Books in Dover Victorian Paper Dolls series

Fashions from the 1940s rank among the most popular and most influential in modern times. In vogue again today, these classic designs — characterized by wide, padded shoulders and slim silhouettes — were born, largely, from the need to conserve materials during World War II. With the war's end, designers rejected the austere conditions imposed on them earlier in the decade and the New Look was inaugurated — an ultra-feminine line that displayed close-fitting bodices and long, full skirts.For this modestly priced paper doll collection, noted illustrator and fashion authority Tom Tierney has painstakingly researched and meticulously re-created in full color the trend-setting styles of the 1940s. Two dolls and 32 lavish outfits for evening and day wear include Schiaparelli's dark blue wool suit accented with large gold buttons; an Adrian cocktail dress in crepe, with a hand-painted golden-rope motif; a four-tiered wool dress by Germaine Monteil; an elegant wedding gown of starched white muslin and white eyelet embroidery from Henri Bendel; Hattie Carnegie's dinner pajamas — a bespangled floral print accented with a wide sash in violent pink; and a magnificent black taffeta evening coat worn over a short lace evening dress — both by Balenciaga. Also shown are stunning designs by Jo Copeland, Jeanne Lanvin, Mainbocher, Dior, Norman Norell, Adele Simpson, Mollie Parnis, Muriel King, Pierre Balmain, Maurice Rentner, Edward Molyneux, Omar Kiam, Robert Piguet, and Jacques Fath. Descriptions are included for the outfits, while notes offer background information on the designers and their creations.A unique collection that paper doll fanciers will find especially captivating, Great Fashion Designs of the Forties Paper Dolls will also appeal to designers, nostalgia buffs, costume historians, and anyone interested in the timeless fashions of a memorable decade.

The many different nationalities that settled in colonial America formed a rich mosaic of European cultures. Nowhere were the distinguishing characteristics of each more apparent than in the "good clothes" they brought with them from their homelands. Artist Tom Tierney celebrates these early immigrants — English, Dutch, French, Spanish, and others — in one of his finest paper doll collections, featuring colonial fashions from about 1600 to 1770. Eleven paper dolls, eight of them fully dressed, display in full color 21 authentically detailed costumes worn by New World settlers for special occasions.Among the costumes are elegant court gowns and the classic silk and woolen capes worn by the Spanish. The English Puritans' "playne" dark woolen clothing; the lace-trimmed fashions of the Dutch; the ornate garments, richly detailed with lace, ribbons and frills, favored by the French settlers; and other splendid fashions of German, Norwegian, Portuguese, and Swiss origin. Tom Tierney's fact-filled introduction and descriptive notes on each costume add fascinating details of social history to this outstanding collection, sure to delight paper doll enthusiasts of all ages.

Camelot and the grand Arthurian legends come to colorful life in this gorgeous book of paper doll art. This chivalrous collection features five costumed dolls — King Arthur, Queen Guinevere, Sir Lancelot, Merlin the wizard, and the enchantress Morgan le Fay — each with a variety of additional outfits and accessories, plus a colorful backdrop on the inside covers.

Four career-minded dolls represent a terrific variety of professions in the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. Perforated for easy removal, these two reversible dolls add up to four models of diverse ethnic backgrounds. They're accompanied by a fabulous wardrobe of 32 colorful outfits representing different occupations that include an astronaut, doctor, architect, chef, and many more.

Well known to paper doll fanciers for her charming and whimsical animal renderings, artist Evelyn Gathings reveals another side of her remarkable talent in this delightful volume of old-fashioned paper dolls. Two appealing and realistic children, direct from the mid-Victorian era, will enchant collectors and paper doll fans alike.Two dolls and 24 costumes (all based on actual dress of the period) display the artist's characteristic attention to detail, careful research, and warm and whimsical touch. Wide-eyed and adorable little Emily comes with a lovely pink ruffled and pleated party dress, a rose-trimmed ballet costume, a beribboned and lace-trimmed recital gown of deep aqua, a fur-trimmed red coat, and eight other captivating outfits. Gerard's wardrobe includes a dramatic black coat trimmed in red for his role as a pirate in the school play, a dapper gold-trimmed officer's uniform (to lead his toy soldiers into battle), a smart blue-and-white sailor suit, a fur-trimmed, blue-gray skating outfit, and eight other costumes.Also included are numerous colorful period accessories — parasols, purses, nosegays, hats, swords, shovel, bucket, kite, violin, toy drum and boat, dolls, tea set, and more, as well as several charming illustrations of birds, animals, and butterflies.

