French artist Raymond Peynet made simple line drawings of young Parisian lovers in post-war France. His art work was very popular and this fashion doll was based on it. Technigom in Paris made the 8 in. bendable latex foam doll from 1962 to 1968, following Pegnet’s designs. The subjects ranged from Romeo and Juliet to Brigitte. Bardot. Here is Bonne Nuit with booklet and two small dishes with his drawings.
1940s Georgine Averill Dolls
Georgine Averill Dutch Dolls
Stroodle
There was year when our family of six got involved with a certain “character.” The word “doll” is not quite appropriate. He was a 15 in. white-bearded elf named Stroodle that I made from a pattern by Rainie Crawford.
When our oldest son left home and the USA as an exchange student, his brothers wanted to keep in touch. They created tape cassettes of a make believe morning radio show, “Breakfast with Stroodle.” Our middle son had the role of the obnoxious announcer while our youngest son created the inimitable voice of Stroodle himself. A funny and improbable solution to everyday problems was the premise of the show. Stroodle would describe one of these complaints with the words, “don’t you just hate it when ….” followed by “well, have I got a surprise for you ‘’ followed by a long-winded ridiculous solution. Occasionally I played the part of the excitable, disoriented Mrs. Mudge. Daughter Elaine would break into the show with insulting remarks like, “He’s not a radio host, he’s a stuffed animal!” The character played by their Dad was always looking for a reason why he might “in a minute” remove his belt and administer a sound spanking. There were no more shows recorded after our oldest son returned home but we never forgot the fun we had.
Some of the items surrounding Stroodle are his St. Pat’s hat, gold coins, assorted tools, and photos of fans and relatives. His collection of eight Heinz pickle pins is impressive, even for a Pittsburgher!
Daruma Dolls
Kokeshi Dolls
Cooking On An Cast Iron Stove
Artist Manikin Dolls
Tyrolean Couple Dolls
A 2.25 in. wooden Tyrolean couple can be seen inside this house plaque. They were originally made to be a lapel pin and hung together on a chain attached to a safety pin. Their arms and legs are peg jointed. The house (circa 1950) is marked, “This Plaque is a Genuine Hand Carved Item made in the Italian Alps.”