The Coronation Story; Dolls Of The Golden Age: 1880-1915

Those who enjoyed the first two entries in Sirocco's Historical Doll Series (Dionne Quintuplet Dolls and Scarlett Dolls, reviewed in our October 1992 issue) are sure to be drawn to the two newest releases. The Coronation Story, like its predecessors, pairs entertaining documentary with insider details relished by doll hobbyists. Offering newsreel clips of the young Princess Elizabeth, footage of her coronation ceremony as Queen Elizabeth II, and numerous stills of the Queen's image that graced everything from magazine covers to biscuit tins, the program traces the story of the "Elizabeth" doll line from Madame Alexander's Doll Company. Beginning with the first advertised doll in 1937, and continuing up through the 1992 release of the Queen Elizabeth doll commemorating the 40th anniversary of her reign as England's monarch, The Coronation Story pays particular attention to the impressive tableaux which Madame Alexander designed for a department store promotion. Using real fur on the gown and meticulous detail on the medals, jewelry, and insignia on the members of the coronation party, the tableaux was a massive success, after which it was donated to the Brooklyn Children's Museum. There are even a few mysteries in the story of the Elizabeth doll's progression--including one odd doll with a padded bra, which was most certainly not standard issue on the Q of E dolls. Handsomely produced and very entertaining.Equally enjoyable is Sirocco's Dolls of the Golden Age: 1880-1915, which features narrator Lee Lively conducting an on-camera interview with world authorities on antique dolls Dorothy and Evelyn Jane Coleman. The Coleman's provide the background information necessary to understand the transformations that doll production underwent in France, Germany, and the United States during the years 1880-1915 (the golden age for dolls, as well as others, ended with the outbreak of WWI.) Even those who are not major doll aficionados would be hard pressed not to marvel at the beautiful Gaultier porcelain doll heads, or the classic and long-standing Jumeau line, or the Steiner "A" series dolls with the "wistful" expression. In America, dolls were often made of cloth; in fact, one of the worsted dolls major selling points was that it was safe for "striking baby brother without causing harm." The clarity of the visual image makes these century-old examples of doll artisanship come vibrantly alive on the TV screen, and the steady parade of beautiful dolls seems to end all too soon. More engaging than the 1989 Concept Associates release Coleman's on Doll Collecting, Part 1: Introduction and Doll Identification (reviewed in our April 1989 issue), which was, to our knowledge, never continued.Both The Coronation Story and Dolls of the Golden Age: 1880-1915 are highly recommended. (Available from: Sirocco Productions, 5660 E. Virginia Beach Blvd., Suite 105, Norfolk, VA 23502; (804) 461-8987.)