Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-12-15
ABOUT DOLLS.
The Evcr-UsefuI LEANS F0rsai<en-
Little Use for Dolls of Fashion.


NJ. Guy Tomel, in the Journal des De-
bats. gives an interesting account Of
dumb dolls. talking dolls. and dolls that
get married. Three nations. he says.
have the lucrative honor OF furnishing
the dolls for little girls all over the
world. England produces the wax doll.
Germany the sawdust-stuffed leather
doll, with head of porcelain. and France
has the Jolnted baby invented in 1852.
Before this comparatively recent period.
France did not contribute much to the
international doll market. Her dolls
were. nevertheless, celebrated through
out the entire world, but they We're
fashionable dolls. or dolls for grOwn-up
ladies' Sometimes. perhaps. In our travels
through Paris we may have noticed tiny
glass showcases which serve as the
signs OF dressmakers. In these little
cases there are manikins dressed with
the greatest possible care In the feminine
fashion of the day. They are specimens
Of the costumes offered by the dress
makers TO their customers. The elegance
and detail OF these liliputian toilets I'm
which there Is not a single point wanting.
have often been admired. There the
little lady stands in her rather stiff but
proud attitude. the sphinx of fashion.
Salute these little princesses, whose
number Is decreasing every day. During
centuries they were the missionaries of
the French fashions, even in the most re-
mote regions. and. thanks TO them,
ladies I'm far distant countries were never
afraid to supply themselves with articles
which the little manikins taught them
to wear with chic.
With every export Of ladies' apparel
the merchants sent one OF those little
manilins, and the prccaution was never
IL
was furnished I'm Calcutta. The first
cloaks that were sent there. Of a very
light texture. considering the climate.
were worn upon the head, like mantillas.
by the Calcutta ladies'. to whom. By
mistake, tho exporter had neglected to
send the little model. At the end of the
year IL arrived and the error was cor
rected.
one hundred years ago voyages were so
long. so perilous. and costly, that they
required a sort Of boldness reserved for
men alone. One could count on the
fingers the number Of women who came
to Paris. in the eighteenth century, from
any country outside Of Europe. And.
nevertheless, about that period Paris
busted the feminine head with its renown
as the capital of fashion. But there IS
better still. The French model doll,
awaited with impotence by the ladies
TO whom II was sent. enjoyed privileges
OF immunity that were not always pos
sessed even by our ambassadors. For
the doll. they created a sort Of special
law or privilege. In publication Of the
eighteenth century the following sugges-
tive lines appear:
Everybody knows that during the
most bloody war between France and
England at the time of Addison, a piece
Of gallantry not unworthy Of history
existed between the ministers Of the
courts of Versailles and St. James In
compliment TO the ladies' they allowed
the big doll 70 90 free II was a figure
completely dressed according TO the
most recent fashion. TO serve as a model
for the English ladies' In this way In
the midst of the furious hostilites, this
manIkin was the only thing that was
respected by the soldiers"
Certainly the days Of glory are passed
for the doll Of fashion. not only because
the railroads and universal eXpostions
bring frequently enough foreign ladies'
capable Of detailing I'm their own coun-
tries the secrets of our heightened dress
makers. but because the vugariZatOn Of
the fashion plates OF the day. that are
exploited by the newspapers. leave moth
ing 10 be guessed at by the coquettes OF
the two hemispheres.
Nevertheless, continues VI, Guy
Tomel. IL wanted TO know II the mission
ary doll was entirely dead after such
brilliant career. and II some South Ameri-
can republic or some archipelago Of the
antipodcs did not exist where she con-
tinued 10 give her lessons in fashion.
/ expressed this idea to a specialist of
the Rue de la Paix.
% DO you send manikin sometimes in
your exportsT | asked"
Certainly he replied. The thing IS
absolutely necessary No water color
can go into complete details. But the
bother Is that they do not always speak
the Language Of the country
"All right. l thought. they are sending
monographs dolls. That is progress.
" For example, continued my interlo-
cutter Il want one now that can talk
Portuguese. and ! haven't got one, and
another bother Is that very often they
won't come back when | send them away.
They remain in the country and marry
into rich families
Yes / said. with punchinellos.'
oh, no. not punchinellos. but very
respectable people l can assure you. /
lost two good ones recently in this way
in Brazil
suddenly the cloud dissipated. I under
stood. and IL was time. The fashionable
dolls that are now sent along to ac-
company the expectations are employees
Of the establishment, who have given
ample proof OF their gifts, their abilities.
and their elegance. 1t IS a much-sought
for mission among the pretty, we'll
formed. and skilful girls