Scope and Contents

The collection consists of paper dolls dating from 1890-1998. The bulk of the paper dolls, however, date from the 1900s-1970s. Some of the paper dolls have been cut while others remain intact. There is also a large collection of dolls that are still contained within their original packaging. Such packaging could include the periodical or comic book in which it was published, the original box, or a folder or booklet. While a substantial amount of the paper dolls were commercially produced, there are examples of hand made dolls and clothing. The clothing for the dolls is mostly created from paper with some examples of cloth and plastic. Hand colored commercially produced dolls and clothing also exist within the collection. Special features on the dolls could include hair, plastic eyes, photographic faces, and moveable parts. The artwork aspect of the paper dolls may be of interest to researchers. The collection includes works by such paper doll artists as Queen Holden, who was renowned for her dolls of the 1930s, and Tom Tierney, who has depicted almost every celebrity of the 20th century in paper doll form. Originals and reproductions of Grace Gebbie Drayton's (1877-1936) Dolly Dingle paper dolls series, which appeared in the Pictorial Review from 1913-1933, are included among the materials. Drayton is well known for her creation and illustration of the "Campbell Kids". She illustrated a number of books and other publications and designed dolls and toys. Frances Tipton Hunter, creator of the "Little Busy Bodies" who appeared in Women's Home Companion in 1922 and 1923, career spanned from the 1920s to her death in 1957. Besides the "Little Busy Bodies" her work also appeared in a number of periodicals including the Saturday Evening Post, The Delineator, Collier's and Ladies Home Journal.

Not just seen from the perspective of artwork or playthings the serious scholar will be able to focus on a variety of topics related to the dolls. Researchers interested in fashion, popular culture, and images of women, children, or celebrities will find this collection of great value. The collection has a large representation of movie and television stars from the 1930s through the 1950s. These particular series would be of interest to research pertaining to the entertainment industry. In addition, American notions of ideal family sizes, settings, relationships, teenage life and leisure activities are represented in the collection.

Arrangement

The collection is divided into 14 series.

Series 1, Advertising, circa 1800-1980

Series 2, Animals, circa 1950-1995

Series 3, Celebrities, circa 1930-1995

Series 4, Characters in Literature and Folklore, circa 1920-1995

Series 5, Characters in Mass Media, circa 1935-1995

Series 6, Dolls and Toys, circa 1890-1990

Series 7, Family, circa 1880-1990

Series 8, Fashion and Costume, circa 1890-1995

Series 9, Historical Figures and Events, circa 1950-1998

Series 10, Holidays and Celebrations, circa 1930-1990

Series 11, Occupations, circa 1900-1995

Series 12, Periodicals, circa 1890-1995

Series 13, Miscellaneous Materials, circa 1890-1995

Series 14, Publications about Paper Dolls, circa 1980-1990

Biographical / Historical

The Grepkes were prolific collectors of paper dolls, beginning their collecting in the 1970s.