Rare & Lovely Dolls: Two Centuries of Beautiful Dolls - Hardcover

Noble, John; Darcy Noble, John

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0875885276 ISBN 13: 9780875885278

Publisher: Hobby House Pr Inc, 2000

Synopsis

A pastiche of the most interesting rare and early dolls by the weaver of words, former curator of the Museum of the City of NY, John Darcy Noble. An expert on early wooden and wax dolls up to the early bisque dolls, Mr. Noble gives his insights into the social periods that produced these interesting and lovely dolls. Religious figures from the 17th century through toy dolls from the last quarter of the 19th are discussed and pictured. Enjoyable reading and an excellent reference on rare and unusual dolls, this is a "must have" book! 75 color photos 128 pages. 8-1/2" x 11" HB.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

Viewing rare and lovely dolls through John Darcy Noble's eyes is to enter a fantasyland of enchantment. Whether he is a discussing the exquisite religious figure that are precursors of play dolls, telling stories about 18th century aristocrats' toys, or explaining about early 19th century commercially made dolls, John Darcy Noble's vision brings that era and society to life.

About the Author:

John Darcy Noble was born in 1923 in Greenwich, a suburb of London on the river Thames, which at that time was still a Dickensian backwater. This creative little boy grew up well aware of and fascinated by the tangible relics of gas-lit London. Even his bedtime was signaled by the arrival of the street lamplighter, immortalized by Robert Louis Stevenson in the poem that John Darcy knew by heart.

He began to collect old toys when he was six years old, Trading a nice new puzzle with a schoolmate, who had a curious china whistle, dating from about 1860, in the shape of a cigar with a little naked "Frozen Charlie" doll sitting astride it. That treasured whistle, still in John Darcy's possession, was soon joined by many other old toys. By the time he was ten, he could be said to have a toy collection, and by the time he was 16, it was a very nice collection indeed. In the meantime he had discovered how to research and had taught himself much about those old playthings that he loved.

John Darcy graduated from London university with a Master's degree in Fine Art, and by the mid- 1950s was teaching in London's art schools, and had held several one-man shows of his haunting, decorative paintings in London and Paris. In the latter part of the decade he helped to mount exhibitions of old toys for the Royal Society for the Blind. Since this august institution was sponsored by several royal duchesses he was accorded much publicity for doing so, and received even more, when, with very little capital or backing, he helped Margerite Fawdrey to created Pollock's Toy Museum, the first of its kind in England.

He came to the United States in 1960 and has never gone back-not surprisingly, since within a few months of his arrival he was offered the position of Curator of the Toy Collection at the Museum of the City of New York, a position he was to hold for nearly 30 years. During this time his charismatic exhibitions, together with the drawing power of his writings and lectures on the subject so dear to his heart, have made that Toy Collection famous throughout the world.

Now retired and living happily in a quiet, countrified part of Southern California, John Darcy continues to take a passionate interest in old dolls and toys. He spends sunny days as he has always done, painting and writing, and delighting in his own rarified collection of these fascinating relics of past childhood. He has always loved and made paper dolls and his published examples in this field are avidly collected.

About this edition

• Publisher: Hobby House Pr Inc
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0875885276
• ISBN 13: 9780875885278
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 128