The Winterthur Library

 The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum

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