A few months ago I mentioned a wonderful
Victorian doll trunk filled with its original owner's toys that I was going to buy for Christmas. Well, it's here now, and it's
awesome!
The trunk dates from the 1880s, and the toys are from the same time period, up through the early 1900s. The trunk measures 16 inches wide by 9 inches tall, and is made of lithographed paper over wood with metal trim. There's a tray inside, under which is the main compartment.
Inside the trunk are:
2 small dolls, including a
7 inch German bisque head with tiny blue glass sleep eyes, a beautiful mohair wig, and a composition body, and a 6 inch French Unis doll of similar make; a
wooden doll table with a
handmade linen tablecloth featuring a "pulled work" design and a
miniature tea set; a
handstitched needle case (probably the child owner's project);
handmade dolly stockings; a gorgeous green
silk doll bonnet covered in delicate lace; an 18 inch tall
Armand Marseille Mabel doll with lots of play damage, but in her factory original outfit, with beautiful brown glass eyes; and a lovely
German made children's tea set.
Each toy individually is a wonderful item, but this is definitely a case where the sum of the total is greater than its parts. For all these toys to have stayed together for over 100 years, safely tucked away in their trunk by their original owner, is amazing. As I look at these toys, I feel I've been given a glimpse into the world of the little girl who owned them so long ago.
The trunk dates from the 1880s, and the toys are from the same time period, up through the early 1900s. The trunk measures 16 inches wide by 9 inches tall, and is made of lithographed paper over wood with metal trim. There's a tray inside, under which is the main compartment.
Inside the trunk are: 2 small dolls, including a 7 inch German bisque head with tiny blue glass sleep eyes, a beautiful mohair wig, and a composition body, and a 6 inch French Unis doll of similar make; a wooden doll table with a handmade linen tablecloth featuring a "pulled work" design and a miniature tea set; a handstitched needle case (probably the child owner's project); handmade dolly stockings; a gorgeous green silk doll bonnet covered in delicate lace; an 18 inch tall Armand Marseille Mabel doll with lots of play damage, but in her factory original outfit, with beautiful brown glass eyes; and a lovely German made children's tea set.
Each toy individually is a wonderful item, but this is definitely a case where the sum of the total is greater than its parts. For all these toys to have stayed together for over 100 years, safely tucked away in their trunk by their original owner, is amazing. As I look at these toys, I feel I've been given a glimpse into the world of the little girl who owned them so long ago.
This is unbelievably gorgeous - how amazing that it still exists after such a long time!
ReplyDeleteI have added a link on my blog to this post, and thru it to the rest of your blog. If that's not ok with you please contact me and I'll remove it. I would have emailed you about it first but there is no email contact for you on your profile. If you want to communicate with me about this link please either leave a comment on my blog or email me directly at normabennett@hotmail.com - I hope it will be fine with you because I think this is a blog a lot of others will be interested in!
ReplyDeleteHi Norma,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind comments, and absolutely, feel free to link away! Thanks so much!
I did these pictures in a rush, and they're not the greatest: I'm going to try to get some better ones and put them up soon, so keep an eye out here...
Thanks again,
Tracy