| Press Contact: | Catherine Riedell | Dorothy McGonagle |
| Director of Marketing | Doll Specialist | |
| Skinner, Inc | Skinner, Inc. | |
|
978-779-6341, x231 |
978-779-6241 ext. 256 | |
SKINNER TO HOST SINGLE OWNER DOLL AUCTION:
THE COLLECTIONS OF MAURINE POPP
Saturday April 12th at 10:00 a.m. in Bolton, Mass.
Sale Features, Jumeau, Huret, Brevete Bru, Izannah Walker, and Many Paper Dolls
BOLTON, Mass. - March 31, 2003 – www.skinnerinc.com - Skinner, Inc., one of the nation’s leading auction houses for antiques and fine art, will host a very special sale dedicated solely to a single owner collection of dolls: The Collections of Maurine Popp. The sale will be held on Saturday, April 12, 2003 at 10:00 a.m. in Skinner’s Bolton, Mass. gallery. With over 650 lots for sale, the auction offers antique doll enthusiasts much to choose from.
Maurine Popp: A Passionate and Well Known Collector
Maurine Popp was a well-known and much admired collector and dealer of antique dolls and doll accessories. Her interest in dolls flourished in the 1960s when, as a young mother, she discovered the appeal of old dolls was shared by a group of Boston-area women, the Doll Collectors of America. She readily became a tireless contributor, serving in nearly every capacity throughout the years, and as club president from 1989-91. Her respect for the tradition and ideals of DCA led to her being named DCA historian, a position she held until her death. Maurine Popp was also a member of the National Antique Doll Dealers Association and the United Federation of Doll Collectors, first through the Doll Study Club of Boston and later as a founding member of Les Rubans Aubergine, a small group of dedicated and talented doll enthusiasts. Maurine Popp will be missed by family and friends alike, but her passion for dolls lives on in her extraordinary collection.
Sale Highlights
One of the most coveted highlights of the auction is pictured on the catalog cover, Lot 143: a magnificent Jumeau lady who stands 28 inches tall and has a socket head on a fully articulated wooden lady body. This face was also made as a flange head for large and exotic mechanical pieces, several which are known are costumed as shepherdesses or magicians. She is indeed magical and is estimated at $20,000-$25,000.
One of the earliest offerings in the sale is Lot 36, an Early Queen Anne Wooden Lady Doll, from England, circa 1735, with black glass eyes, human hair wig, finely detailed ears, and jointed hips, shoulders and elbows. This doll was formerly in the collection of Estelle Winthrop and is estimated $32,000-$38,000.
Another mesmerizing doll is Lot 154: a Huret character lady with wide-set painted eyes and a soft smile. She combines the fineness of quality of early Huret ladies with a delicacy of character modeling and painting seldom found in the later dolls. She is, in a word, extraordinary, and is estimated at $15,000-$20,000. Maurine Popp had a long-standing love for Huret dolls and accessories, and over the years wrote articles and did extensive research on the company and assimilated the work of other researchers. The name Huret is for some synonymous with Maurine, demonstrated by the variety of Huret ladies and bebes offered in the sale. Other Huret lots include Lots 170 and 174.
Dolls with Costumes and Wardrobes
Maurine Popp loved costumes and wardrobes, and her collection features several dolls with retain their original trunks and costumes. One is Lot 139, Mabel Rose Welch II, a 14-inch early portrait Jumeau bebe who was named for her child owner. Lot 139 is estimated $10,000-$12,000. Another is Lot 210, Mabel Violet Jeannette, a Brevete Bru bebe with her splendid array of outfits, including the lovely red dress with black striped ribbon detail seen in one of the photos. Lot 210 is estimated at $18,000-$22,000. Lot 40, an Early French Bisque Head Lady Doll with wardrobe is estimated $4,500-$5,500.
Papier-Mache, Wax and Wooden Dolls
Early papier-mache and wooden dolls ranked among Maurine Popp’s favorites as well. Lot 51 is a collection of dolls encased in glass on a tiered wooden platform. Collection includes twenty-seven small jointed wooden early 19th century dolls labeled Female Costume of Every Nation. The Russian nurse at the top of the display holds a small wooden baby; the concept and costumes are delightful. The lot is estimated $4,000-$6,000. Other papier-mache ladies include Lot 56, a 19th century early doll from Germany with a molded blue bonnet. It is estimated $1,500-$2,000. Lot 23 is an interesting doll: a fine wax doll dressed in shells holding a small dog. This small doll with dog, a mere 7 inches tall, is covered all over in the tiniest of shells, and her skirt drapes and folds naturally. The lot is estimated $400-$600.
