Who knew that two Photoshopped shadows would cause my skin to crawl:
As if ventriloquist dummies weren't creepy enough as it is, these are regular children photoshopped to appear to be dolls with articulated mouths. Sure, she looks like a nice, non-homicidal doll now, but just wait until she's been played with by an average child for a couple years: NOW if lightning or magic gives this doll a life of its own, you better run for the freakin' hills, because it will have no mercy on beings of flesh and bone.
I just love truth in advertising! Admitting "the lovely Ballerina Boudoir Doll" was a fad was one giant step forward for humanity. But we went two steps back when we learned that so many would be seduced by the concept...
In thatamazing, amusing and much loved vintage issue of Profitable Hobbies magazine, a brief article on dolls by Evelyn Green, who, in 1951, had already made nearly 200 dolls.
Her collection, one of the most valuable in the nation, includes fur-clad cave-dwellers, Gay Nineties models, and modern bobby-sox types, depicting the fashions of mankind from 18,000 B.C. to the present. Mrs. Green requires a week or two to make a small doll and two or three months to complete a large, elaborate model. She has spent fourteen years on her hobby.
There's scant information about Evelyn Green dolls online; even though the doll maker was featured in Doll Collector Magazine in what appears to be 2005 (presumably prompted by the Evelyn Green portrait dolls which were de-accessioned, via Theriaults, from the collections of the Strong Museum in 2004). I found no clearly labled photos of the dolls themselves. Pooh.
Evelyn Green dolls now appaer to sell for between $200 and $400 each.
Knitting Know-How 14, Specially for 12-year-olds, pattern & instructions found in Golden Hands "In 75 Weekly Parts", Part 14, Vol. 1. (Last copyright date, 1971.)
From McCall's Needlework & Crafts, Spring/Summer 1971, instructions for making these twin Martian dolls. I'm in lurve with the see-thru plastic dress on the female Martian.
"She's dead; wrapped in plastic." OK, so she was (probably) never alive. But I hate to see dolls & stuffed animals wrapped in plastic. Sure, she's more 'valuable' in her original packaging, but she can't breathe.
I don't know which Flora Belle doll by Brinns she is -- other than 'a pink one.' I didn't look at her name. Who knew they made so many pink ones? Not me; with all that air-tight plastic, I thought she'd be blue.
But did you know there was also a big-eyed doll in the 60's -- complete with tear?
Little Miss No Name by Hasbro Toys (1965) was designed by Deet D'Andrade. Little Miss No Name wore a burlap dress, had a hand made for begging, and that large plastic tear... I'm guessing I never heard of her because few little girls wanted to play adopt the homeless begging orphan (Little Orphan Annie had a lovely red dress -- and too much spunk to let herself go like that). Fewer still wanted to plan & play a day in the life of a pitiful waif (also probably why the Kate Moss dolls never came to fruition).
But I want her.
I'm guessing when I find her, she'll be more expensive that replacing my old retro sad dog bank... But it won't stop me from fancying the two, together, in my office.
It's better to have big dreams of big eyed art -- and be left with a giant plastic tear -- then to never have dreamed at all.
Seeing this ad reminds me of when I was young, someone gave this to my folks as a gift -- :eek: -- and our dog used to bark at like she was rabid (the dog, not the Dimple Doll). My folks would put it away, and then every now and then bring it out to see if the dog still hated it; she did. Eventually, the dog got a hold of it and destroyed it.
Whenever I see them at sales, I want to buy them and set them all in a row on a shelf -- maybe even fill and entire book shelf with them, in all the colors and variations.
I did get one once, but sent it to my sister; one part memory, one part freak factor (she hates dolls so opening a box with a doll head, well, that would be super freaky). But no affordable ones since.
Feel free to send me some, if you don't want them.
