September 10, 2014

Ten fabulously cool historical paper doll books from Dover Publications


There's something about the return of September, bringing with it, as it does, a new school year and in turn, even if it's been an age and a half since you last saddled up to a desk with a fresh pack of number two pencils in hand, memories of one's own youth. I always, without fail, feel a powerful sense of nostalgia in September. It's not so much that yearn to a child again (though that could be fun for a day or two!), but rather that I enjoy looking back with a deeply rooted fondness on many of the elements of my early youth that went hand-in-hand with those formative school years.

Part of me wants to pretend its the 1980s or 90s again. To eat Fruit Roll-Ups and Cool Ranch Doritos, drink a Capri Sun, watch a VHS (okay, who forgot to rewind it?!) on a chunky, boxy silver and black hued TV, open up a closet twinkling with neons and synthetic fabrics, tease my bangs, and bust out all those toys - and there was no shortage of them, I will always consider my youth to be one of the most prolific times the world has ever known on the toy industry new release front - that I enjoyed playing with when life was, at least to some extents, a simpler time.

Like many of the era, I had my fair share of modern playthings, but I also enjoyed simpler, classic toys as well, very much including paper dolls. I wouldn't say I had a massive collection, but I can very fondly recall three books in particular: one was a winter carnival ice princess themed collection that came my way very early in life, another featured The Quints (a toy line aimed at young girls which featured a family of quintuplet babies), and the third was - not surprisingly in the slightest for the era - Barbie themed.

Just as scores of little girls have for ages now, I also enjoyed making my own paper dolls. Drawing on and cutting rudimentary figures and their wardrobes out of lined, white, wrapping or construction paper. The homemade ones never seemed to last quite as long as the store bought versions, but both were every bit as much fun and in an age fuelled by modernity, talking teddy bears, plastic action figures as far as the eye could see, dolls that claimed to be born in a cabbage patch, and the birth, for all intents, of the video game generation, there was something downright peaceful and thoroughly pleasant about paper dolls.
 
Their use (assuming one cut up or punched them out of their respective books) called on a child's imagination and creativity. They weren't as "3D" as Barbie, Gem, My Little Pony, or any of the other scores of dress up/hair brushing (toy companies were borderline obsessed with having little girls brush their toy's hair in the 80s and early 90s) that plastered the marketplace and pages of the Sears Wish Book catalogs each winter, but they could provide every bit as much fun and I don't remember a friend or female classmate who didn't jump at the chance to play paper dolls (and for that matter, plenty of little boys enjoyed them as well, even if they wouldn't admit as much in front of their peers, with whom they'd no doubt be talking about He Man, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Garbage Pail Kids, Transformers, or GI Joe).

Paper dolls certainly weren't invented in the days of my youth however, not by a long shot. Their history dates back at least to 18th century France (with earlier versions, though not always indented as children's playthings, appearing centuries before then still), with the first commercial versions, according to this terrific article on the history of paper dolls, appearing in 1810 in London, England. Dolls featuring celebrities, from dancers to royal family members, actresses to historical figures soon followed in the decades to come and the popularity of paper dolls would continue to skyrocket for the next few generations (reaching its zenith in the 1930s through to the 1960s).

It has never died out entirely though, thankfully, and many people - men and women alike - adore collecting (and in some cases, still playing with) - paper dolls. How could they not? There is nothing, even with all the toys that have followed in the last two to three centuries, quite like paper dolls out there, and I doubt there ever will be. It's possible that one day youngsters will 3D print their own toys, and paper dolls will fall into the realm of merely being quaint, charming collectibles still treasured by a handful of classic toy fans. For now though, thankfully, one can still readily buy and enjoy all manner of beautiful paper dolls, whether they're a serious collector, a nostalgic fan like me, or shopping for the youngsters or fashion loving folks in their lives.

Unquestionably one of the most appealing and important aspects of paper dolls has been their ability to so perfectly capture the fashions, hairstyles and other important historical elements of the era (or, sometimes, an earlier one) that they date from. In more recent decades in particular, there has been a surge in modern paper dolls that are historically themed and today, in honour of that fact and that such books are such to appeal to scores of my vintage (and historical costume) loving readers, I wanted to shine the spotlight on ten seriously delightful paper doll sets from Dover Publications, one of Chronically Vintage's newest blog sponsors this year.

