Dr. E's Doll Museum Blog: A Search for Dolls of Color

Dr. E's Doll Museum Blog: A Search for Dolls of Color: For this and our Doll Museum blog, I am interested in information about African dolls and Dolls of Color. Perkins books are excellent sourc...

Happy St. Patrick's Day and More Celtic Images

Late because of illness, but here are some public domain images and graphics of Celtic sculptures and graphics. To learn more, I recommended Morgan Llewellyn's The Horse Goddess, her Bard, and Pauline Gedge, The Eagle and the Raven. Also, Parke Godwin's Rainbow, about St. Patrick.

Dr. E's Doll Museum Blog: Automatons, Hugo and Cabinets of Curiosities

Dr. E's Doll Museum Blog: Automatons, Hugo and Cabinets of Curiosities: Here is a great link for automatons: http://www.worldsstrangest.com/drb/amazing-automatons-ancient-robots-victorian-androids/ Welcome to m...

Ma Petite Fille

We were able to add a new addtion to the museum this weekend, one that is really desired and a dream come true. She is a mignonette, all bisque French doll, barefoot, with original glass eyes, wig, and dress. I am posting some information from a great online site, and also some photos. The first doll is almost identical to ours. The others are variations of a theme. Miracles and good

friends, like our own DT, make dreams come true!

"Antique French All-bisque Mignonette with Bare Feet

Be allowed seduce by her mesmerizing glance...

This bare feet mignonette is very ancient, rare and precious. A real piece of art. This is THE reference for every collector. She is 5"(13 cm) tall, peg-jointed arms and legs, and swivel head. She is attributed to François GAULTIER, the famous Parisian porcelain manufacturer which supplied since 1872 Jumeau, Sustrac, ...

She is open head in pressed bisque, with blonde mohair wig on her cork pate. Note a very fine cooking line. Her face, of a rare beauty and purity, is made of white bisque. Her mouth is closed. The fixed cobalt blue enamel eyes with a black line, as mister Sustrac's dolls. Her lashes and eyebrows are finely painted, with all the delicacy of the craftsman. It is a love of doll.

Her blue dress heightened by lace, and its matched hat, give her the elegance of a French Demoiselle.This mignonette has elongated arms and legs. Arms are marked 0. She has delicate hands with inside thumbs. She is bare feet. She has a light cooking surplus of bisque at the interior of the right foot. A small lack is visible on the right thigh; a little plaster is put there, but maybe easily removed with water.
Excellent condition except as noted.

Circa 1880."

http://www.belle-epoque-dolls.com/en/categories/diaporama1.php?ref=P093

Doll Lesson Plans from Memorial Hall Museum in Massachusettes

Search results for: dolls in all categories

Sample: Dolls then and Now by Ellen Fagan

Dolls Then and Now
Created 03 June 2009 by Ellen Fagan

Grade Level(s): lower elementary (K - 3)
Historical Era(s): Colonial 1600 - 1750
Content Area(s): English Language Arts, Art, US History




Cloth Doll



Corn Husk Doll



Bangwell Putt rag doll

Summary and Objective

Students will understand that in colonial America there were different resources available from which to to make toys.


Teaching Plan

Step 1. Gather students in circle. Ask students to share what they know about the Pilgrims. Begin a K-W-L chart so that students will have the opportunity to expand on this discussion.

Step 2. Read Sarah Morton's Day - A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Girl by Kate Waters and Samuel Eaton's Day: A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Boy by Kate Waters and Russ Kendall. These books will introduce the students to colonial children and how they lived.

Step 3. Class Discussion - How to you think children long ago obtained their clothing and toys? (This will provide an opportunity to make sure students understand that long ago children could not go to the mall to purchase a doll or a dress.) Discussion will include information that there were stores to buy ready made goods such as cloth and other necessities.

Step 4. Let’s pretend. If you were a colonial child and wanted a doll what would you make it with? Remember, we need to think about what was available then. Create a list of items that students share such as rags, wood, yarn, etc. Pass out pictures from the website listed above. Questions that may be asked include: What are these dolls made out of? What are their arms made out of? Their hair? Their clothing? Notice the face. What do you think they used to show their facial features? Do they look fun to play with? Do you think they took good care of them? How did they play with them? What did they do with them?

Step 5. Gather materials necessary to make a doll. In my case I chose to make a small sock doll (directions in Step 6). Make sure to have sufficient materials so for all students.

