CURTAIN CALL- THE COLLECTION OF BILLIE NELSON

Saturday, April 9, 2011Lots 1-487

April 9-10, 2011 in Los Angeles, CA


Billie Nelson Tyrrell’s collection includes superb rarities in French and German bisque dolls by luminary doll firms of the late 19th and early 20th century, as well as an extremely important collection of celebrity dolls and memorabilia from 1850-1950. Outstanding examples of these are included in the 500+ lot auction catalog titled “Curtain Call”, an apt name for these beautiful dolls taking their well-deserved bows for one more time. 8.5" x 11". Softbound. 176 full-color pages.

Live Auction

Showing 1 - 480 of 487

Outstanding American Cloth Doll by Izannah Walker with Wooden Chair

Outstanding American Cloth Doll by Izannah Walker with Wooden Chair

Lot #138

18"(46 cm.) Cloth doll with pressed and oil-painted facial features and hair,center-parted hair with two ringlet curls in front of each beautifully-stitched ear,and extending around her entire head,shaded brown eyes with thin black outlines and red eyeliner,lightly-stroked brows,rounded nose,closed mouth with accent line between the pale lips,muslin stitch-jointed body with oil-painted stiffened hands,defined applied thumbs,bare feet. Condition: generally excellent,some very-light typical craquelure on face. Comments: circa 1865,Izannah Walker,the Pawtucket,Rhode Island doll creator,who obtained a patent for her dolls in 1873 but likely had been making them for some time previously. Her patent described her purpose to create a doll that is "easily kept clean and not apt to injure a young child which may fall upon it. It will preserve its appearance for a long time". An inventive and hardy New Englander,she "made dolls and doll furniture,tinkered with household gadgets,designed a parlor heater ?that beat Ben Franklins',raised canaries,dabbled in real estate and looked upon with admiration by male contemporaries because of her skill with carpenters' tools..."according to a contemporary write-up in the Providence Bulletin. This particular doll originally belonged to Mary Whitney Carter who owned the doll as a child in Pawtucket. One of the family's most cherished possessions,it remained in their care for four long generations,eventually moving to California and now coming to auction for a new home. Value Points: outstanding preservation of the ringlet-curled doll with superb painting,wearing fine antique costume including red kidskin shoes and woven straw bonnet,and owning very frail remnants of original Walker costume. Along with wooden paint-decorated chair that she has sat in for 150 years. The Izannah Walker doll has rightfully been compared to the prized American folk art canvas paintings of William Matthew Prior (1806-1873).

 
Gorgeous French Bisque Poupee with Wooden Body and Extensive Trousseau

Gorgeous French Bisque Poupee with Wooden Body and Extensive Trousseau

Lot #33

17" (43 cm.) Bisque shoulder head with very pale bisque,brilliant cobalt blue eyes,delicately- painted lashes and brows,accented nostrils and eye corners,closed mouth with accent line between the lips,unpierced ears,beautiful original pale mohair wig with braided coronet over cork pate,French kid-over-wooden body with dowel-jointing at shoulders,elbows,hips and knees,bisque lower arms and hands. Condition: generally excellent,three bisque fingers broken at the knuckles. Comments: French,circa 1860. Value Points: having a gorgeous face,original wig and wooden articulated body,the poupee also owns an extensive antique trousseau,comprising the bronze silk taffeta gown she is wearing along with matching bonnet with tulle cap,cotton day dress,brown cashmere gown with matching cape,silk fitted jacket,patterned long cape,and the following accessories: six additional superb bonnets,three bone-handled parasols with original silk cover,four pair of leather gloves,three hankies,five pairs of leather boots including a pair signed C.C. and another pair signed J.J.,wooden shake box with stenciled decorations,laced cotton corset,velvet dressing mirror with ormolu cherub crest,little box labeled Tiffany & Co with a leather necessaire case,miniature sachet envelope stamped Tiffany & Co,superb oval jewelry case with bail handle and having magenta silk interior containing two necklaces,amber necklace,deck of cards,gold tooled leather folio with playing cards,bone hair brush and mirror,two fans,perfume bottle,woven racquet,packages of needles,bone-handled jump rope,bone opera glasses,lorgnette on chain,wooden framed pincushion labeled "Happy X-mas",two leather purses (one with leather belt),brass head band,very rare ormolu candle holder with attached wick scissors,and three various books,plus an assortment of original undergarments. The doll has a 1983 UFDC blue ribbon award.

 
Pair of Extremely Rare

Pair of Extremely Rare

Lot #30

16" (41 cm.) Each of the pair of highly-characterized dolls depicting adult gentlemen has carved wooden socket head with carved hair and painted facial features,wooden spring- jointed Schoenhut body and original costume and Schoenhut stand; one has scowling face with incised wrinkles thick bushy grey brows and sideburns that extend from ears to nose,long point nose,squinting eyes,and a carved "comb-over" hairstyle to disguise his otherwise baldness,wearing black woolen formal coat,grey trousers,vest,shirt,and tie with stickpin,spats and black leather shoes; the other gentleman has a decidedly pleased expression with painted wide-open brown eyes,more-refined shaping of brows,moustache and sideburns and carved hair brushed away from face (although still bald),and is wearing a green woolen jacket,plaid pants,shirt,tie,black stockings and cream shoes,with cigarette in mouth hole. Condition: generally excellent,original finish,fingers scuffed,scowling man has forehead rub. Marks: Schoenhut Doll,Pat. Jan 17,?11 USA & Foreign Countries. Comments: Schoenhut,circa 1911,according to exhaustive research by Carol Corson,reported on pages 178-184 of her book,Schoenhut Dolls,the dolls were one-of-a-kind characters inspired by the political cartoons drawn by Herbert Johnson for The North American and were meant to depict "Mr Common People" of those cartoons. Value Points: extremely rare characters with wonderfully-carved details of expression,well-preserved,and historical significant,one-of-a- kind dolls. $8000/12,000