Long (decades!) before I had the great pleasure of partnering with Dover in such a capacity, I'd been a huge fan of their paper dolls (and other kinds of publications, very much including their wide range of excellent, informative books devoted to historical fashions and costumes, many of which I've enjoyed studying with gusto and intensity over the years). However it is paper dolls upon which I'd like to shine the spotlight at the moment with a selection of different books (amongst the dozens that this company produces) that would have appealed every bit as much to my six year old self as they do to me, a vintage and history loving 30 year old lady, now today.

 photo TenfabulouslycoolhistoricalpaperdollbooksfromDoverPublicationsblogpostheader_zpscdcbc6f1.png






1. With styles spanning evening attire to walking suits, Victorian Fashion Paper Dolls from Harper's Bazaar, 1867-1898, is chocked full of timelessly beautiful mid to late Victorian ensembles that first appeared in one of the world's foremost ladies fashion magazines and which capture the sartorial spirit of the era sublimely.




2. One of the most tony, moneyed, and stylish corners of America for generations now, Newport, Rhode Island was a fashionistas dream getaway destination in the early days of the 1900s, a point which the sweepingly lovely Newport Fashions of the Gilded Age Paper Dolls book page homage to with a look at outfits worn by such elite clans as the Vanderbilts, Astors, and Belmonts.




3. You'll want to drape yourself in silk, pearls and cloche hats rafter you flip through Art the book Deco Fashions Paper Dolls, which points the glittering limelight on some of the most beguiling, innovative and appealing lovely art deco clothing styles of the roaring twenties.




4. Always wanted to own an original haute couture vintage garment from France but couldn't afford it? (You're not alone!) Fear not, you can call 32 such innovative, breathtakingly beautiful looks your own in paper form via French Fashion Designers Paper Dolls: 1900-1950, which includes styles by such illustrious fashion designers as Worth, Diro, Lelong, Patou, Lanvin, Poriret, Chanel and many others.




5. Let your inner vintage screen siren shine via the book Glamorous Stars of the Forties Paper Dolls. It's teaming with fabulously lovely classic Hollywood stars like Hedy Lammar, Rita Hayworth, Veronica Lake, and Gene Tierney sporting endlessly stylish fashions by the likes of such prestigious designers as Vera West, Jean Louise, Adrian, and Oleg Cassini, who dressed and influenced Tinsel Town in countless ways during the mid-twentieth century.




6. Continuing in the same vein, Award-Winning Fashions of Edith Head Paper Dolls puts the work of this incredibly talented, tastemaker of a famously bespectacled Hollywood costume designer at the forefront with twenty-nine of her most enchanting, stylish looks ever.




7. And for a more French take on designer fashions, we turn to a book bursting with looks by none other than one of the biggest powerhouses of her time in this field, Gabrielle "Coco" Channel in Chanel Fashion Review Paper Dolls, which sure to having you pining even more for one of her sophisticated, understatedly gorgeous creations.




8. Designer of my all-time favourite style movement of the late 1940s/early 1950s, the New Look, Dior's work graces the pages of Classic Fashions of Christian Dior: Re-created in Paper Dolls, which is pretty much my dream vintage couture wardrobe sandwiched between the covers of one fabulous book of paper dolls.




9. In Great Fashion Designs of the Fifties Paper Dolls: 30 Haute Couture Costumes by Dior, Balenciaga and Others, we're treated to some of the most prestigious, enchantingly beautiful designer fashions of the era, as dreamed up by some of the leading lights in the industry during the exciting post-war years of the fabulous fifties.




10. And for a more everyday, yet equally marvelous set of mid-century fashions, be sure to check out American Family of the 1950s Paper Dolls, which highlights some of the most iconic looks that ladies and gents of all ages sported throughout that decade.


