A Treasury of Beautiful Dolls

By John Darcy Noble

Book Overview

An appreciation of the most beautiful dolls made in America and Europe during the 18th 19th and 20th centuries. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0517249502
• ISBN13: 9780517249505
• Release Date: January 1978
• Publisher: Weathervane Books
• Length: 210 Pages
• Weight: 2.10 lbs.

Customer Reviews

From the dustjacket::

An appreciation of the most beautiful dolls made in America and Europe during the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. . . . . . with 46 color plates by Peter Reinstorff and 150 black-and-white illustrations. . . In this handsomely illustrated volume John Noble presents a sensitive and exquisite study of his lifelong fascination with dolls, particularly those of the eighteenth, nineteenth, and early twentieth centuries. Mr. Noble points out that dolls are valuable as vital historical artifacts, as well as being aesthetically enchanting. "The objects," says the author, "that adults have chosen as playthings for their children can reveal a great deal about the beliefs and attitudes of those adults and very often will alter our concept of them." Childhood in the eighteenth century was either almost nonexistent or painfully short. Mere tots were forced to assume the moral and physical burdens of adulthood as soon as they could stand erect. The adults were the ones who delighted in toys and games, and some of the finest toys ever made were for the pleasure of adults. Shown in this book is the rich variety in kinds and qualities of dolls, from the simple rag-doll babies to the aristocratically coiffed and coutured dolls of the wealthy. The dolls' costumes were as carefully stitched as human raiment, and the materials ranged from laces, silks, and brocades to muslin and wool. The dolls were made from materials such as porcelain and bisque or wood and papier-mache. With the aid of 46 fine color photographs by Peter Reinstorff and 150 black-and-white photographs, Mr. Noble is able to focus upon the exquisite beauty of each doll and, at the same time, point out significant variants in the construction, materails, clothes, and personalities.