When Nancy Smith of Massachusetts began doll collecting, she was a traditionalist. This was New England, and the bisque dolls revered by fellow collectors could be found at the many flea markets and auctions that abounded there at that time. German bisque character dolls soon found a way into her home, and then were followed by a splendid collection of antique French bisque dolls, ranging from the poupées by Adelaide Huret, Leontine Rohmer and Leon Casimir Bru, to bébés which included a wonderful small group of “petite” bébé including 11” size 3 Thuillier bébé in original costume and 10” size 6/0 bébé Bru, to her prized collection of earliest period portrait bébés in sizes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and even tiny 2/0 and 3/0. “I wanted one in every size!” she told her friends. An all-original classic era size 4 Bru bébé, a rare Bébé Modele, and a wooden-bodied Huret bébé were also included and are present in the auction to be conduced by April 6, 2024 by Theriault’s.  

Nancy’s quest for the rare and unusual, as well as her New England proximity to the hometowns of Izannah Walker and Martha Chase soon caused her eyes to open to the special charms of these dolls, and her collection is proof of the dedication she gave to that quest. Her remarkable collection includes several fine Walker dolls including rare model of young boy, while her assembly of Martha Chase dolls is unrivaled, numbering more than 25 different examples. Highlighting the collection is the famous Alice in Wonderland set of five dolls and, also included are characters from the Dickens series, miniature 8” special commission child, very rare black character children, young girl with distinctively different curled hair (believed to be one-of-a-kind), and girl with patented snap-on hair bow. Dolls by other American cloth doll makers of early 1900s include Missionary Ragbaby by Beecher, Columbian Dolls by Emma Adams, early Babyland Rag dolls, Roxanna Cole, three wonderful early examples of Maggie-Bessie dolls, Gertrude Rollinson, Alabama Baby, Baby Sister by Misses Tebbetts, and more.

As all quests do, one thing led to another. Soon Nancy became fascinated by the life stories and works of two European women of the early 1900s, the German Kathe Kruse and the Italian Elena di Scavini of Lenci. Although their works, at her first glance, seemed so different, she soon realized that they were both part of a greater movement to re-design the concept of the doll. Her collection encompasses exceptional examples from each dollmaker. The auction, too, features very rare early caricature dolls, teddy bears, and animals from the firm of Margarete Steiff including the extremely rare Steiff Circus Marching Band which graces the catalog cover and serves as inspiration for the auction title “Strike Up the Band”.  

And there is more. There are the rare Schoenhut children, the original manufacturer and store catalogs and documents, the outstanding collection of art dolls by Dorothy Heizer, rare early paper dolls, squeak toys, candy containers, French all-bisque mignonettes, doll furnishings, and still others.  

The auction is conducted at Theriault’s gallery in Annapolis, Maryland, and is also live-streamed during the auction. Live internet bidding is offered as well as live telephone and traditional absentee bidding for your convenience. For more information or to reserve your seat at the limited seated gallery please call 410-224-3655. Full color print catalog is available here.

A gorgeous 180 page full color catalog of the collection is available for $69 softbound, including priority shipping and after-auction prices. Shipping is free, and the books are sent priority mail. And after the auction you will receive prices realized to keep with the book forever. To order click here, email info@theriaults.com, or call 410-224-3655.

Preview is at 9AM ET. The auction begins at 11AM ET. We welcome absentee bidding, live telephone bidding, and live bidding on the internet. Too, you can “tune-in” to the online auction and watch and listen to the entire event. Questions? Give us a call and we’ll help you choose the bidding option that is best for you.

Auction Information
The auction will take place at Theriault's Gallery in Annapolis, Maryland. Seating is limited. Call ahead to confirm your attendance and reserve a seat. For auction info call Theriault’s at 410-224-3655 M-F 9AM-5PM ET or go online to theriaults.com. Email queries to info@theriaults.com.

How To Bid. Choose the dolls that "speak" to you, and have the fun! You can bid absentee, bid live on the telephone, or bid live on the internet. For more information, please contact us at 410-224-3655 or email us at info@theriaults.com.