Tags
Alexander Girard, Charles and Ray Eames, dolls, embroidery, House Industries, Marilyn Neuhart, mid-century, textile
While lusting after the Eames Modern and Alexander Girard font families at House Industries, I discovered a new line of Marilyn Neuhart’s cloth dolls currently offered in their Girard Shop. She started making the dolls for her own children in the late 50s and then was asked by Charles Eames to make one for Alexander Girard. Girard requested 100 for the opening of his Textiles & Objects Shop in New York City in 1961; she met that request and has been making them ever since. Read m
ore about how she got started in both her own blog and in this interview at The Scout. The dolls, designed by Marilyn Neuhart and sewn by a women’s collective, are printed rather than embroidered like most of the earlier versions but they are charming and made with the same Mexican cotton, from the same mill, as all the others.
The vintage dolls are my favorites; their loopy wool hair and cheerful embroidery make me smile. Every one of Neuhart’s dolls is made by her and comes with her signature under the hair as well as a Certificate of Authenticity.