{All images via Dover Publications. Please click on an image of the link in the text below

it to be taken to its respective page where it can be purchased, if desired, directly from Dover.}


♥ ♥ ♥



Much as I would love to sometimes, I can't turn back the hands of time. The 1980s and 90s, and all the decades the proceeded them, are long gone, but thankfully some of the best and most endearing toys and collectibles from them are still with us, very much including paper dolls. It’s heartwarmingly fantastic to know that there are still some really terrific companies out there, such as Dover, who still produce new paper doll books, including many like the selection of ten highlighted in today's post that are sure to find extra special favour with vintage fans the world over.

Which of these paper doll books from Dover call your name? Do you collect paper dolls yourself? Remember playing them with great fondness, too? What would be your dream set of paper dolls?

Universally beloved, paper dolls are sweet, fun and charming. Modern versions such as this don't break the bank in the slightest, offer countless hours of playtime fun for the young and young at heart alike, and can be educational all in the same go.

Little me would have gone utterly weak in the knees for any of Dover's fantastic historical paper doll sets and, you know, grown up me would (and does) still as well - only now, instead of cutting them out and inviting my friends over to play, I'd spend my time admiring and daydreaming about owning many of the fantastic outfits featured in them.

36 comments:

  1. We love paper dolls! My oldest girl has some of the Tom Tierney paper dolls. We have a colonial American ones and Civil War ones. There are also two sisters who have created historical women paper dolls (Pocahontas, Priscilla Mullins, First Lady Dolly Madison, etc.) to teach girls history and we like them, too.
    http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005EHP1GC/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?qid=1410360245&sr=8-7&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70
    One of our favorite sources has to be a website where you can print for free from an extensive collection of vintage paper dolls, including paper dolls greeting cards.
    http://tpettit.best.vwh.net/dolls/pd_scans/
    My daughter also takes the American Girl doll catalogs and cuts out the dolls, clothes, and furniture to make paper dolls.
    I still enjoy playing with them, too.
    Sarah

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    1. That's so heartwarmingly wonderful! I hope that if I ever have a little girl (and of course, if I have a son who is interested in them, too), she and I can follow in your footsteps and have fun playing with paper dolls together (vintage themed ones for mommy, naturally :D).

      Thank you very much for sharing those great links, I really appreciate it, especially since my own interest in paper dolls has really been rekindled in the process of welcoming Dover as a sponsor, then researching and writing this post.

      Big hugs, sweet Sarah!
      ♥ Jessica

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  2. These are incredibly, astoundingly amazing. I can't even pick a favorite they are all so wonderful! I love coming to your blog for tidbits like this. I always find something unique to add to my repertoire of vintage knowledge! Have a great day pretty lady!

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  3. I loved paper dolls as a kid, but unfortunately, none of mine were quite as gorgeous as these! While 4-year-old me might not have known who Edith Head was, it still would've been fun to dress up dolls in such luxurious fashions. I mostly had Disney paper dolls. My absolute favorite was Jasmine because she had such a wide variety of outfits, most of which she never even wore in the movie. Those were about torn to shreds by the end of it, I played with her so much!

    Cheers!
    Jenny

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    1. Oooh, same here - I've always loved vintage, so I would have been seriously enamored with Ms. Head's creations for their resounding beauty, even at a young age. I'd venture to bet that we'll both be buying a book or two of vintage themed paper dolls for our daughters, should we have them one day.

      Big hugs & many thanks for your terrific comment,
      ♥ Jessica

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  4. i know them i qwn the 50s and 60s paper doll book. i bought them almost 20 years ago ... (gaaah! i'm old!!!!). i didn't know that they have specials like 'glamorous stars of the fourties', how fun!

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  5. These are really really cool! Thank you for sharing these, I'm definitely buying one. I love paper dolls.

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    1. My pleasure, dear gal! I'm delighted to know that caught you eye so much and hope you adore whichever book(s) you buy. I highly suspect that they're a bit like potato chips - you can't stop at just one! :D

      ♥ Jessica

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  6. Those look like so much fun! I would especially love to have the deco book and the Dior one, they're so fabulous. I love that they use contemporary fashion illustrations, at least for some of them - I feel like that's so helpful for really getting a sense of the line and style, and seeing what they thought of as beautiful and fashionable in the period.

