Doll News Spring 2014 - (Page 12)
T T + Dolls =
asha udor
M
any famous people have been so captivated by dolls that they have
formed important collections of them. I am neither famous nor a
doll collector. I am simply a bookman and author whose interests
led him to research and write about the twentieth century American
author and artist Tasha Tudor. Dolls were one important element in her art.
Tasha Tudor possessed an intimate knowledge of dolls and the fascinating
lives they lead. She was not an avid collector so much as she provided
housing to a whole family of dolls whom she loved dearly. They became well
known in their own right, and they had frequent visitors.
Tasha Tudor sometimes made dolls from her own imagination and for
her own purposes. She created them from fabric and from clay. Others were
frequently drawn on paper. She inspired many people in their personal doll
pursuits. Above all, she spun wonderful fantasies around her dolls utilizing
theatrics learned in her youth. It was an easy step for Tudor to transfer the
magic of the stage to her dolls who lived active, imaginative lives. They kept
house, fell in love, married, fell out of love, and traveled. They actually did
these things, all under the very watchful guidance of Ms. Tudor.
The New England Woman
A
Tasha Tudor
Fig. 1 Three-year-old "Tasha" Burgess stands
among her collection of teddy bears.
"Tasha's Third Birthday Party," Jenny Wren Press, 1989
12
SPRING 2014
s a renowned illustrator, Tasha Tudor (1915-2008) cast a long shadow
across twentieth century children's books. Hers was a New England
shadow cast by a native. Tudor was born in Boston, as were her four children.
She spent much of her first thirty years in the western Connecticut town of
Redding. In Redding she became familiar with a way of farm life that was
beginning to transition to mechanization. Her middle thirty years were spent on
an old farm in New Hampshire that she and her husband Thomas McCready
purchased in 1945 and gradually rehabilitated. By 1972, Tudor
had established her very own New England farmhouse in
Vermont where she lived the final third of her life.
Tasha Tudor's books were published from 1938 through
2003. Each year in between saw something new appear with
Tudor's name attached, finally totaling hundreds of items.
People have been drawn to Tudor's art and books for many
reasons. She illustrated classic beginner's literature such
as Mother Goose (1944). She illustrated and retold stories
from the Grimm brothers and Hans Christian Andersen. Her
bestselling books were F. H. Burnett's The Secret Garden
(1962) and A Little Princess (1963). She illustrated Little
Women (1966) and other stories by Louisa May Alcott. Her
own best works are A is for Annabelle (1954), Around the Year
(1956) and Corgiville Fair (1971). She illustrated The Night
Before Christmas five times.
Tudor painted real scenes that reminded many people of
their own first years. Her paintings conjured images of the farms
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Doll News Spring 2014
From the Editor
UFDC Officers and Regional Directors
President's Message
Conference Calendar
Welcome Newer Members
Fundraising Committee Report
Shared Passions - 2014 UFDC Convention
Tasha Tudor + Dolls = Enchanting Art
Early Juneau Bebe Part II
My Dear Hitty
A Capital Affair 2013 Antique Competitive Exhibit Part II
A Capital Affair 2013 Modern Competitive Exhibit Part II
A is for Annabelle - the story of a doll
Annatasha - A Paper Doll
A Visit to the Coleman Collection
Unending Delight - Tasha's World of Dolls
A Capital Affair 2013 Special Exhibit - The Four Seasons of Sandra Sue
A Capital Affair 2013 - Beautiful Boys, Gorgeous Girls - Asian and American BJDs
All About Lavinia Loring, A French Fashion Doll Reprinted from THE LETTER, Volume 3, Number 1, Summer 1983
Life before TV - UFDC Region 1 Conference
Christine Crocker - The Pastoral Dollmaker
Capturing the Classics - The Classic Plaything Collection of Wendy Lawton
The Story of Marjorie Tudor
Behind the Scenes - Regional Director Training
Isn't It Romantic
In a More Romantic Time - A Paper Doll
I is for Inspiration
Judging Dolls in UFDC Competitions
Club Notes
Reviewing Resources
Region Director Candidates
Donations
In Our Memories
News & Notes
Doll News Spring 2014
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/doln/70-04
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/doln/70-03
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/doln/70-02
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/doln/70-01
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/doln/69-04
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/doln/69-03
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/doln/69-02
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/doln/69-01
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/doln/68-04
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/doln/68-03
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/doln/68-02
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/doln/68-01
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/doln/67-4
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/doln/67-3
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/doln/67-2
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/doln/67-1
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/doln/66-4
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/doln/66-3
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/doln/66-2
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/doln/66-1
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/doln/65-4
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/doln/65-3
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/doln/65-2
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/doln/65-1
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/doln/64-4
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/doln/64-3
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/doln/64-2
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/doln/64-1
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/doln/63-4
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/doln/63-3
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com