Sunday, March 10, 2024

Coloring Princesses of Wales Paper Dolls by Brenda Sneathen Mattox and Julie Allen Matthews

Caroline of Ansbach costume by Brenda Mattox, color by Julie Matthews

Alexandra of Denmark costume by Brenda Mattox, color by Julie Matthews

I'm excited to offer a behind-the-scenes look at our new paper doll book, THE PRINCESSES OF WALES, a glorious collaboration between Brenda Mattox and Julie Allen Matthews. Brenda's linework is exquisite and reminiscent of antique engravings. She illustrated this b&w set back in 2003 and recently brought Julie in to add color and assemble it into a new book for Paperdoll Review. Here are dresses for Caroline of Ansbach and Alexandra of Denmark, along side Julie's colored versions, using Procreate on the iPad Pro. Brenda is thrilled to breathe new life into her old work. Brenda and Julie previously teamed up for VICTORIAN FANCY DRESS PAPER DOLLS, published in 2022.

There have only been ten women who used the title "Princess of Wales" in the last 700 years, and all were unique women of their eras. The title can only be bestowed upon the wife of the heir to the throne of Great Britain. It was originated in the 13th century by King Edward I who succeeded in annexing Wales to England. To placate the Welsh nobles, he offered them their own prince, the king’s son and heir. The future Edward II was created Prince of Wales in 1301. He did not marry until after he became King and sixty years would pass before there was a first Princess of Wales. Costumes in this book represent Joan of Kent (1328-1385), Lady Anne Neville (1456-1485), Catherine of Aragon (1485-1536), Caroline of Ansbach (1683-1737), Augusta of Saxe-Gotha (1719-1772), Caroline of Brunswick (1768-1821),  Alexandra of Denmark (1844-1925), Mary of Teck (1867-1953), Lady Diana Spencer (1961-1997) and Catherine Middleton (b. 1982).

Monday, February 12, 2024

The Day I Went to Paper Doll Heaven by Marilyn Henry

 

The Day I Went to Paper Doll Heaven
Article from Paperdoll Review magazine issue #10, 1995.

"Now that's eerie," I said to myself when I happened upon an article in an old issue of Paperdoll Review. Back in 1995, in Issue 10, Marilyn Henry wrote an article called "The Day I Went to Paper Doll Heaven." My dear friend and long-time co-editor passed away in 2020, and if there's a Paper Doll Heaven, Marilyn is there in all her glory. The story she wrote in 1995 is a sweet one, about the day she received a treasure-trove of paper dolls from her older brother's friends. Shown above is the article as it appeared in the magazine. And below is the text with full color versions of the paper dolls shown in the article. 

The Day I Went to Paper Doll Heaven
by Marilyn Henry

If we have been collecting long enough, most of us can recall a day when we hit it lucky, when the sun shone on us and we found a cache of wonderful, rare paper dolls to add to our collections, all in one big load. Add to that a nominal price (or even no price!) and you have paper doll heaven!

That day came to me when I was still a little girl, maybe nine or ten years old. My life at that time was completely focused on movies and paper dolls, and one of my greatest joys was going downtown with mother and finding a new movie star paper doll with matching coloring book in the dime store rack. My other greatest joy was going to the movies and seeing those stars and then drawing their costumes when I came home. For me, crayons were the greatest toy ever invented. 

My brother was in college and he had two friends who were dating two sisters. Evidently my brother had mentioned in passing that his little sister was nuts for movies and paper dolls. The sisters were ready to dispose of theirs, so they offered and my brother took me over to their house to pick up my booty. I was excited, but I didn't yet know just what astonishing luck I'd had.

Bob loaded three or four large cardboard boxes into the car and when I got home and went through the first box, I was sure I had died and gone to heaven.

Each set was cut, but oh, so carefully and neatly, and each was in a paper folder placed inside the original covers, with all the accessories tucked into small envelopes. Each doll was perfect, as if it had never been played with at all, thought the bent tabs said otherwise. They were all perfect and complete, bought between 1934 and 1942, and most were sets I didn't have. I hadn't even seen most of them before, being too young in the ’30s. 

Deanna Durbin Paper DollsAnd what pure treasure: every Shirley Temple set printed, including the Masquerade set, the life-size one and the one with all her screen costumes, right up to 1941's New Shirley Temple, Alice Faye, the five doll Gone With the Wind, all the Deanna Durbin sets, the early Sonja Henies, all the Jane Withers sets, Jeanette MacDonald, Joan Carroll, two Gloria Jean sets, Baby Sandy, Carolyn Lee, Queen Holden's Four Starlets and her early Judy Garland, Linda Darnell & Tyrone Power, all the Let's Play House Quints, The Princesses, and many, many more. So many more that my mind boggles to try to remember them after more than fifty years.

