The
The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and
Printed Ephemera
Henry Francis du Pont
5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur,
Delaware 19735
Telephone: 302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883
OVERVIEW OF
THE COLLECTION
Creator: Sommer, Frank H.
Title: Collection of paper dolls and toys,
Dates: ca.1830-1904.
Call No.: Col. 628
Acc. No.: 74x440
Quantity: 5 folders (22 items)
Location: 3 K 2
BIOGRAPHICAL
STATEMENT
Frank Henry Sommer, III, was the head of the
Winterthur library. He received his
Ph.D. in archaeology from Yale in 1950.
He was a professor at the University of Delaware from 1948-1952. During this time, he helped develop the plans
for the graduate program in early American culture which was jointly sponsored
by Winterthur Museum and the University of Delaware, and he served as the first
coordinator of the program. He was
Keeper of Folk Art at the Winterthur Museum from 1958-1963 and then became
director of the library division. He
wrote a number of articles on the subjects of decorative arts and art
history. He was a member of the Grolier
Club and other organizations. He retired
from Winterthur Museum in 1987 and died on October 20, 2006.
SCOPE AND
CONTENT
A collection of paper dolls, cardboard cutouts, and pictures
of dolls and toys, ca.1835-1904. The
pictures include a colored drawing of a doll done by Cecil M. J. Cocks in 1901,
a sketch of a girl with a doll, a fashion plate from 1868 with a girl holding a
doll, and pictures of the interior of a toy shop, a man selling toys at an
outdoor booth, and of a family with a baby, a small child, and toys (probably
ca.1835). A figure to be cut out depicts
a man with a grindstone; when put together, the figure will move. As well, there is a cardboard cut-out set of
a zoo, with animals, animal houses, and visitors. The original folder is included with the set.
One set of paper dolls depicts foreigners, both
women and men, who attended the Exposition Universelle Internationale de 1900,
held in Paris. In addition to people
from various European countries, there are Malagasans (from Madagascar), a
Cingalese (from Ceylon), and a Javanese woman.
Another set of paper dolls were supplements to the magazine La Poupée
Modèle, which was published in Paris.
These depict noted women of history, including St. Blandine, Joan of
Arc, Anne of Brittany, Mary Stuart (Mary, Queen of Scots), Catherine de Medici,
Charlotte de la Trémouille, and others.
ORGANIZATION
The items are arranged by type.
LANGUAGE OF
MATERIALS
The materials are in English.
RESTRICTIONS
ON ACCESS
Collection is open to the public. Copyright restrictions may apply.
PROVENANCE
Gift of Frank H. Sommer.
ACCESS POINTS
Topics:
Exposition universelle internationale de 1900 (Paris,
France).
Paper dolls.
Paper toys.
Zoos - Pictorial works.
Zoo animals -
Pictorial works.
Women heroes.
Dolls -
Pictorial works.
Grinding wheels.
Fashion drawing.
Toy stores -
Pictorial works.
Drawings.
DETAILED
DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION
Location: 3 K
2
All accession numbers begin with 74x440.
Folder 1:
pictures
.1 man holds baby while wife and toddler
look on; toys are strewn about the floor, with a crib in the background;
includes a poem in German; in color; circa 1830s
.2 “The Toy Shop,” black and white
illustration of children, with their parents, in a toy store; engraved by
Lauderbach
.3 man in fair booth, selling toys, a flag
bears a German inscription, in color
.4 fashion plate from Journal des Demoiselles, March 1868; one woman in day dress; one woman
in evening dress; and a girl holding a doll
.5 drawing by Cecil M. J. Cocks, dated
3/2/01 [1901], showing an undressed jointed wooden doll in various poses,
including standing outside a house
.6 wash drawing of a girl playing with her doll, circa 1830?
