> Schildkröt

King of Celluloid Dolls

By Kurt Palka

Learn how Schildkröt became the first company to use celluloid to create dolls.

> Antique Q & A

March/April 2006

By Jan Foulke

Doll expert and author Jan Foulke answers questions about antique dolls: Nancy Ann Storybook dolls, Parian dolls, and more. 

> Designs on a Fashionable Victorian Lady

How to dress a doll in an appropriate 19th-century wardrobe.

By Ann G. Hays

Dolls with trousseaus are hard to find, and when you do find them, the price tag often makes them unaffordable. Learn how to get around these high prices by creating your own wardrobe for your doll.

 

> Antique Q & A

September 2006

By Jan Foulke

Jan Foulke helps to identify and explain unknown antique dolls, including a 17-inch German Revalo.

> International Delights

The most collectible foreign dolls are handmade, date to the early 1900s, and are undervalued.

By A. Glenn Mandeville

Building an international doll collection is both fun and smart, as the prices for vintage foreign dolls are comparatively low. Many vintage foreign dolls, even well-made ones, can be purchased for a few dollars.

> Art in Porcelain

In response to play dolls, women of the Victorian era demanded elegant and sophisticated figures.

By Constance King

An in-depth look at the historical origins of porcelain dolls.

> By the Sea, By the Sea

By Ann Hays

A closer look at early bisque ‘bathing beauties’ details the ever-changing timeline of fashionable Victorian beachwear.

> Cameos of Fashion

From late Jumeau fashion dolls to early unmarked Barrois bisque lady dolls, take a step back in time when these elaborate and beautiful fashions represented the haute couture of the day.

By Ann G. Hays

Yardage of red wool tartan, pink silk faille, and black cotton velvet are no more than bolts of expensive fabric stored on a shelf. The fabric comes to life in the hands of a creative doll couturier. With combinations of fabrics, colors, lace, and ribbons, creativity is limitless. Take a closer look at 19th-century French and German doll fashions from firms like Jumeau, Bru, Gaultier, Simon & Halbig, and more. 

> Achieving the Dream

From Italy to America, Alessandra Marcellan Thor’s journey to doll making began in a small town located just outside of Venice.

By Jill Jackson

Inspired by antique Kestners and Steiners, read about Alessandra Marcellan Thor’s doll-making journey and how she got to making the antique reproduction dolls she's known for today.

> Collector Connection: Chad Valley

Thanks to her personal connection with the company, Chad Valley has become one of this collector's favorite doll makers.

By Jan Johnstone

In 1938 Chad Valley became the first toy makers in the world to be granted the Royal Warrant of Appointment as ‘Toymakers to Her Majesty the Queen.