Monday, January 18, 2021

Made for children, enjoyed by adults

 In 1990 a representative from a magazine called Early American Life came to interview me and to take pictures of some of my collection for a six-page Christmas spread in their magazine.  Today I was opening some cupboards that had been closed for years and I found a copy of this offering. I had written the article and forgot that I knew so much about children's china and glassware. (I don't now.) lol.   Seeing the pictures took me back to a very hectic but enjoyable period in my life.  I was teaching full time, writing books about these sets, traveling to London and Paris,  every spare moment morphed into the world of children's toys, girlie toys. The collection spread and started including beautiful toy furniture or furniture made especially for little girls to have tea parties and to make tableaux with their dolls and dishes. One very very exciting day I discovered eBay. Another world opened up and suddenly I was buying the toys, picturing and writing about them, and, dealing dishes was added to my busy schedule.  It took over, actually and I did not collect anymore.  I worked for my customers and did not want to compete with them collection wise.  I did not want them to think I kept the best and sold them the rest.  There was enough competition in these collecting groups as it was.  Andy and I had conventions here, we took some groups on tours to London and Paris and this field and the people in it took over my life. I retired from teaching and I noticed that it was time to get out of the toy dishes realm and I eased into another field.  I did this time after time.  Something told me this is it for this collecting field and I eased away until in 2005 I stopped it all--I have kept a few favorite pieces, especially the furniture which is such a wonderful thing; these items are spread around the house for me to enjoy and remember where I was and what happened in that space of time. If you are a collector, you know what I am talking about.


Image may contain: text that says 'Made for Children, Enjoyed by Adults BY DORIS ANDERSON LECHLER ago parents bought their smiling Above: Miniature Eng- ancies of ng gone ildhoods ated by gotten potters, dishes are sured by ctors idea. lemonade and ladle complete with and find, handle. hand bout Christmas Sets -sizepitcher and bowl Copeland, collectiblein whether their ares realized choco- quality and increased, little dishes PHOTOGRAPHS BY SKALKOWSKI'


Image may contain: 1 person, text that says 'Poonah the name of this English tea set George Brower, c. 1842-1858. Just as full-size tableware reflected the times which was produced, so did toy china. Examples mid- Victorian and educational plati- plates and cups, nourishing mind and body imultaneously, Many pictured scenery, English and American, latter being perfect specifics, English depended either designs sim- the dishes ply miniatures adults. But small were intended to and myth they salesman's samples just that. miniature dinner ket and tite French complete would added would from stop stop suggested that salesman might left tem from how, vould so many sets been reassembled?'


Image may contain: text that says 'Displayedi child-size American corn n Charles Meigh hflow bluedinne Moss Rose, colored Cinderella by Ridgway green majolica Edge Malkin, England. splendid 1830's hand- painted has tiny teapot with ten matching saucers. and boxwood miniature caddy, rear, an exact replica; inside ded compartments and glass mixing bowl. Doris Anderson Lechler the several books about children glass dishes, anfu. write her 949 East Cooke lumbus, oH 43224, or call 6659.'

                                               
Image may contain: food, text that says 'holly ish toy Left: ombination and dessert set, English 1850. his 0 Quimper produced miniatures too. the peasant design, which appeared the 860's shows man, ady and a garden.'

                                 
Image may contain: text that says 'better of the they Many little never boxes, apparently originalbox, French dinner sports series seaside scenes. glass especially gobiets, anda few cutlery company the dishes. miniatures has fascinated through Above: tiny Asiatic Birds attern Meigh, who produced design 1849 Egypt. these ordinary many Britain, Germany auctions, shows, Top: rare teapots different a and caddy amount un- china Although limited most many increasing cxpo- sets, made items pottery porcelain. the patterns and equally made single teapots, example, and saucers, tiny tureens, vẹn plates. There gathering little entertainment collected adults. toys children Joyment Early American Life'

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