Some months ago my blogging friend Marcia shared a post about paper dolls. I left a comment saying I remember sitting on the floor at my grandma Daisy’s house cutting dolls out of magazines. My memories are hazy, but I thought they were quite small and usually printed in black and white as well as colour. I also recalled a boy doll as well as a girl doll or dolls.
Woman and Home Magazine February 1962 (left) and March 1956
(right)
Marcia kindly replied saying she had discovered a Nora and
Tilly (and sometimes Paul) in Woman and Home Magazine. The name Tilly jumped
out at me but when I looked online I wasn’t sure. Tilly
looked ‘right’, but the clothes were too brightly coloured and where was the
black and white I so clearly remembered.
Nora and Tilly from the February 1962 issue of Woman and Home
This all took place in May 2016, and I had more or less
forgotten about it until idly browsing on Pinterest the other day I noticed a
pin featuring Natty Nora and Tatty Tilly. This is how I remember them!
I’ve now found a couple of old copies of Woman and Home (first picture), and it’s obvious why I was confused. The pictures
I originally found online were from a new series of dolls published in the 1960s not the
ones I remember from the 1950s.
Natty and Tilly also had a brother Paul which must explain why I was remembering a boy doll.
The pictures that follow are from the March 1956 and February 1962 editions of Woman and Home Magazine. Enjoy!
Natty Nora and Tatty Tilly as they first appeared in
Woman and Home magazine in the 1950s.
It wasn’t long before Natty Nora, and Tatty Tilly became simply Nora and Tilly.
Natty and Tilly also had a brother Paul which must explain why I was remembering a boy doll.
Natty, Tilly and brother Paul
The pictures that follow are from the March 1956 and February 1962 editions of Woman and Home Magazine. Enjoy!
Nursery Frolics ... Hoppity bunnies and garlanded elephants
to embroider.
Woman and Home February 1962
Have you fallen into discouragement about your looks? Then it is time to try out a new Hair-do.
Woman and Home March 1956
An advertisement for the very first issue of Look and Learn
a weekly magazine published by Fleetway from January 1962 until 1982.
Princess lines to suit every figure, a swirling skirt to please the feminine in us, and a big important collar.
Woman and Home March 1956.
Something New! From toddlers to early teens - designs for everyone.
Woman and Home March 1956
Advert from the March 1956 issue.
With massive thanks to Marcia for helping me find these long remembered dolls.
See previous paper doll post here
HaHa! One thing l do remember with those cut
ReplyDeleteout paper dolls, l used to cut them out, then
cut their heads off...and swap them around...
Great fun...!!! :).
Ah! Now! I do remember 'Look and Learn' and,
yes, it run for 20yrs, selling half a million
copies every week!
And it had a comic stripes of Lorna Doone and
The First Men In The Moon...
And, l see they are still available on eBay...
Average price 10 copies for £9:99..!
Goodness! Cussons Imperial Leather....Yuk! If
yer gonna buy bath soap...Carbolic's the thing!
Best ever..for a good scrub up...only, what ever
you do... don't drop it on yer foot....!
Mind you..it's only £1:75 a bar these days.....
So it won't get you in a lather....! :0).
DeleteHi Willie, I’ve cut out a few paper dolls in my time, but I can honestly say I never thought about swapping their heads around. It reminds me of ‘transforming’ books where you can put animal heads on people and things like that. All good clean fun!
I had no idea Look and Learn was so popular. Half a million copies per week is amazing, that must be why I still see them at boot sales and the like.
We always had carbolic soap in the house when I was a girl. Did you know it contains carbolic acid and/or cresylic acid both of which are phenols derived from coal tar or petroleum? I didn’t know that until I looked it up but it sounds pretty frightening. It will probably come with a health warning in a few years!
And....And....
DeleteCarbolic Red Soap....
Tallow base
Natural scented, anti-bacterial and mildly antiseptic soap
A very traditional type of soap that is recommended for acne and makes a great deodorant bar for athletes.
Over the centuries, a lot of lore has evolved surrounding Carbolic soap. Some people tell us that they dissolve Carbolic soap shavings in hot water. Then spray the soap mixture over their lawn to get rid of those root-eating grubs.
Some people hang Carbolic bars from their fruit trees or stake them around vegetable patches to discourage unwanted browsers.
I suppose if you sing while using Carbolic...
It would be a 'soap opera'....Boom! Boom! :0).
Well I never – a grub killer and a deodorant and soap – there has to be something wrong there! Mark my words it will be banned in a few years time.
