Highlights from the de Grummond Children's Literature Collection

Featuring the Donations of Mark Landis and Dr. Margaret Carlin

The paper dolls featured in the current exhibit come from the Dr. Peggy Carlin Collection. Dr. Carlin's mother actually cut the dolls out of The Pictorial Review and played with them as a child. Along with the Drayton paper dolls, other early paper dolls are featured in the current exhibit as well.

Featured in this picture are samples of Grace Gebbie Drayton's wildly successful paper doll characters: Dolly Dingle and her friends. Drayton's most famous creations are the Campbell Soup kids. Both were spawned from the "roly-polys," which was the pet name for the images created by Drayton.

Dolly Dingle first appeared in 1913 in The Pictorial Review and continued though 1933. Easily the most popular paper doll of her time, Dolly Dingle was actually made into a doll, painted on china, used on stationery and other commercial items.

The current exhibit also includes items from the Lt. Commander Arthur Landis, Jr. Collection. Mark Landis, Lt. Com. Landis' son, has been a frequent contributor to the de Grummond Collection. Along with historic children's titles, Mr. Landis has contributed a broad range of items to the Collection. In the current exhibit, there are original Disney sketches, Schulz sketches, a Seuss sketch, and a collection of toys, all given by Mark Landis in memory of his father.

Other "Highlights from the Collection" feature original art work by H. A. and Margret Rey, the creators of Curious George, and there are paintings by the Caldecott Award winning artist, Ezra Jack Keats.

The exhibit will be showing until March 1, 2008. The exhibit room is on the second floor of Cook Library, and the hours are from 8:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. on Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. on Saturdays, and 12:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. on Sundays.

Image: Dolly Dingle paper doll (c1918)