- Helen Richardson’s Paper Dolls
The small, wooden box is now warped with age and beginning to fall apart. The picture of San Francisco’s Cliff House on its lid, done with a combination of water colors and wood-burned etching, is beginning to fade. Even so, I keep inside it some of my most treasured possessions – my grandmother’s paper dolls.
I found the box on the shelf way back in a bedroom closet more than fifty years ago. It was long after I was interested in paper dolls myself, though I had been when I was a little girl. And, it was before I was really interested in the family history. But I did recognize the significance of these fragile handmade dolls and their intricately designed clothing of the styles worn in the 1880s. I closed the lid of the box for “later” and there they stayed for another forty years.
Occasionally, I would remember them – especially when my cousins visited. We would get them out and look at them and marvel. There were ball gowns and capes, tea dresses and nightgowns, skirts and bodices, sister-brother outfits, and matching mother-daughter costumes. They were drawn in exquisite detail using pencil on the backs of notepaper, wallpaper, wrapping paper, advertisements, business cards and whatever else came to hand.
Dresses were layered and tucked; tissue paper was used as overlay simulating chiffon or other delicate, gauzy fabrics. Paper lace such as we still use for valentines (or do we?) was used for edging as were small metallic bits of rick-rack. They represented hours and hours of work and play and were apparently the products of my grandmother Helen Richardson and her friend Mary Wallace.
Nestled among the scores of carefully cut and pasted dolls and their clothing is a little envelope chock-full of notes between Helen and Mary. Some contain plans for paper doll activities: Paper dolls marrage [sic] at Addie Blood’s home. By Helen. Another said, …Have been busy all morning making you a young lady doll. If you have any colored paper you don’t want, please send them to me, if you want some doll-clothes, for I haven’t much left…
There are few dates among the notes, but 1887 appears now and then. The girls were nine years old. Ten years later Mary would marry a musician named Hamlin and would move to Santa Barbara; not too many years after that Helen moved to Oysterville as Mrs. Harry Espy. They were bridesmaids at one another’s real-life weddings, remained friends throughout their lives, and visited one another whenever circumstances permitted.
A few years ago, I came to the realization that keeping the paper dolls hidden away was a mistake. I chose the ones I considered “best” – mostly the mother-daughter combinations – and framed them in three matching frames. They form a triptych and take up an entire wall of an upstairs bedroom. Now many people can (and do) enjoy them and, invariably ask, “Do little girls play paper dolls anymore?” I don’t know the answer to that, but if it is in the affirmative, I wonder if they actually do the designing and drawing and cutting out themselves. Probably not.
Age does tell…I remember eagerly awaiting the new Wards and Sears catalogs to arrive so I could have the old ones to make paper doll clothes from the many colored pages.
I do know that children still do play with paper dolls. I received a set from Vera Bradley in one of their catalogs and the two little girls I offered them to were very excited to add them to their own collection of paper dolls.
It is still nice to know that the simple pleasure of a few scraps of paper, cardboard, trims and a child’s imagination can add hours of excitement and adventure.
Amen to that, Lois. Thanks for sharing and reassuring me that there is still life for kids beyond electronics and virtual reality.
I remember cutting out paper dolls and clothes as a child, but they were commercially made. Making them would have been alot more fun. I remember giving some to my girls and we’d cut them out together. They surely did not take care of them like your Grandmother.
One of my favorite “things” on the wall of one of the upstairs bedrooms. I loved playing paper dolls and wish I could recall the name(s) of my girl friends who shared this time of “let’s pretend”…thank you for the post and for the memories.
Sydney… Don’t you hate it when you edit yourself and BOTH versions appear??? LOL SOOOOO glad you’re human!! 🙂
Yeah. Especially when I only want to change my pearls from a “comment” to a “reply.” Oh well. Maybe more is better even if it is a repeat!
I fondly remember playing with paper dolls when growing up–commercially made. My favorites were Deanna Durbin and Esther Williams–guess that tells my age! When I taught, I bought sets of paper dolls from the 1800s and 1900s hoping to show how fashion evolved during the times–couldn’t get the students interested, but I still have the sets. Maybe granddaughter Hazel will enjoy them in a couple years. Read your postings every day, Sydney.
Great post. They drew their own outfits, that is so cool. Last year I was at Ilwaco three students were drawing paper doll clothes like crazy. So the tradition is still alive. Each drawing was unique in style and so much fun to look at. The creativity. I hope those girls are still drawing. They were exceptionally talented. Hope to see Helen’s some day.
Next time you are home, Brigid, remind me to show them to you!