Folder 2:
paper model
.7 Tableaux à Mouvements, no. 12: Le Remouleur [man with
grinding wheel]: a paper model to cut out and assemble
Folder 3: paper dolls
.8 Petit
Costumier – Poupées à Habiller: costumes varies des deux sexes; Imagerie d’Epinal,
no. 1066:
a female figure
and a male figure, with assorted costumes for both
.9 Costumes
Étrangers: Exposition 1900; Imagerie d’Epinal, no. 1122:
Espagnole,
Petite Espagnole, Monténégrine, Petite Monténégrine, Hongroise.
(one woman doll
and one girl doll, with assorted outfits for each)
.10 Costumes
Étrangers: Exposition 1900; Imagerie d’Epinal, no. 1121:
Espagnol, Petite Espagnol, Monténégrin,
Hongrois, Grec.
(One man doll
and one boy doll, with assorted outfits for the man, and just one outfit for
the boy)
.11 Costumes
Étrangers: Exposition 1900; Imagerie d’Epinal, no. 1123:
Femmes &
fillette Malgaches.
(one woman doll and one girl
doll, with assorted outfits for the woman and one outfit for the girl)
.12 Costumes
Étrangers: Exposition 1900; Imagerie d’Epinal, no. 1125:
Hollandaise, Cingalaise, Suédoise, Rusee,
Javannaise.
(two women
dolls, with assorted outfits for each)
Folder 4: paper dolls
.13 supplement à La Poupée Modèle, Journal des Petites Filles: 15
Dec. 1901:
Éponine and Ste.
Blandine
.14 supplement à La Poupée Modèle, Journal des Petites Filles: 15
Sept. 1902:
Jeanne de
Bourbon and Clémence Isaure
.15 supplement au journal La Poupée Modèle: 15 Dec. 1902:
Jeanne d’Arc and
Anne de Bretagne
.16 supplement à La Poupée Modèle, Journal des Petites Filles: 15
Sept. 1903:
Elisabeth de
France and Marie Stuart
.17 supplement à La Poupée Modèle, Journal des Petites Filles: 15
June 1903:
Catherine de Médicis and
Jeanne d’Albret
.18 supplement à La Poupée Modèle, Journal des Petites Filles: 15
Dec. 1903:
Elisabeth
d’Autriche and Catherine de Clermont-Tonnerre
.19 supplement à La Poupée Modèle, Journal des Petites Filles: 15
March 1904:
Catherine de
Montpensier and Charlotte de la Trémouille
.20 supplement à La Poupée Modèle, Journal des Petites Filles: 15
June 1904:
Marie de Clèves
and Georgette de Montenay
.21 supplement à La Poupée Modèle, Journal des Petites Filles: 15
Sept. 1904:
Marguerite de
Valois and Marie de Médicis
Folder 5: Zoological Garden paper model
.22a green paper wrapper which held the cards for “The Juvenile
Builder, XIV: Zoological Garden”; printed by A.N. Myers & Co. of London;
On back of
wrapper: directions for constructing the cardboard models, plus a list of other
models in the Juvenile Builder series;
[note: sheet
IV (Chamois House) is missing]
.22b black
and white illustrations of what the different parts of the Zoological Garden
should look like when completed
.22c sheet
of paper on which to place the different buildings of the Zoological Garden,
with each location numbered
.22d I:
“Den of Beasts of Prey”: house for lions, tigers, leopards and other large
felines; with figures of human spectators, and one man leading a zebra
.22e II:
“Bears’ Den”: with figures of zoo visitors, plus camels
.22f III:
“Kangaroos’ House”: with zoo visitors,
plus an elephant
.22g V:
“Monkeys’ House”: with zoo visitors
.22h VI:
“Ostriches’ House”: with trees, zoo visitors, and a giraffe
.22i VII:
“Deer’s House”: with zoo visitors and greenery
.22j VIII:
“Buffaloes’ House”: with water buffalo, bison, cattle, and water birds; also
zoo visitors and a bridge over a rushing stream