Letters to Editors

As mentioned in yesterday's post, Past Doll Articles of Note, I am in the process of purging my doll magazine library.  My doll magazine reading is now limited to digital subscriptions and referencing hard copies of the back issues I plan to keep.  I can read digital versions online with an option to print articles of note at my discretion.  Selling the issues I no longer need is part of my self-imposed reduced paper and clutter act. 

I became aware of now, doll-friend Bettie Ativie during the late-1990s when I penned the "Spotlight on Collectors" column of DOLL-E-GRAM, which is no longer in circulation.  Betty graciously allowed me to profile her by submitting answers to my questionnaire and sharing images of her dolls.  I shall never forget the very impressive photograph she shared of herself with twin Fatous by Annette Himstedt.    This period was pre-Internet access for both of us when our communication was solely by snail mail. 

I am so happy my process of magazine elimination includes reading the Letters to the Editor.  Otherwise, I would have missed Betty's letter to the editor of Contemporary Doll Collector, which was published in the May 2009 issue, some 11 years after our initial correspondence.  As a result of this letter, Betty and I reconnected and have since communicated on a frequent basis through mailed letters initially,  by email now, and by phone on a couple of occasions.  Betty has also shared dolls from her collection for my blog and has inspired some of my other blog posts.

Letter written by Betty Ativie to the editor of Contemporary Doll Collector, published in the May 2009 issue (click to enlarge).

The second letter to the editor of a doll magazine that I am keeping was written by my dear friend, Ruth Manning, whose friendship I will cherish and whose memory will live forever in my heart.  As mentioned in this blog post, Ruth and I met in 2003.  During one of our many telephone conversations, she and I discussed the routine absence of magazine articles on black dolls.  We asked ourselves, "Why do we subscribe to these publications when they rarely include articles on the dolls we love and collect?"  I suggested that she do what I had done in the past, pen letters, either mailed or electronically, to doll magazine editors to broaden their awareness of our unmet need.  She did.  One of Ruth's letters to editors was published in the August 2009 issue of Doll Reader.  Before discovering her letter, I made a mental note that this magazine would spark interest on eBay from Annette Himstedt doll enthusiasts.  Himstedt is featured on the cover, dolls from her personal collection are shared, and her farewell to dollmaking is the overall theme.  

A snapshot of Ruth's letter and Doll Reader's reply follows (if necessary, click to enlarge). 

Ruth Manning's letter to the editor of Doll Reader magazine, published in their August 2009 issue

Their ability to spark interest will remain a mystery because these two magazines will remain in my existing doll reference library.

To view the doll magazines I am selling, which are currently listed on eBay, click here.  In order to take advantage of eBay's 50 free listings per month and up to 12 free pictures for each listing, it will take me several weeks to list all magazines I am selling.  So please continue to check my listings and feel free to share the link.  Thanks in advance!

dbg

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My First Diorama

Until recently, I had never had a desire to create a diorama using dolls and miniature props scaled for them because I simply enjoy collecting dolls.  Lack of space for the extras required for diorama creation is another deterrent.  I have enjoyed viewing those created by others and am usually at awe at the intricate detail and lifelike scenes they are able to achieve.

On February 12, 2012, I lost one of my long-time doll friends, which prompted me first to want a doll in her honor.  Not just any doll would do.  I have what I define as tribute dolls in my collection that date back to the 1990s representing family and friends who are no longer with us. These are simply dolls that were purchased and named for the beloved, but for this particular friend, Ruth Manning, I wanted to go far and above what I have done in the past.  She was just that special to me.  For Ruth's doll, I wanted to do a doll makeover.

I decided to use an articulated playscale doll that could sit and be posed.  I chose Christie (friend of Barbie) because the facial bone structure closely resembles Ruth's.  She had prominent cheeks and a dazzling smile.  Olympic Gymnast Barbie's subtle makeup and articulation won me over.