Looking for that perfect Barbie, the "glamorous-yet-about-to-die" kind of doll we've all been craving? Look no further! Barbie, a'la Hitchcock's The Birds:
In 1983, Geraldine Ferraro was poised to run as the nation's VP, and Sunbow Entertainment, Marvel Productions, released one episode of The Charmkins, based on the Hasbro toys.
Like Humpty Dumpty, all the king-sized voice talent couldn't hold the cartoon together.
Ben Vereen (Dragonweed), Aileen Quinn (Brown-Eyed Susan), Sally Struthers (Poison Ivy), Ivy Austin (Skunkweed), Martin Bierbach (Willie Winkle), Lynne Lambert (Lady Slipper), Chris Murney (Bramble Brother, Briarpatch, Crocus), Bob Kaliban (Bramble Brother), Gary Yudman (Thorny), Peter Wardren (Popcorn), Freddi Webber (Blossom), Patience Jarvis (Announcer), Tina Capland (Announcer), Helen Leonhart (Vocalist), Jamie Murphy (Vocalist), Helen Miles (Vocalist).
A vintage ad for Vigny Perfumes, Paris, featuring some fanciful & kitschy perfume bottles.
Shown here are the charming, but oft misunderstood, so they say, Golliwogg perfume "of romance" and Guili-Guili, a fragrance sold as "the tropical god of good fortune" but in truth was Guili-Guili was (according to Perfume Intelligence) named after "the real-life Egyptian illusionist from Alexandria".
While Golliwogg is highly collectible, both as a perfume and a character inspiring annual events, it is found with relative ease; Guili-Guili is much more rare.
Due to age, these bottles often have their labels missing, so along with this vintage ad image, and this image from dgaudit to guide you, look for bottles matching this description from Perfume Intelligence:
Presented in flacon designed by Michel de Brunhoff with the head and foot of the bottle carved from mahogany; the head covered the stopper while the foot held the delicate crystal bottle to stand upright
Thirteen Things That Made Noise in Wards Catalog in the late 60's
Pierre Poodle is a 6-transistor radio, with the controls on his tummy:
Big Plush Talkers are stuffed animals with chatty rings & talking strings. There's Bugs Bunny; Sniffy the Skunk who talks and smells like mint; and Montana Mouse, who, while "shocking pink" is "dressed like a real frontier hero" and "talks with a Western twang" as he shares "10 secrets".
There are several talking circus toys here, Larry the Lion, Patootie the clown, and my favorite, Chester O' Chimp who says, "I speak English, can't you talk Monkey?"
Hey! Hey! They're the Monkees! (And they "talk to each other just like on TV!)
These talking hand puppets feature pull strings so that each chats up a storm. There is Tom the cat with Jerry the mouse in his hand, King Kong, and Bugs Bunny.
This one is abso-frickin-lutely my favorite. Her name is Scooba-Doo, and she says, "I'm Scooba-Doo. Come on, let's get with it!" because she's a "member of the swinging generation" -- which may explain her "striped mini-dress and mod necklace", but should she really say, "Dig my crazy black stockings!" -- really? Me thinketh someone wasn't as hip as they thought daddy-o.
Not only does the dressed in red Baby Secret doll say, "Hold me close and whisper!" but they stress that her lips move and that she can be put in any baby-like position. (My mind is seriously in the gutter.)
"Nobody can out talk us!" Danny O'Day ventriloquist dummy comes with a record by Jimmy Nelson to teach you "instant ventriloquism". Rowlf Muppet is just a puppet. And while both require your own voice, I had to show them off here too. Consider them, numbers 14 &15, as a bonus. *wink*
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Sure to make your teen scream, this wild 45 holder is as chic-kitsch as it gets.
Bold velveteen animal print and rickrack? Two tacky things that go great together! All topped off with a dime store fashion doll -- like the cherry on this sweet sundae for your eyes. (We don't advise licking fashion dolls.) And the records inside? They are like the scoops of vanilla -- nearly ignored with all those dizzying toppings.
(This is so grand, I think I need to make kitchen canisters like this. Flour, sugar and tea never had it so good.)
