Paper dolls have long been used as playthings by children, but are not often thought of as almost a catalogue of the popular clothing of the times they illustrate. The Historical Textiles and Apparel Collection contains a wonderful assortment of actual paper doll books from their heydays in the 1940s and 1950s. The collection includes books on such movie stars as Elizabeth Taylor and Debbie Reynolds, popular television actresses like Lucille Ball and Eva Gabor, military figures and even famous women at a White House party. There are more than fifty paper doll books and four coloring books that also represent historic costumes. You can read summaries of the materials in all the books and see their covers through this site. These books are also available for research projects and design inspiration.

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