Don't Forget the Flower Girl

Nadir Quinto - Cinderella

Some of the most popular posts in my blog have been those with a bridal theme.  Vintage Brides (posted 12 March 2011), a selection of magazine photographs from 1958 has held the top spot of the month for quite some time.  More Vintage Brides (posted 17 July 2011) and Wonderful Weddings (posted 1 May 2011, dedicated to fairytale illustrations) have also moved in and out of the top ten.  As my blog is largely a celebration of childhood I decided to devote this week's post to the youngest member of the wedding party - the flower girl.

I was a flower girl once in 1966 aged 7.  I had an over the top beehive hairdo decorated with a comb of silk flowers (daisies) and a bow. My dress (pink) was a stiff empire line style and I carried a bouquet of dark red rosebuds styled to within an inch of their life.  It was a magical experience and I felt just like a princess.

Nadir Quinto - Detail from Cinderella

The first illustrations I have chosen are by the wonderful artist and illustrator Nadir Quinto.   They are beautifully detailed and I think in both the flower girl completely steals the show.

Nadir Quinto - Dick Wittington

Nadir Quinto - Detail from Dick Wittington

The flower girl from Merrill's paper doll book of The Heavenly Blue Wedding (posted 24 Feb 2011).

This delightful illustration by H. M. Brock is from a story called 'Cherry Charmer'.  I have included the whole wedding procession first and then enlarged its component parts to highlight some of the lovely detail.

HM Brock - Cherry Charmer

HM Brock - Cherry Charmer

HM Brock - Cherry Charmer

HM Brock - Cherry Charmer

The next wonderfully romantic painting called 'The Marriage of Beatrice' is the work of Raffaello Sorbi (1844-1931).  It was completed in 1928 when he was 84 years old.  The scene portrays a wedding from the late Middle Ages or early Renaissance but the figure of Beatrice herself gives away the fact that it was painted much later.  Today we take for granted the image of a bride in white gown and veil but this tradition only really started in the 19th century. 

Raffaello Sorbi - The Marriage of Beatrice

In my post of Vintage Brides I included this photograph of a dress I longed to own as a child.  I would study it for hours and dreamt of wearing one just like it.

Modern Bride 1958

The same magazine (Modern Bride - 1958) also included the dress shown below that I have not posted before.  Same pose, very similar style, but the darker colour and heavier material never had the same appeal for me.

Modern Bride 1958

The two mirror images of the double sided flower girl in Saalfield's Double Wedding paper doll book from 1964. (posted 21 May 2011)

This lovely wedding scene is from the Jack and Jill Christmas annual of 1963 and is part of a series called 'Our Village - The Story of Cherry Green.'   Once again I am showing the full painting first and then highlighting some of the detail.

I'm not sure if the next three paper dolls are part of a wedding book or if they belong to a different occasion.  They are not in great condition, but I think are still very pretty.  When I was a child I was given some paper doll sets second hand by various family members (cut dolls, no covers etc).  This was one of them and as can be seen belongs to my original collection.  If anyone can identify the book please leave a comment and let me know. 

*Update* - Retha from the Paperdolls and Toys blog left a comment confirming that these dolls are not from a wedding book as I suspected but from a paper doll set called Seven and Seventeen.  She also emailed me a link a the Picasa Web Album that contains the complete book.  It is beautiful - I'm so glad to be able to see it again in context. 

The flower girl from Whitman's Bridal Cut Outs -1966 (posted 10 Sept 2011).

She is not a flower girl and this was not a happy occasion for her, but who can resist Ron Embleton's beautiful image of Snow White as her father marries his haughty new bride.  Ron Embleton (my favourite artist) has featured frequently in my blog and I have always wanted to include this particular illustration.  

Ron Embleton - Snow White

And of course when I was married in 1996 my own retinue contained a flower girl or two!  

Saalfield - Tina with Change-About Wigs

What makes this paper doll interesting are the three 'wigs' that provide a novel touch to the book.  I've always thought the dresses a bit nondescript and discovered recently that they were used by Saalfield in an earlier set and re-produced without any alteration in this one.

It is the detachable heads that make this set so memorable with names that sound like ice-cream sundaes - Banana Blonde, Spiced Strawberry and Chocolate Parfait!

