“Congratulations on your exhibit’s extraordinary success. I thank you for sharing your talent and vision with the world, and for the positive impact your work has on all those who have the privilege to view it. . . For these reasons, I am very excited about the prospect of your exhibit being featured as part of Congressional Black Caucus week this fall in Washington, DC.” Congresswoman Barbara Lee “The Smithsonian exhibit was exquisite and historically compelling . . . This collection is so much more, and I do mean so much more than anything you might expect. From the Sally Hemmings paper doll to the “kick butt” feminist heroines of the 60s and 70s to contemporary black women, it speaks volumes about the images of women in this society. There are also some harshly rendered images that harken back to the stereotypes created during slavery.” Daphne Muse Author/Social Commentator “It is our duty and privilege not only to educate ourselves but to share our knowledge beyond the borders of our community. In this issue we continue the job we started, with articles about . . .the little known history of black paper dolls(“Serious Playthings,” by Arabella Grayson) . . .” Rodney J. Reynolds, Publisher American Legacy magazine “Your collection of paper dolls provides a thoughtful vehicle through which to examine racism, racial stereotypes, and progressive change in society.” Janet L. Holmgren, President Mills College “Your presentation was very informative and interesting. This unique topic captured the attention of all the audience members – men and women alike! Your willingness to share your paper doll collection with us added greatly to the presentation. I personally noticed how intrigued and delighted the children were as they viewed your display.” Ari Z. Brooks, Executive Director Friends of the Library, Montgomery County, Maryland, Inc. “In America, we have recognized Black History formally since 1926. . . . Arabella Grayson’s collection of paper dolls is the inspiration for our first article with ties to African-American history.” M. Therese Nolan, Editor Antiques & Collecting magazine
|
300 BLACK PAPER DOLLS 1863 to 2009 An enduring link to the past, paper dolls chronicle fashion trends as well as the history of illustration, graphic design and printing techniques. These fragile paper playthings accurately record social changes, illustrate attitudes and societal perceptions, and in the case of African Americans often depict the caricatures and racial stereotypes that defined their place, role and status in society. Paper dolls in comic strips, political cartoons, greeting cards, magazines, books and box sets, and as advertising premiums, particularly those produced in the mid-1800s through the mid-1900s, commonly depict people of African ancestry in subservient roles as content cooks, rotund mammies, fat-lipped butlers, wild savages, eye-popping sambos, grinning buffoons, and scary little picaninnies in tattered clothes. It wasn’t until the early 1960s, fueled by the power of the black pride movement and the sustained campaign for civil rights, that paper dolls began reflecting more realistic and varied images of African Americans. The collection has been featured in the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Seattle Times, New Jersey Star Ledger, Sacramento Bee, Oakland Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, Antiques and Collecting, American Legacy, and on NPR News and Notes, CBS, TomJoyner.com, theroot.com,Verizon Cable News, HistoryNewsNetwork.com, ArianaHuffington.com, to name a few.
|
