Paper Dolls

Writing about paper dolls reminds that this was a childhood play activity in the Strand household. Clarice, Vivian and I participated actively — I don’t really remember if my three younger brothers did. The source of the paper dolls was not magazines such as Nellie Scott subscribed to but rather outdated editions of mail order catalogs — Sears, Montgomery Ward, and Bellas Hess. We would cut out not only the appropriate dolls in various dress, but also appurtenances such as furniture, toys etc. What we did in playing with them I really don’t remember, but the cutting out, laying them out and picking them up I surely do.



page from Sears catalog, about 1920



page from Bellas Hess catalog, 1926

My mother was a steady customer of all three mail-order firms but mostly Sears and secondarily Montgomery Ward. The arrival of her order was always an event to be looked forward to, as was also the coming of a new batch of catalogs.