Customer Reviews

Victorian Fashion Paper Dolls from Harper's Bazar, 1867-1898 (Dover Victorian Paper Dolls)

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The paper dolls in this book actually span the period 1867-1898, unfortunately (I was actually looking for the 1870s!) If you are looking for paper dolls per se, these are very nice, with four dolls (Abigail, Beatrice, Caroline and Daphne) and their accompanying ensembles in full color and considerable detail. However, the clothes are not dated. You'll need some further references to follow the change of silhouette through the decades (try another Dover publication, Victorian Fashions and Costumes from Harper's Bazar 1867-1898 - the two books complement one another).

If you are actually looking for paper dolls, these are very nice, but if you are looking for fashion information, the book is not as helpful. The illustrations are not labelled at all, so unless you already know what you are looking at, well, you don't know what you're looking at. Try Victorian Fashions & Costumes from Harper's Bazar, 1867-1898 for research.

I had these dolls as a child. They must have come to me as hand-me-downs from friends of my parents. Although today I can see that the fashions are not within one decade, I do remember spending hours playing with these girls, making up stories for them, and giving them personalities. Paper dolls are great for little girls who hate traditional dolls but still love pretty clothes - and this collection was certainly adored!