I cut off the doll's original long brunette hair,  rooted salt and pepper gray hair to the doll's head, and styled it similar to the way Ruth last wore her hair.  During one of our many phone conversations, Ruth shared that after chemotherapy, her hair grew back straight. Before treatment, she wore it in a short, cropped Afro that she used to color but in later years discontinued that routine.  Post treatment, her then naturally straight, salt and pepper hair, remained short on the sides and longer on top.  Her tribute doll's hair is not exactly like she wore it, but the color and texture are quite close.

Like me, Ruth preferred to dress casually -- jeans and a tee-shirt (and for her, another shirt on top).  I used a pair of Barbie Basics denim jeans and an extra white tank top and pink long-sleeved knit cardigan that came with one of my LIV Alexis dolls.  To her pink cardigan, I added a pin from my doll pin collection, made using a group photo of dolls by her favorite artist, Helen Kish.  The white sneakers that came with Olympic Gymnast Barbie complete her outfit.  Ruth wore glasses that were either transitional lenses or graduated tinted lenses.  My tribute doll has indefinitely borrowed tinted glasses from another doll. 

I pierced the doll's ears and adorned them with gold hoop earrings purchased from an eBay seller who makes Barbie jewelry.  A little known Ruth fact is that she actually had three piercings in each ear. I was going to replicate this, but after rooting the doll's hair and leaving it styled with the hair covering her ears, I opted for only one piercing in each ear.

Now for the diorama, Ruth often shared photos of her dolls positioned on her living room sofa, which is covered in a soft yellow fabric with a tiny floral stripe.  I found a Barbie couch that is soft yellow to use in the diorama.  While looking through my old pictures, I located one from 2003 that shows Ruth's couch in its entirety with her seated on it holding one of her dolls.  It was as though she led me to that picture.  "Ah ha!"  I thought, "So that's what the couch looked like."  In the background of that image is a tall doll-filled shelf.  This was the inspiration for my diorama.  I am not going to share that picture here, even though she always told me when I asked her permission to use one of her doll images in a publication, "Debbie, you can always use any of the pictures I share with you." 

I made the display shelf for her diorama dolls using a small corrugated box.  The top, side, and inner flaps were cut off leaving just the rectangular shell of the box, which was covered with wood grain contact paper.  I used one of the top flaps to create the tier, which was also covered with contact paper.  Next, I gathered several of my tiniest dolls and figurines, one of which is a Riley with rag doll by Helen Kish that Ruth gave me in 2008 shortly after her terminal cancer diagnosis was made.  Riley along with the other tiny dolls are now part of doll-Ruth's doll collection. 

A picture of the three doll reference books I authored, stacked one on top of the other and printed out on card stock, creates the illusion of real books on the shelf along with the dolls I chose for her collection.  The only doll purchased for for the diorama is a mini Princess Tiana.  Ruth loved Princess Tiana and owned several Princess Tiana dolls and memorabilia.

I used two pieces of tile flooring to create the floor of the diorama.  Images of two framed paintings  were scaled to size and printed as wall decor.  I made a decorative plant using a sprig of live greenery from the backyard.  A red medicine bottle cap filled with dirt from the backyard serves as the flower pot.   Missing from the diorama that I might add later is an upright piano.  Ruth owned and played piano for her church.  She often shared images of her smaller dolls positioned on top of her piano.

My first diorama is a tribute to my friend, Ruth Manning.

So here is my first diorama, a tribute to my friend, Ruth Manning.  (Click the images to enlarge.)

Below is another angle of the diorama followed by a close-up of doll-Ruth, and another of her dolls.

Profile image of doll-Ruth, sitting in the presence of one of the things she loved the most -- dolls!

Close up of doll-Ruth, holding a baby doll that holds a doll -- she also loved dolls with dolls.

Ruth's shelf of dolls, doll reference books, and seated dolls on floor

Doll-Ruth and her dolls (minus the tile flooring, wall art, and plant) remain set up in a room outside my doll room as a reminder of my dear, sweet friend.  I miss our conversations, both online and via land line, but now I can remember her with a visual fondness each time I see her playscale likeness. 

The real Ruth and her dazzling smile can be seen in a 2003 image that she allowed me to include in her online doll collector's profile, here.