Step 6. Toys Let your students show their creative ways with doll-making. During colonial times, dolls were made of all sorts of things. They were made from pine cones, corn husks, rags, and even socks...It is lots of fun to make sock-dolls with your students. Each child will need: one small sock, two rubber bands, rags for stuffing, glue, scissors, buttons, ribbon, and assorted material. The students will need to cut off the old sock right above the heel. They will then stuff the sock with rags. Then they will need to pull the bottom of the sock together and close it with a rubber band. To form the neck, they will need to squeeze the sock a few inches from the end opposite the rubber band. Then they will secure a rubber band over the section being squeezed to separate the head from the body. Then they can glue he button eyes and material for clothing.Please let students know that rubber bands were not used in colonial times. However, it may be easier for students to use rubber bands than to tie off with yarn or ribbon (and mention that ribbon was probably fairly expensive and not used when making dolls in colonial times). Students could also use permanent marker to draw faces on instead of gluing material. Students could use yarn or other materials to create hair.

Step 7. Additional activity if time permits: have students bring in dolls from today. Compare dolls from Colonial America to dolls from today. Have student think about what they could use today to make a doll that was not readily available in colonial times.






152 results found.


Refine your search by category:Things To Do (20)Turns Exhibit (3)In the Classroom (13)Online Collection (76)Lessons by Teachers (38)

16 pages of results.
1. Make a Rag Doll by Kathleen Koonz [Lessons by Teachers]
... Site Search Advanced Search History Lessons By Teachers Make a Rag Doll Created 23 February 2010 by Kathleen Koonz Grade Level(s): lower elementary (K ...
Terms matched: 1 - Score: 382 - URL: http://americancenturies.mass.edu/activity/view.do?activityID=1141
2. Comparing Dolls Across the Centuries by mary daignault [Lessons by Teachers]
... Site Search Advanced Search History Lessons By Teachers Comparing Dolls Across the Centuries Created 23 February 2010 by mary daignault Grade Level(s): lower elementary ( ...
Terms matched: 1 - Score: 317 - URL: http://americancenturies.mass.edu/activity/view.do?activityID=879
3. Dolls Then and Now by Ellen Fagan [Lessons by Teachers]
... Site Search Advanced Search History Lessons By Teachers Dolls Then and Now Created 03 June 2009 by Ellen Fagan Grade Level(s): lower elementary (K ...
Terms matched: 1 - Score: 298 - URL: http://americancenturies.mass.edu/activity/view.do?activityID=1905
4. Bangwell Putt, The Sequel by janice lapointe [Lessons by Teachers]
... (s): English Language Arts, Art, US History, Economics Cloth Doll Doll "Chloe" Doll "Joel Ellis" Doll "Lilla" Corn ...
Terms matched: 1 - Score: 227 - URL: http://americancenturies.mass.edu/activity/view.do?activityID=1052
5. From Bangwell Putt To Barbie by Alberta Martin [Lessons by Teachers]
... Mathematics, World History, English Language Arts, Art, US History Corn Husk Doll Cloth Doll Doll "Joel Ellis" Doll "Lilla" Bangwell Putt rag ...
Terms matched: 1 - Score: 212 - URL: http://americancenturies.mass.edu/activity/view.do?activityID=640
6. Lesson 8 - "Modern" Interpretations [In the Classroom]
... " were made about the period. Later in the 20th century, children's paper dolls and action figures representing people from the colonial era were created and sold. ...
Terms matched: 1 - Score: 167 - 03 Nov 2008 - URL: http://americancenturies.mass.edu/classroom/curriculum_5th/lesson8/index.html
7. Digital Collection -Corn Husk Doll [Online Collection]
Explore artifacts from our museum and historic manuscripts from our library that reveal the history of New England.
... reserved. Contact us for information about using this image. label levels: Cornhusk dolls were popular toys made and used by Native Americans. This doll may have ...
Terms matched: 1 - Score: 165 - URL: http://americancenturies.mass.edu/collection/itempage.jsp?itemid=5950&img=0
8. Homemade Toys From The Early 1800's. by Wendy Mieczkowski [Lessons by Teachers]
... : Mathematics, English Language Arts, Art, US History, Geography, Science Doll "Diana" Marbles Corn Husk Doll Cloth Doll Summary and Objective After learning ...
Terms matched: 1 - Score: 161 - URL: http://americancenturies.mass.edu/activity/view.do?activityID=678
9. Turns of the Centuries -Bangwell Putt rag doll [Turns Exhibit]
Explore artifacts from our museum and historic manuscripts from our library that reveal the history of New England.
... in preparing a girl for her future role as a wife and mother as the doll. Dolls could be purchased, but many people made them at home. ...
Terms matched: 1 - Score: 157 - URL: http://americancenturies.mass.edu/turns/view.jsp?itemid=5023&subthemeid=1
10. Lesson 8 - Paper Dolls - Menu [In the Classroom]
... In the Classroom> Unit Overview> Lesson 8 Lesson 8 "Olde Deerfield Dolls" Paper Dolls and Accompanying Booklets Arosen the Mohawk paper doll and booklet Stephen ...
Terms matched: 1 - Score: 151 - 09 Dec 2005 - URL: http://americancenturies.mass.edu/classroom/curriculum_5th/lesson8/dolls.html
Result Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Next >>
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While we are on the Subject -Paper Dolls and 18th c. China

