Shirley Jackson and Clothespin Dolls

I just finished Private Demons, The Life of Shirley Jackson. This was a poignan and thoughtful study of an intense and gifted writer's life. She had a lot in common with me, or I with her. When she was little, she and a friend became hooked on making clothespin dolls, especially of historical people. They made over 450, and Shirley's mother, a fastidious Debutante/Mrs. Cleaver-type, put an end to their production. Each girl could only keep a shoebox full of her favorites. Myh mother wouldn't have dared to issue that kind of an ultimatum! She, and I, were more likely to track down where the dolls had been donatedand buy them all! Like me, Jackson had family ties in California, and she was drawn to Anne Boleyn, the Salem Witch Trials,and Christmas. She and her husband were bibliophiles, with a library estimated at over 100,000 books, and collections of all kinds of things. I listed her in my doll book bibliography. I wonder if Anne Rice read her often; the Blackwoods of Blackwood Farm could be named after one of Jackson's characters. Such a brilliant, brilliant woman was Shirley Jackson, and such a short, short life.

Today was bad for asthma and allergies, two other Jackson [and Syliva Plath] maladies I have. In fact, every time I have a bad allergy attack or bout with sinusitis, I call it Sylvia Plath's Disease. Still, I got up very early to revisit a box of Nancy Anns and composition dolls I saw at an upscale rummage sale. I braved rain, and road construction, and found the box! In it, the dolls needed some help, but were overall original and pristine. Also, there was an early composition Alexander foll with them in original clothes. I als found wonderful foreign dolls, many Polish, a Cissy type fashion doll, 21" or so, with jointed knees, a 50s HP Halloween witdch, a handmade foll from Okinawa, some holiday items, some jewelry. I hit a couple other church sales that I had not visited for over five years, and found 70s Barbies with Barbie shoes and handmade outfits, and near mint CPK 80s dolls, as well as more miniatures, a carved witch standng on the moon, a vintage bellows camera for my husband, some books for my students, an unusual Holiday pin, and some fossil rocks for my garden.

Another fun thing for doll colelctors are the sample wallpaper books companies made in the 60s to 70s with toys and dolls printed on the paper. What a fun record of the popular toys of the time!

I always pick up vintage ornaments at these sales. Another love of my mother's. Well, if Mrs. Johnson can have one million ornamnets, I can have one million dolls! To all,Happy Dolling!