DeleteDid I tell you I used to be addicted to soap? But it’s OK I’m clean now.
I think that deserves a treble Boom! Boom! Boom! xx
I had Look and Learn from 1962 till about 1965. I thought it was interesting.
ReplyDeleteI collect Vintage magazines, I collect vintage needlework magazine from 1900 to 1939
Julie xxxxx
Hi Julie, I collect vintage magazines too, they are a joy to look through and some of the articles are fascinating. xx
DeleteI used to love to read the women's magazines we would get from England when I was growing up. I loved the recipes and knitting patterns in some of them. Even though all of my dad's family lived in England, I had a very romantic picture of life there and the magazines helped keep it going. The paper dolls remind me of the old Betsy McCall paper dolls from McCalls magazine (I cut a lot of those out). Thanks, Barbara, it's always fun to look back on good memories.
ReplyDeleteHi Alex, I love hearing about other people’s formative years, thanks for sharing your memories. I’ve never seen a McCalls magazine, although I have seen pictures of them online. The paper dolls look really pretty, and I know I would have enjoyed playing with them.
DeleteI absolutely love all the vintage items here, Barbara! Wonderful childhood memories.
ReplyDeleteThanks Linda I appreciate that.
DeleteI LOVED paper dolls when I was a child. So simple and usually so well drawn.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Niamh. There is just something so satisfying about playing with them and making up stories.
DeleteOh, they are so sweet! And aren't these magazine pages wonderful? Such tremendous vintage art -- a collager's dream but some things you just don' cut up!
ReplyDeleteHi Jeanie, you have no idea how I long to cut them up, but I must resist! Someone suggested photocopying the dolls and some of the pages and using them that way which I think is a very good idea.
DeleteThe birds picture and the paper dolls....sweet, sweet, sweet. And don't ya just love looking at the hairstyles and dresses back then?
ReplyDeleteYOU, have a great one.
I do Sandra, I really do! You have a great one too.
DeleteWhat an amazing find. I don't think we ever had them, but loving looking at the vintage nostalgia you give us.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you like them.
DeleteOh Barbara how lovely to see these familiar dolls again. You brought back all those memories when I too used to sit on the floor and cut out these dolls and their cloths. I would usually do it in the monsoon season when we could not go out and play because of the rains. Mum would read out the little stories from it. I vaguely remember it was one about a Robin family and the other one was about a mole.
ReplyDeleteThey were magazines from the sixties. I remember Women's weekly used to be black and white and Women and Home used to be in colour. Thanks for bringing back those memories.
I remember the little stories too Shashi, such happy memories. I can’t imagine what it must be like to live through monsoon season, we all complain about rain, but you know what real rain is like. Mum used to get Woman’s weekly. I think it was less expensive than Woman and Home, which might explain why it was printed in black and white. I have a feeling the covers were sometimes a pinky colour, but I could be wrong about that.
DeleteYes the boarders used to be in pink 😀. And I am not ashamed to say this I think I may have read the first mills and boons stories from those magazines when I was a teenager😀. At least they used to be clean then and not too trashy 😄
DeleteI’ve read a good few Mills and Boon stories too Shashi. I think most women have although whether they would admit to it or not is another thing. :-)
DeleteI love that you were reconnected with a childhood favorite. That is awesome. So sweet! :) Interesting that paper dolls came in the magazine pages.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
My pleasure Stephanie, thanks for taking a look.
DeleteDear Barbara - this was so fascinating. As a young girl I loved playing with paper dolls. Do you remember Betsy McCall...McCall's magazine featured her and I always looked forward to my Grandma saving her copy for me. Thanks for reminding me of wonderful memories of childhood's pleasures. Hugs!
ReplyDeleteHi Debbie, I don’t remember Betsy McCall. I don’t think we were lucky enough to get McCall’s magazine in the UK. I’ve seen pictures on Pinterest, and I’m quite sure I would have loved it. Hugs to you Barbara x
DeleteI'm another one who remembers Look & Learn. What with that magazine, Ladybird Books, Dumpy Books and Observers' Books, we were never short of a fact or two as children. That was OUR internet!
ReplyDeleteDon't some of the hair-do models look like the Queen in younger years? I tend to forget what a fashion influence she was.
How right you are Sue!
DeleteThe Queen and Margaret were both beautiful women, and of course the Queen still is. My mother in law is still having her hair done in much the same style and her hemlines always match those of the Queen no matter what the fashion of the day.
