Scarecrows
Neal, Avon. Ephemeral
Folk Figures: Scarecrows, Harvest Figures, and Snowmen. New York:
C.N. Potter/ Crown, 1969.
---. Scarecrows. New York: Crown , 1978.
In this
season of Autumn and Halloween, scarecrows and their friends seemed appropriate
blog subjects. They have been around a long time, and some versions like
harvest figures and corn dollies date to ancient times. Scarecrows, like some of the others, are
meant to protect the harvest from crows and other menacing creatures. Today,
scarecrows are popular icons of the season, appearing on cutlery, dishes,
napkins, mugs, cutouts, doll figures, china figurines, and more. Along with snowmen and other iconic holiday
figures, they are cousins of dolls, and many doll collectors like to include
them in their displays.
Avon Neal’s book on ephemeral folk figures appeared around a year before Carl Fox’s gorgeous coffee table book, The Doll.
Fox, a museum curator who managed the Smithsonian Institution’s
gift shops, was also a doll collector.
He mentions Neal in his introductory matter to this book, which is
inspiring to any collector. He cites the
importance of Neal’s work, and analyzes the relation of scarecrows and
ephemeral figures to dolls.
Neal
created this books and included photographs by his wife, Ann Parker. Both were artists, authors, and students of
folk art. Their work is easy to read, and the various figures photographed are
very interesting to study.
Locally,
we have a scarecrow festival here at a botanical center. When I see them, or other
figures, I often think of Neal’s books.
Scarecrows are a fun outlet for doll collectors. The Purina scarecrow advertising doll is a desirable
collectible in itself, as is the Annalee felt version. Now is the time to seek them out, and these
two books make timely, excellent reading.
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