Merrill Ballerina Paper Dolls

My three earliest paper doll memories are 'The Heavenly Blue Wedding', the two little ballet dolls I posted on January 25th and this set produced by Merrill.  Two editions of this book were published, one in 1953 and this version dated 1959.

I loved these dolls as a child.  The costumes are some of the most original ever produced.

I'm not sure of the exact differences between the two versions of this book but I have seen scanned images of two pages that are not part of this set and must presumably have belonged to the earlier one.



Springtime

Spring is finally here! Plum blossom in my garden.

Whitman Ballet Paper Dolls No. 1962 (1966)

I wasn't originally going to post three paper doll books in a row but decided this one had to follow on immediately from the previous set.

Although I have very fond memories of playing with these dolls as a child, this set somehow never had quite the same appeal for me as the 1964 version.

As an adult the first thing that struck me is that Whitman used the same dolls in both.  Four of the original five are repeated.  There are slight differences, mainly in hairstyle, and the dolls have been given new names, but on the whole they are essentially the same.  Two examples are included below.  Alyce/Kathie is unchanged except for the colour of her leotard.  Emily/Marie has changed to blonde from brunette.

I don't remember noticing this as a child.  If I did it obviously didn't detract from my enjoyment in playing with these sets. 





St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin

As next Thursday is St Patrick's Day I'm including some photos I've taken of St Patrick's Cathedral which is also very close to where I work.  The little park next to the cathedral is lovely and a nice place to sit on a sunny day.  

Whitman Ballet Cut-Outs No.1962 (1964)

This was the first book I searched for when I realised it was possible to rediscover online the paper dolls that brought me so much enjoyment as a child.  It was a tantalising memory as I had no remnant of this set (unlike the battered copies and fragments of other sets that survived my childhood.)

There do not seem to be any reproductions available of this book and it does not come up for sale very often.  I was thrilled to win a bid on this set on eBay even though it is not in pristine condition.  The dolls have been removed and five of the dresses cut out.  Fortunately for me this did not include any of the ballet outfits as they are the ones I am mainly interested in.  For scanning I was able to re-assemble everything and was pleased to see the results are almost as good as new.

I think the reason why this book appealed so much to me as a child is because each girl, regardless of age, has an opportunity to star in her own production.         

Little Ballerina Paper Dolls

More Little Ballerina paper dolls can also be found here.  (Posted 17 March 2013)  A different version of the book with the same dolls and different costumes.

These ballerinas date from the 1950s and are probably my earliest paper doll memory.  I think every little girl who played with paper dolls at this time must have owned a version of this book.  There is something about these solid little dancers with their lovely spangled dresses that is perfect for tiny fingers to dress.

I recently bought this particular copy on eBay.  It clearly is not missing any pages but I can remember about 6 other dresses that are not found here.  There was a dress festooned with grapes, another covered in stars and a deep purple tutu trimmed with roses around the neckline. Different variations of this book must have been available, some with additional costumes.

Click here to see another dress from this book (included at the end of the Kewpie Paper Dolls post, 26 April 2011)

Butler's Valentine Display

As we are approaching St Valentine's Day I thought I'd post this photograph of the Valentine's display in the Butler's Chocolate Cafe window in Wicklow Street (just off Grafton Street, Dublin).  It is such a cheerful sight on a chilly winter's morning.