Have you seen the series 'The Crown'? I think that is what reminded me.
DeleteI loved The Crown and can’t wait for season 2. I think it’s due out in November – three is a piece about it in The Express http://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/733475/the-crown-netflix-uk-release-date-cast-what-will-happen-season
DeleteDearest Barbara, good morning!!!!
ReplyDeleteAs always, whether through Children's books or postcards, you bring back my childhood to me. I so remember these old dress patterns that my mother would buy and the excitement within me, as I anticipated her setting out the pattern on the fabric; I'd help her pin down the pattern and then watch her carefully cut. I would sit by her side at the sewing machine, watching her face as she focused and demonstrated her skills. Whether it was a dress for me, a shirt for my father or clothing for my Barbie dolls, my mother's touch made an impression on the rest of my life.
You are special dear friend.
Dear Anita, those are such precious memories thank you for sharing them. Thank you also for your friendship it means the world to me.
DeleteI love the magazine photos. Thanks so much for sharing these photos. I think I saw a hair cut that would suit me (I'm trying to find something) and Princess line skirts need to come back because they are so feminine and flattering.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful trip through nostalgia!
Hi Sharon,
DeleteI hope you will share a photo of yourself when you get your new cut. I’m sure all your blog readers would love to see it (I certainly would).
So glad you enjoyed the photos.
Thanks for coming over.
This is such fun! So glad you found the original Nora & Tilly dolls (as well as little Paul). I also love seeing all the old page spreads, especially the hairdos and the pretty dress pattern with the "big important collar." Interesting way to show embroidery ideas, too, all in a group. Thanks for sharing and have a wonderful rest of the week! :)
ReplyDeleteMy finding them was entirely down to you Marcia, and I’m very grateful. You and your blog are always such an inspiration, thank you so much.
DeleteI’m glad you spotted the “big important collar” I remember making something very similar at school. It took me the best part of a year to finish it, but I was as proud as punch when it was done!
I LOVE vintage magazines! I did not like Tatty Tilly-I felt sorry about her - so happy when they made her look nice! I was lucky to have a stepmother with a wealth of old magazines that I could cut up- many of them had paper dolls! I loved making fantasy collages from the photos...Still do like to do this- best from online images- magazines are not what they used to be. Lovely post, Barbara! thank you!
ReplyDeletePoor old Tatty Tilly they were rather unkind to her at the start. I don’t think I ever made a collage, but I did enjoy sticking pictures into scrap albums and may even have one or two of them in the loft. Thanks for coming over Colleen, and for your kind comment. I hope you are keeping well and enjoying your garden.
DeleteWe discovered a magazine from the 1960's in the attic of our previous home. It was fascinating to look at and when we left we put it back in the attic with magazines from now. Sarah x
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely idea Sarah I think we should do that if we ever move from our present home. The only thing we found in our attic was a couple of rolls of (very) old carpet! Not quite the same is it?
DeleteI so enjoy your posts and reminiscing and remembering.
ReplyDeleteI'd almost forgotten about the Look and Learn magazines.
Lovely post again Barbara, thank you.
All the best Jan
Thanks Jan, I’m so please these posts mean something to you.
DeleteI hope your week is going well, Barbara
Aww...all the wonderful childhood memories have been revisited by this post! Thank you so much. I love the pics!
ReplyDeleteIt was lovely to get your comment, thanks so much.
DeleteIt's fascinating. It's the first time I read about paper dolls, what a wonderful memory to have. I will ask my mother if she had paper dolls as a child, I don't remember her telling me about them.
ReplyDeleteHello Anca, it will be interesting to find out if your mum had paper dolls, you must let me know.
DeleteLovely photos. Thank you for sharing. It evoked memories.
ReplyDeleteIt’s always nice to reminisce. Thanks for calling over, Barbara
DeleteWhat a brilliant post! I love seeing all these vintage items!! We use to have a store in Canada called "Eatons". My mom still has one of their last catalogues, from the 1960's. I love looking at it! Big Hugs!
ReplyDeleteHi Stacy, I so wish I could see that catalogue. I know I would LOVE it!
DeleteThanks for coming over and taking a look at some of my vintage things.
Hugs Barbara
I used to love cut-out dolls. I was hoping to introduce my niece to them, but you just don't see them about these days.
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you mean; I’ve been looking for some for my granddaughters without success. There are plenty of sticker dolly dressing books, but I don’t like them anywhere near as much.
Delete