Paper Dolls, Princess Marigold & Ladybird

Here are the remainder of the Storyland paper dolls (Hilda Miloche, Saalfield):

Princess Marigold

At the same time I first became entranced by stories like 'The Golden Ball' I was also avidly following the adventures of Princess Marigold and her family (children Prince Rupert and Princess Rose, husband Prince Strongbow and father-in-law good King Florian, not to mention numerous courtiers) as the tranquility of their kingdom was continually disrupted by the mischief making and evil machinations of wicked Wizard Weezle:

These stories first appeared (in serial form) in a weekly children's magazine called Treasure.  I no longer have copies of the originals, but many years later the stories were re-published in a popular womens' magazine in South Africa called 'You'.

Despite his best (or worst) efforts Wizard Weezle never did get the better of the good people of King Florian's kingdom, but that never stopped him from trying.

Ladybird Books

Go to this link to see more images from Ladybird Books.

The series of little Ladybird Books available in the 1960's was like a feast in miniature.  The bright colours and chocolate box art had a visual impact that was hard to resist.  The presentation was pitch perfect.  There was something extremely appealing about the size of the books, with an exquisitely detailed painting revealed on the turn of each page.  As a typical little girl I loved the princesses the most - Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Rapunzel.  And what princesses they were! - Cinderella had three sumptuous gowns not one - and that was before the obligatory grand wedding.

These little books appear to have lost none of their appeal over time.  I've seen them change hands for impressive amounts on eBay where some of the bids are hotly contested. 

The Ladybird website:
http://www.vintageladybird.com/ has a lovely archive of images for anyone like me who has fond memories of these books as a child.  The prints can be found at http://www.ladybirdprints.com/ .

In the winter wonderland we have experienced recently its like living in a fairy tale of our own.  Here are a couple of photos taken in my neighbourhood:

Childhood Memories

I grew up in Africa in the 1960's.  The books that shaped my childhood came from England.  The paper dolls I loved to play with were published largely in America.  My childhood was therefore a glorious amalgamation of all three continents.

I've recently discovered a number of blogs celebrating the wonderful children's illustrators of that period.  They have brought me so much enjoyment I've decided to add some memories of my own.  I'm new to doing this so forgive me if my initial attempts are a bit clumsy.  What I'm trying to contribute are some of my favourite stories, paper dolls and illustrations that are not so easily found anywhere else.

This is the first story I can remember that opened up a world of magic and enchantment, filling me with a sense of wonder which remained constant throughout my childhood.  It appeared in the 1965 Jack and Jill Christmas Annual and was called the Golden Ball:

 

Ron Embleton - The Golden Ball

The artist was the brilliant childrens' illustrator, Ron Embleton (1930-1988.)  It was only many years later as an adult that I realised he was the connecting link between many of the images that shaped my childhood and to which I return even today with admiration and awe.

Paper dolls are such a simple concept, but the imagination and skill of the artists who produced them have left a legacy that appears undiminished with time.  I've started collecting some of those I remember from long ago.  This Saalfield "Dolls from Storyland" by Hilda Miloche was one of my all time favourites:

I've included the first three pages now, I'll add the rest next time.

Ireland has been my home for the past 10 years.  With all the snow we had before Christmas it was like living in a fairy tale of our own.  This is the view from my office which is behind Dublin Castle.  Sometimes it felt like working at Hogwarts.