I can't see a date on the cover which is unusual but I would have been given it in the mid to late 60's.

The set consists of one doll.  The original is shown on the right and the same doll with the blonde 'wig' on the left.  I think having complete heads like this is very effective as hair on its own can sometimes look a bit scrappy.

Here are they are in one of the dresses.

This is my favourite page in the book with the three different glamorous looks provided by the Wig Shoppe.

Inside my original copy of the book I have some magazine cut-outs of hairstyles from the era.  They have nothing to do with the set but I must have included them to play along with the hairdressing theme.

Marvellous Mermaids

Jose Ortiz - The King With a Heavy Crown

This post concludes my fairytale trio of Fabulous Fairies, Delightful Dragons and now Marvellous Mermaids.  Mermaids featured in many stories of my childhood, so much so that I accepted their existence without question.

 The next three images appeared in issue #83 of Once Upon a Time from 1970 illustrating a story called 'Moorea and the Fisher-boy'.  It tells the tale of a princess stolen by sea kelpies.  A resourceful fisher-boy called Raphael manages to lure her into his net and takes her back to shore. When her feet touch land Moorea realises who she is and all that has happened.  Raphael, of course, is knighted for his efforts and and he and Moorea are married.  Sometimes at night they would then walk down to the shore to watch the kelpies at play - but they were always very careful not to venture too close to the water's edge.

Moorea and the Fisher - Boy

Moorea and the Fisher Boy

Moorea and the Fisher-Boy

A cute illustration by Joze Ortiz from a story called 'Salty the Sea Fairy:

Jose Ortiz - Salty the Sea Fairy

I don't know who the artist was who painted this wonderful depiction of King Neptune.  It is clearly signed with the initials RH.  I think the blue/green shades and water colour technique very effectively convey the essence of the sea.

King Neptune

The Water Babies are not strictly speaking mermaids but I'm sneaking them in as this gives me another opportunity to include some more of Jesus Blasco's brilliant illustrations from this classic story:

Jesus Blasco - The Water Babies

Jesus Blasco - The Water Babies

Jesus Blasco - The Water Babies

The next two illustrations are from a book called 'My Book of Fairy Stories' published in 1959.  It is one of my earliest memories.  My grandmother kept this book at her home for many years so I had something to enjoy looking at when we went to visit.

There are six different stories in the book.  The author of each is clearly acknowledged, but the illustrations, which all appear to be the work of the same artist, are strangely not recognised at all. 

These rather suggestive little mermaids come from 'The Golden Crown' (written by Margaret Smith) and have a lovely delicate touch. 

The Golden Crown

The Golden Crown

Disney's re-telling of the classic Little Mermaid story came long after my childhood so does not qualify for my blog.  Before Ariel the most famous Disney mermaids are probably these glamorous little creatures from Peter Pan.

Walt Disney - Peter Pan

Ballet Colouring Book - Watkins Strathmore / 1962

This is my latest nostalgia purchase.  Besides paper dolls, colouring books contain some of my most vivid childhood memories.  This is one I can remember particularly well so when I saw it for sale I snapped it up straight away.

Below are a few of my favourite pictures from this lovely book:
  

Autumn Harvest

Autumn seemed to come early this year.  Apparently it is because we had an unusually dry spring!  This is the first year we are following the seasons in our new home.  The apples are enormous - much bigger than those we had on our previous tree - and they taste even better than they look (which was an unexpected surprise!)

  

There is also a pear tree and the pears have been surprisingly tasty as well.  I've never had home grown pears before so that was another unexpected treat. 

Some yellow berries at Trinity College:

Holly at St Stephen's Green:

Angels

I just had to include these even though the photos did not come out so well.  In real life I think they are too delicate to scan and the colours are much softer and prettier.

These little angels were made by a grandmother whose grandchild has leukemia and is in hospital.  The proceeds of those she sells is going to the hospital to buy toys and games to brighten up the children's lives while they are there.  I found the appeal very touching and bought one for myself and one for my sister.  For different reasons we could also both do with a bit of heavenly intervention right now so I'm hoping these little angels will smile on us as well.