 Of course, mixed in with these wonderful movie stars were some "civilian" sets, but since those didn't interest me, I gave them to my best friend and can no longer remember them. I kept a few, but only what struck me at the time as particularly good artwork: the Bride and Groom Military Wedding set and the earlier Double Weddingset, both by Merrill, and a couple of other great Merrill sets such as Navy Scouts and College Style, etc. 


Jane Withers Paper Doll
What, you may be wondering, was in those other boxes? Clippings. Full page portraits of 1930s and early ’40s movie stars from old movie magazines, most in color. Truly the mother of all lucky days, that day!

Article from: Paperdoll Review Magazine Issue #10, 1995.
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Tuesday, September 13, 2022

A Paper Doll Tribute to Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II was a beloved figure for so many of us around the globe. But for my Paperdoll Review co-editor, Lorna Thomopoulos, a Brit herself, the Queen felt like a family member. Lorna's tribute will appear in Paperdoll Review Issue 85, coming out later this fall. 

Our lovely Queen Elizabeth II at Balmoral Castle Paper Doll was created by Julie Allen Matthews for our upcoming magazine issue. Saddened to hear of the Queen's passing, Julie took to her drawing board. She thought it was a natural fit to highlight the tartans of the Royal Family, especially considering she died at her beloved Balmoral Castle. The first is the Balmoral tartan, said to have been designed by Prince Albert and is only worn by the Royal Family. The second is the Green Stewart, designed for King George VI, Queen Elizabeth's father. An icon in every way, she'll be dearly missed.

Remembering Queen Elizabeth II
by Lorna Currie Thomopoulos
for Paperdoll Review magazine issue #85, Fall 2022

A great sadness fell upon the nation when Queen Elizabeth II died (1926-2022). Everyone, monarchist or not, was effected. The country’s Rock and in some ways, everyone’s Granny, was gone. We all knew it was coming but even broadcasters had watery eyes and cracked voices. 

My earliest “memory” of Queen Elizabeth II is being held in my mother’s arms in 1947 as she, then still a princess, drove down a Durban street in an open-topped car. Actually I do not remember it as I was only one month old but I like knowing I was there. My next sighting was 28 years later as I joined the crowds to see the Queen “Trooping the Colour” in London. She passed by sitting side saddle on her horse, smaller than I could have imagined, resplendent in a bright red jacket and matching lipstick.

The third time was at the theatre where she glided by in a fairy-tale evening gown and diamonds, one in particular twinkling throughout the performance. Absolutely fabulous.

Her sense of duty, sharp mind, humour, humanity and acute constitutional understanding has been acknowledged by everyone.

Aged just 21, Her Majesty declared that she would devote her whole life to the service of her people. “A fair and youthful figure, princess, wife and mother, is the heir to all our traditions and glories,” as an entranced Sir Winston Churchill so poetically put it on her Coronation.

Elizabeth’s extraordinary reign, spanning more than seven decades—longer than any other Monarch in British history—selflessly demonstrated this steadfast commitment to public service.

Always conducted in sartorial elegance—she was Great Britain’s greatest advertisement and the most famous woman on earth.

We are going to miss the gold dust she sprinkled on everything. 


Tuesday, November 24, 2020

More Paper Dolls Than Ever!

This has been the busiest year ever for paper dolls! To my surprise and delight, so many people have turned to paper dolls to keep busy and entertained at home. Collectors are collecting, crafters are cutting, artists are drawing, friends are gifting, grandmas are sharing, and kids are playing paper dolls! 

In March, when we began hunkering down in our homes, I offered a Paper Doll Care Package of 10 books for $25, hoping to spread some paper doll cheer. Through my publishing branch, Paper Studio Press, I had excess inventory on many titles and wrapped up a few dozen bundles, marking each with a heart. Considering sales had been dropping over the past few years, I was expecting 2020 to follow suit. In fact, at the beginning of the year I met with business consultants to form a plan to cut back and lower costs in order to remain profitable enough to stay in business for many years to come.

Surprise! Instead of selling a few dozen care packages, we sold close to four hundred! Through our care packages alone, nearly 4,000 paper doll books have gone out into the world, bringing joy to so many. In addition to care packages, we've sold over 11,000 paper doll books... just since mid-March! And just one person, Margie, carefully packs and ships it all to you.

Adding to the excitement, we've got more new paper dolls than ever before. The collection shown here represents 30 new titles that have come out just in the last few months. All but two were produced through Paper Studio Press and Paperdoll Review including glorious new books by David Wolfe, Marilyn Henry, Brenda Sneathen Mattox, Tom Tierney, Julie Allen Matthews, Guillem Medina and Andrea Helen Smith. Plus tons of wonderful reproductions! I couldn't have done it without the digital design wizardry of Julie Allen Matthews, who has a hand in nearly every book we produce. Check out her Paper Doll School Blog! And find all these paper dolls and more on paperdollreview.com!

Are paper dolls the new trend? I hope so!