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    1. Excellent observation, dear gal, I completely agree.

      ♥ Jessica

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  7. I love paper dolls. I love Dover too, they have really awesome products. When I was little, I had the standard Barbie paper dolls, but I also had a book of Princess Diana paper dolls that I LOVED. I think it was published by Golden. I wish I still had it now!

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  8. I know someone who started collecting these books in her late teens and I always thought it was a great hobby to get into! I love the look of the Dior one and the Great Fashion Designs of the 50s - the outfit on the left is very Marilyn in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes!

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  9. These are divine, I had seen a few of these books in a shop, but didn't realise the range was so broad! They're delightful, I can see these being a wonderful little gift for the fashion lover. Thanks for sharing! P x

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  10. This brings back a lot for me! I was crazy about paperdolls when I was young and I just love Tierney's. I had to have them all! I was obsessed with the '40s then and that was a couple of decades ago, too...sheesh! Anyhow, great post and I love hearing about what's going on in your world!

    -Krystle! 1930slife.blogspot.com

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    1. Thank you very much, Krystle. Tierney's books are just incredible. I think I'll be adding a few to my Christmas wishlist this year after putting together this post. :)

      ♥ Jessica

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  11. Oh, that Glamorous Stars of the 40's one is fabulous, I would pretend I was the doll and all those wonderful clothes are mine. I always did, and still do love to play pretend. Al though now that I'm an adult (according to age) I call it daydreaming. Thank you for sharing these lovely treasures with us.

    She Knits in Pearls

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  12. They are so much fun! I introduced some children to these once and they loved them and made their own! I used to love these when I was younger (although they weren't quite as glam as this collection).

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  13. I was a very big paper-doll maker back in the day! And my mom used to buy us some of these dover paperdoll books as a treat when we were going on long cart trips to keep up occupied. I love those fashions!

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  14. In general, I'm a fan of Dover's offerings (so many great otherwise forgotten out-of-print books waiting to be discovered) and these paper dolls look great. I would have loved to have those as a child. My mother and her art school friends would make sure our paper dolls had up-to-date fashions though, and I can remember requesting specific wardrobe items that I wouldn't have minded having myself (go-go boots, mini dresses, etc.). I made my son some comic book characters/super heroes when he was small and interested in them. He still has a few packed away.

    I'm glad to see these books of dolls being made available. Apart from being fun to look/play with, they are educational and unlike most of what seems to entertain young people today, they don't involve gluing your eyes to a screen you manipulate with your thumbs.

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  15. thank you so so so much for reminding me of these! I had several in the 1980s when I was alittle girl. My favorite where the Victorian paper dolls. I totally remember that rose covered lilac dress on the cover but had forgotten until you posted this. I even remember picking them out at the local out store in my town. Thankyou so much for reminding of a precious childhood memory

    retro rover

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  16. I'm a paper doll aficionado from way (way, way) back. In the 60s McCall's magazine had a paper doll named Betsy McCall and she had a short story and several outfits in each issue. They were very fragile obviously and didn't hold up to much play, but the advantage was that there was always something new. (Good way for the fashion industry to brainwash young girls with that need for continual wardrobe updates!)
    I have several of the Dover books now, but I've never seen the American Family of the 50s - love it!

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    1. Wonderful paper doll classic to bring up, Katrina. Betsy McCall paper dolls are so incredibly charming!!! I've always thought they were fantastic and would love to come across some originals to add to my vintage ephemera collection one day while thrifting, at a yard sale, from an auction, etc.

      Thank you very much for your splendid comment - have a beautiful weekend!
      ♥ Jessica

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  17. YES! I LOVE Dover paper dolls! When I was in high school, I had a seamstress make my senior prom dress from a design in an Erté paper doll book from Dover Publications. They carry a huge line of these books at our local candy and novelty shop...I don't know WHY I haven't picked up a stack of them for Gbear yet! I think you've just given me some inspiration for the coming weekend. :)

    A truly wonderful post, as always, Jessica!

