memorabilia. They currently have 40 antique doll related items including tiny purses and Shirley Temple Soaps.

There are several other doll stores within the Ruby Lane umbrella listing 13,060 doll items. Well I'm not planning on counting them, but that sounds like a good place to start looking for your next antique doll for your collection. Here's a Disney's Snow White from 1939.

Another Great Collector's Resource

...this time for those interested in antique dolls. This is an enjoyable site to browse around, full of great written information and pictures once you scroll past the google search bar and a few ads near the top of each entry. There are handy links to current Ebay auctions. I enjoyed clicking on the various types of dolls in the button column on the left. It's interesting to see some dolls that are clearly costumed as adults but have baby faces. The host of the site, Pam, is a longtime collector and lover of antique dolls, and includes comprehensive bibliographies with her articles.

Continuity

Portia Sperry was an entrepreneur and crafter during the Great Depression. She created a rag doll called "Abigail" as a teaching or activity doll with buttons and ribbons, which she employed local women in Brown County, Indiana to manufacture. The doll became so popular that she wrote a book called Abigail about a pioneer family. In this picture she is holding her second doll called "Nancy Hanks", and here is a sweet article and photo about one of them being donated to the Smithsonian after being a beloved plaything through generations.

Lincoln with a dolly

Here is an illustration of President Lincoln holding a doll. I'm guessing this is a metaphorical moment rather than historical incident, but it's a nice little doll for historical reference.

This is another picture of little Mary holding a doll from the another issue of the same publication.