Here is a preview of things to come; this link is for 19th c. paper dolls. This is the gallery, with free printables. http://19thcenturypaperdolls.weebly.com/gallery.html

Also, go to the Old Pretenders Site, keyword will get you there, for more photos and information on the Queen Anne type dolls they make and restore.

Also during the 18th c., Meissen figures were very popular. Max von Boehn's book, Dolls and Puppets, Dolls as published by Dover, has excellent information. China heads and half figures have been attributed to the 18th, but the Meissen or Nymphenburg China head has been questioned as well.

18th Century Dolls

During this time, dolls as fashion dolls and toys began to grown in number. There were some walking dolls, and many of the famous automatons were being made. In France, Pantin or jumping jacks were all the rage, and were supposedly so wildly popular that they were banned, less expectant mothers playing with them have abnormally shaped children!

So-called court dolls are attributed to this era; carved of wood, they represent 18th C. courtiers from the court of Louis XVI, but some stories claim they are really made in the early 2oth c. They are anatomically correct, generally. For more information and photos, review Jean Lotz's wooden doll pages, key words.

Puppets are also very popular at this time, especially marionettes. Doll houses are being made, both for children and adults. Dolls are often called "poppets." Queen Anne, and actually, later Georgian dolls of wood are popular.

Wax dolls are being made, espcially as religious and devotional figures, and some of these move. There is an exquisite example in Mary Hillier's dolls and Dollmakers of a wax mechanical. A little girl lies with eyes open on a flower covered bier. She has blonde hair, and a white silk dress. She is wax with inset eyes, and her lovely face and hands lift upwards. When she is wound, she moves. I also have a still example in the museum, formerly in the Mary Merrit museum.

Toy soldiers are very popular, and soon, Maezel, inventer of the metronome, will devise the first Mamma dolls. There have been shops for toys in London since at least the 17th Century, too. Baby dolls first make their appearance, and more and more dolls appear in art. George Washington left recoreds of dolls and toys bought for his step-children, including dolls.

Earlier, in the 17th Century colonies, William Penn is said to have brought the doll Letitia Penn, a doll celebrity, as a gift for his daughter's friend. The story has since been questioned. 17th c. cornhusk dolls or poppets played sinister roles in the 1692 Salem Witch trials, where dolls were more or less forbidden and seen as instruments of the devil.

Some More 17th-18th Century Dolls

Here is an excerpt from a blog from Morgaine Le Fay Interesting Textiles describing the work of artists who restore 17th and 18th century Old Pretender dolls, including one they are working on by a William Higgs, made in Whitechapel about 1630. [Interesting Triva; Whitechapel is the scene of the 1888 Jack the Ripper murders!]:

With reference to my recent post in my other blog, Morgaine Le Fay Antique Textiles, here are some more glorious photos of the work of David Chapman & Paul Robinson of 'The Old Pretender' wooden doll workshop.

As well as making the most beautiful reproduction dolls dressed in authentic fabrics and trims from the period, these young men also restore authentic 17th & 18th century dolls. They are currently working on one of the rarest English dolls in the world, one of only 22 known examples made in Whitechapel at around 1680 by William Higgs.

The first photos detail some examples of their restoration work, then a magazine article about their reproduction dolls, followed by some examples of their reproduction dolls. I will let the photos speak for themselves rather than wittering on too much, please click on each picture to really appeciate the detail here. http://interestingantiquetextiles.blogspot.com/2009/07/old-pretender-dolls-17th-18th-century.html