The things we truly love stay with us always, locked in our hearts as long as life remains. -- Josephine Baker

dbg

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Difficult Days

The past few days have been very difficult for me.  My emotions have ranged from shock to grief over the loss of two people who died one day apart.  The world shared one person with me.  I shared the other with her circle of doll collecting friends and her own family and friends.

Whitney Elizabeth Houston, who died on February 11, 2012, was always a very beautiful woman and an accomplished, most talented singer and actress, with the singing being her passion.  I remember one of her first videos, "You Give Good Love." (Her tiny frame and ill-fitting spandex pants make this video memorable as well as her melodic voice).  After becoming familiar with the songstress, I recall recognizing Whitney in a bit part on, Gimme a Break. 

The news of her untimely death was very shocking.  I couldn't believe it, but unfortunately, it was true.  I will always remember her powerful gift of song.  In the words of my 7-year-old niece, who is also a gifted singer, "She has the most beautiful voice in the world!"

R.I.P. Whitney Elizabeth Houston.

Paper Flowers*, a 2011 UFDC Convention souvenir gift from Ruth

Ruth Manning entered my life on January 20, 2003, after I received an email request from her to join my online black-doll discussion group, WeLoveBlackDolls.  According to the new-member protocol, I introduced Ruth to fellow WLBD members with the following email:

January 20, 2003, New Member Welcome - Ruth M.
Please join me in welcoming our newest member, Ruth, to our list.
We also have another member whose name is Ruth. For this reason, I
will refer to our new member as Ruth M. Below is Ruth M's self-description of her doll-collecting hobby.

Hi Debbie,

I've been collecting dolls about 30+ years but I've really gotten carried away in the past 3 years. That's how long I've been retired.

I have about 700 dolls of all kinds but mostly black. I have about
150 Barbie/friends of Barbie-about 95% are black. I only look for
black vintage dolls but I don't stick to that. The last black dolls
that I bought, in Dec, 2002, were 4 Barbies, Bebe-a Jan McLean
Lollipop Girl, & Madison-My Scene Barbie. I've bought about 150
dolls since last May-mostly black. The dolls are running me out of my own
house. Between the dolls & my 700 Ty products (beanie babies) I
am nearly bankrupt.

I go to doll shows, frequent antique shops, & really enjoyed the
Barbie convention held in Denver, last June. I only collect dolls.
I made my first & last doll last summer-a black porcelain doll about
22". That was too much hard work. I can really appreciate the cost
of dolls.

What can I say? I'm really an "Incurable Collector"!

Always Blessed,

Ruth

Doesn't Ruth sound like a delightful person? Please join me in welcoming her to our list. Thanks!

Debbie

And welcome her we did!  She became part of our doll-collecting sisterhood.  We loved collecting dolls right along with her and vicariously through her doll purchases because Ruth could buy some dolls!  Her monthly doll purchases often totaled 30 dolls or more, and she had the pictures to prove it.  In the spring of 2003 (shortly after joining the list), Ruth allowed me to share her doll collector's profile with the readers of Black Doll-E-Zine. 

The WLBD members not only delighted in Ruth's enthusiasm for doll collecting, but we were also fascinated by her zest for living life to the fullest.  She traveled throughout the country often solo to doll shows and conventions.  She had a goal to visit all 50 US states.  I believe, with the exception of never visiting Pennsylvania, she accomplished this goal. 

As illustrated in her email introduction, her signatures usually exhibited her faith in God, which remained steadfast until the end.  They varied from  Always Blessed, Hallelujah Anyhow, Healed by His Stripes, to just signing her name (after she switched from individual emails to reading posts at the WLBD website in 2011). 

Ruth lost her battle with an extended illness on February 12, 2012.  I did not find out until February 16, 2012.  The world lost a sweet angel and heaven gained one.

I will truly miss our several-year on- and offline friendship and hearing her sweet voice over the telephone to just talk dolls or about things in our personal lives.

Rest in peace, sweet Ruth.  I will always love you. 

*The paper flowers are actually called lithographed paper scraps that were possibly made in Germany. Collecting and swapping paper scraps was a popular childhood pastime. There are adults who continue to collect these today. Read more about the process here.

dbg

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