Inspired by the traditional fairy tales of yesterday as well as trendy new movies and television shows, these reversible punch-out dolls depict four popular princesses—Cinderella, Snow White, Rapunzel, and Sleeping Beauty. Their royal wardrobes are brimming with ball gowns, bridal costumes, tiaras, and other dazzling accessories. An enchanting play scene offers a backdrop for re-creating familiar stories and inventing new adventures.

The romance of the Old South is magnificently captured in this paper doll collection, highlighting the elaborate dresses and gowns and the military uniforms typical of a well-to-do-plantation family of the Civil War era. The stars of the collection are a lively pair of Southern belles, one of them a bride.Artist Tom Tierney has provided Laura Lee and Hallie with charming frocks and ball gowns in the hoopskirted fashions of the period, stylish ensembles for outdoor activities, and elegant dresses for their roles as bride and maid of honor. Their mother is shown in a regal off-the-shoulder gown with matching cape and bonnet.The girls' father and brother, and the groom and best man, are all shown in detailed renderings of Confederate military uniforms of the period. Three charming young children — Blanche, Bobby, and Bea — are shown at play, rounding out this portrait of a Southern family.The Laura Lee and Hallie paper dolls are shown in petticoats and hoopskirt frames. Five different costumes are provided for each. The eight other members of this handsome family and their wedding party are shown individually as fully costumed figures. Together, they offer costume and paper doll enthusiasts a delightful look at the voluminous, richly detailed fashions of a memorable era in American history.

The 1930s … they began somewhat unstylishly in the midst of a worldwide depression but ended as a dazzling and influential decade of haute couture. Influenced by the Bauhaus movement ("Form follow function") and the Art Deco trend, a coterie of brilliant designers set the tone for the times with an exciting new wave of provocative fashions.Here, in a handsome, painstakingly researched paper doll fashion book, noted artist and fashion authority Tom Tierney re-creates the exquisite inventions of the top couturiers: Schiaparelli, Lanvin, Vionnet, Molyneux, Chanel, Mainbocher, Worth, Paquin, and others. Rendered in glowing full color, the collection comprises two dolls and 32 meticulously detailed costumes, accurate down to the last nuance of fabric and fold.Suddenly out is the "boyish look" of the Roaring Twenties. It is a more seductive line. In the 30s, skirts take on a clinging fluidity, hats get smaller, gloves of every length are à la mode, and the backless evening gown makes a dramatic entrance. By 1933, Paris turns to Hollywood for inspiration and film stars Gloria Swanson, Joan Crawford, and Garbo are the new international fashion setters. (Tierney's dolls bear striking resemblances to the first two actresses.)Fashion connoisseurs will delight in this parade of stunning costumes, featuring a navy wool frock with sable-bordered cape-scarf and muff by Worth; an elegant gold lamé evening gown with gathered peplum flounce by Lanvin; a Chanel creation of white tulle with sunburst stitching; Schiaparelli's "Chinese" taffeta cape and satin dress; and dozens of other inspiring designs. An informative text describes fabrics and accessories and lists the date of the creation and the designer's name. This charming, inexpensive haute-couture collection will appeal to paper doll enthusiasts, costume fanciers, fashion historians, and anyone interested in the fascinating 30s.

"Dress them up! Mix and match! Cleverly play off the candidates' bios." — USA TodayTake a break from current political controversy and place a vote for fun! This instant collector's item features a paper doll of Donald Trump, the businessman and television personality who pulled out all the stops to earn the Republican party's 2016 presidential nomination. Fifteen outfits and accessories include a Trump University cap and gown, WWF wrestler garb, Miss Universe gown, carnival barker costume, and more. Includes a detailed biography.

Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and Ophelia, Othello and Desdemona, Anthony and Cleopatra, together with memorable characters from 11 other plays by William Shakespeare, spring vividly to life in this charmingly rendered paper doll collection. Two dolls, Richard and Elizabeth, are accompanied by a wardrobe of 30 elaborately designed period costumes for the characters mentioned above, as well as Petruchio and Katharina in The Taming of the Shrew, Oberon and Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Prospero and Miranda in The Tempest, Beatrice and Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing, Portia and Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, and others. Tights and doublets, floor-length robes, capes, ruffled collars, and tartans are included among the gentlemen's costumes; flowing medieval garments, elegant fur-trimmed gowns, classically draped Greek costumes, and other outfits constitute the ladies' wardrobes.A great way to introduce youngsters to Shakespeare and the immortal characters created by the Bard, these dolls and their meticulously detailed costumes will be welcomed by collectors and anyone fascinated by the Elizabethan era. Brief synopses of plays are included.