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  18. What an absolutely fabulous post, Jessica.
    I adored paper dolls. I must say, those dolls were (back in the gloomy past) a way for us girls to be designers, to create our own fashion lines.. to make a whole world. Once you open yourself up to the paper-doll heaven, you're stuck there.. I remember, we even had puppies made out of paper (pets for our dolls); and they too had their fashionable clothes.
    Quite much what I needed, after a frantic week-days piling up.. THIS is therapeutic. :)
    THANK you!

    Hug
    Marija

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  19. paper doll - childhood memories!
    i loved to play with them, the ones from czechoslovakia were the cutest and most fashion forward - behind the iron curtain :-)
    but they were somewhat rare so i started to create my own, first drawn after the bought ones, later with my own dolls - mostly a self portrait or with the faces of friends - and of cause my own fashion. maybe i should reanimate that habit for long winter evenings :-)
    thanks for presenting the fine things from dover publications and reminding me at some happy childhood hours.....
    hugses!!!!

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  20. What a great post! Thanks for the paper doll links and for the history!!

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  21. I've always loved paper dolls. I have the Chanel and Dior ones you've listed! I hadn't seen the Edith Head or Art Deco ones before. Hmmm... shopping list time. I think I mostly made my own when I was little. My daughter combines some I buy for her and her own creations too. I like to have days where we don't use the high tech devices and play with things like paper dolls!

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  22. I used to make my own paper dolls, drawing them and playing with them until they fell apart. It was one of my favorite plays. Later I forgot about them, but only recently I discovered them again when I cam across a true vintage Ava Gardner paper doll with lots of outfits - and I bought her with the entire amazing vintage wardrobe. It brings back so much memories of my childhood whenever I look at this marvelous paper doll.

    My 5 year old daughter now has a kind of paper doll too. It's not made of paper, but from some kind of magnetic stuff, so the clothes really stick to the doll. Great for beginners, so I hopefully can introduce her in the art of making her own doll very soon.

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  23. I love these books! Especially the 50's ones!

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  24. I have considered buying more of these before. especialy the chanel one. l think there are "new look" dior ones too

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  25. These are marvellous, especially the Edith Head and the Dior ones. I have a Marilyn Monroe and a 1920's fashions one. I used to love playing with paper dolls. I used to get Bunty magazine which had a paper doll and outfits in every issue for a long time. I wish I had collected them. A friend recently gave me some pages of paper dolls with lovely outfits that I was going to do a post on.

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    1. Isn't that a wonderfully charming present? How sweet of your friend to give you some pages of paper dolls. I'd absolutely love to see a post about them anytime (are they new or vintage/antique?).

      ♥ Jessica

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  26. My goodness, you really took me down the road of nostalgia. VHS, roll ups, barbies, etc... all were a big part of my childhood and I loved every minute of it!! Those were the days before the tech toys took over and you used your wild imagination to create a whole new world with things such as leggos, barbies, and one of my personal faves, a tonka truck that I scooted around the house in!

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    1. Exactly! I am so grateful that I got to grow up in such a world. We were excited to use our imaginations, play outside, create our own games, spend as much time as humanly possible with our friends, and all but had to be dragged inside at the end of the night (or for dinnertime). I'm all for technology (by and large), but I do worry that many of the younger generation these days are missing out on so much that countless others before them took for granted/enjoyed as part and parcel of being a child.

      ♥ Jessica

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  27. I love paperdolls too, again we are alike. :) My dream paperdoll would be, of course, Marilyn. I have to check out the company if they have her in stock. Number 9 and 10 would be my investment too. I collect paperdolls made by danish artist Gerda Vinding. Try googling her name, I'm sure you will love her designs too. So glamorously fifties. I have quite a few of her black and white sheets, for colouring, but fortunately I've never done so. When I was twenty I copied them for my mother in law who worked at a school, because all the girls there loved them. I also remember I had one I draw myself, in fact I still have it. It was Natasha the stewardess from the cartoon with the same name. First I draw all the clothes she wore in all THIRTEEN albums! Then I started drawing my own designs, I even got my mom to draw some designs for her. I have her in a box in the basement. Perhaps, I should write a blogpost about all this I've just told you. :)

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