you know, I hadn't thought about these types of dolls until I stumbled upon a website that's dedicated to the infamous Betsy McCall (from McCall's magazine circa 1950s to 1980s). As I started looking through the pages, it reminded me of the little paper dolls I'd play with as a child. I'd become absorbed with organizing their wardrobe and accessories while being ever so gentle not to tear the tiny tabs. My cautiousness was always futile in the end. The tabs would gradually wear out and, to my dismay, the sweet dresses would hang lopsidedly off the dolly . . . oh the frustrations of a 6 year old!
Here are some of my favorites:
1930s
Early 1900s
What's awesome about the Betsy McCall site is that you can open each Betsy page into a PDF file and print them for free. There are many other vintage paper dolls you can download on-line for free as well. You can use the images as ephemera for any of your crafty endeavors! For a unique gift, check out the newer renditions, both Elsie from RVA and Apple's offer lovely reinterpretations of such a simple concept (click on their links for more info). Hope you enjoyed my top 5 today. C u tomorrow! Sue
