A Truly Story of My Dolls
by Elizabeth S. Tucker
Boston: Prang, 1890? (this copy was inscribed 1895)
This small booklet, by the author/illustrator of A Cup of Tea: Pictures of Doll Life (1892), is probably quite rare. It consists of only a few pages sewn together, with no evidence of a heavy binding--just a card cover (torn on my copy). Although only two of the illustrations include a Japanese doll, I present the entire book here as being of general interest. It seems likely that it is earlier than Cup of Tea, since it is a less ambitious and artistically sure-footed attempt at a doll book.
Cover (back and front) showing a group of dolls. The Japanese doll is not there, and it seems unlikely there would have been room for him.
Flyleaf and title page (showing 3 "Dutch" dolls, one of them legless). The flyleaf is inscribed 1895.
Pages 1-2 (note: none of the pages are numbered): "my dollies dear, all in a row" including the Japanese.
Pages 3-4: the favorite doll, a big blonde doll.
Pages 5-6: Two "sweet" dolls hanging up. "My Jap," and Flossie, a blonde doll from Paris. The Japanese doll's hair fringe looks quite odd, set far forward on his head. He is hanging in front of a painted peacock, apparently in the room of the Artist who is painting the speaker's dolls (i.e. the adult Tucker herself). The verse:
Pages 7-8: Flora the wax-headed doll, with the dog who ruined her by sticking her in a snow-bank, and another, unnamed China-headed doll.This is my Jap,
Queer little Chap,
Hasn't a scrap
of Hair, nor a cap!
Wonder how real
Jap babies feel
Dressed in that funny way.
He hung in my Artist's room on the wall,
An' he's awfully sweet, queer dress and all!Pages 9-10: Grandma's two dolls (a rag doll and the legless Dutch doll), with a portrait of her.
Page 11 and inside back cover: Conclusion and endpiece: the dolls are shown in bed and then dancing ("dolls come alive when we're all in bed"). The Japanese doll is not shown here.