Bisque Dolls
In addition to these dolls, there are the numerous all bisque French and German dolls including ones with jointed knees (Lot 500) and two with jointed elbows (Lots 499 and 501). These lots range in estimate from $1,500-$3,000. There are also several all bisque and small bisque dolls, a large straw hat sports an all-bisque doll in a marvelous 1910 hobble-skirted going-away outfit, an all-bisque Max and two tiny dolls with molded hats, a sweet jointed parian-type doll and a jointed cat. Maurine Popp loved animals, and so it is not surprising to find cats, dogs, horses, and bunnies in abundance. These range in price from $200-$500.
Izannah Walker
The artistry of Izannah Walker held great fascination for Maurine Popp and several Walker dolls are being offered in this sale. Many of the Izannah Walker dolls in the Popp collection came from the Walker family. Two of these, Lots 206 and 207, are pictured on the catalog cover. Lot 206 is an Izannah Walker Cloth Girl Doll, estimated $7,000-$12,000. Lot 207 is an Izannah Walker Boy Doll with paper label, estimated $6,000-$9,000. Another offering with Walker family provenance is Lot 118, an oil painted cloth doll from Rhode Island, c.1860s, estimated $5,000-$6,000. Other Walker dolls include Lot 120, large early Izannah Walker Cloth doll, mid-19th century estimated $6,000-$8,000, Lot 121, an Izannah Walker cloth doll with bare feet, estimated $5,000-$7,000, and Lot119, the tiniest size Chase baby, estimated $1,500-$2,000.
Paper Dolls
Paper dolls constitute an enormous part of Maurine’s collection. Often their
beautifully rendered 19th century costumes clearly document their era. Several
boxed sets of paper dolls are offered and they include Lot 107: The Boston Lady
and her Children Boxed Set, estimated $2,500-$3,500, Lot 109: The Dancing Doll
Boxed Set, estimated $1,500-$2,200, Lot 379: The American Lady and her Children
Boxed Set, estimated $1,200-$1,500; Lot 378: The Brave Boy Boxed Set, estimated
$1,000-$2,000; Lot 563: The Wardrobe of Ladies Boxed Set, estimated $1,500-$2,500,
and many others, including several lots of Tucks paper dolls. There are also
numerous lovely boxes, another fondness Maurine held, along with fashion plates
and artwork.
Auctions Previews and Gallery Walk
Auctions previews will be held Thursday, April 10, 2-5 p.m., Friday, April 11, 2-7 p.m., and Saturday, April12, 8 to 9:30 a.m. The Friday evening preview will also feature a Gallery Walk discussing highlights of the Popp Collection, led by Skinner’s Doll Specialist Dorothy McGonagle, and featuring comments and insights by many of Maurine Popp’s friends and colleagues. The Gallery Walk begins at 6:00 p.m.
Catalog and Website
View every lot in the sale in color on Skinner’s web site at www.skinnerinc.com. Skinner’s site also enables customers to order catalogues, leave bids and check prices realized in real-time during the sale. Illustrated catalog #2196 is available for $38 by mail ($45 for foreign requests) from the subscription department at Skinner/Bolton (978-779-6241 ext. 240.) For more information, call 978-779-6241, fax 978-779-5144, or visit www.skinnerinc.com.
Note to Editors: Photos available upon request. Contact Catherine Riedel at 978-779-6241 x 231.
About Skinner:With galleries in Boston and Bolton, Mass., Skinner is a full-service auctioneer and appraiser of antiques and fine art. Regularly seen on the PBS series, Antiques Roadshow, Skinner is one of the nation’s leading auction houses. Skinner conducts auctions year-round and has received world-record prices for many pieces sold at auction. Departments include American Furniture & Decorative Arts, Paintings & Prints, English & Continental Furniture & Decorations, Fine Ceramics, Jewelry, Couture, 20th Century Furniture & Decorative Arts, Fine Musical Instruments, Asian Art, Fine Judaica, Toys, Dolls & Collectibles, Science & Technology, Oriental Rugs & Carpets, American Indian & Ethnographica, and Discovery. For more information on upcoming auctions, visit Skinner’s web site www.skinnerinc.com.