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Seeley's Ceramic Service, Published 1983. Wraps, 82 pp.; 28 cm; Third Printing, copyright 1979; Volume I, German Dolls (Volume II, French Dolls, not present); illustrations by Dubie Seeley, photography by Vernon Seeley; illustrated with color and black-and-white photographs.
In Good condition. Dark red pictorial paper covers, cream lettering on front cover, Seeley's Ceramic Service device on rear. Moderate shelf and edge wear. Color loss along the spine edge and top edge of front cover, and across the creased lower fore-corner. Fine scratching and scuffing overall, heaviest on rear cover. Small green fleck on rear cover above the device, with a slight indentation at that point. Bumping and creasing to edges and corners. Binding tight, staple bound. Pages clean and unmarked. Seeley photographed German bisque children dolls from her own collection in close-up so that reproduction dollmakers could match the painting: brow strokes, lash length, eye dots, lip lines, cheek blush. Makers covered include Kammer and Reinhardt, Simon and Halbig, Armand Marseille, Gebruder Heubach, Bruno Schmidt, Kley and Hahn, Cuno and Otto Dressel and Porzellanfabrick Burggrub. An Index of Dolls and Seeley Molds keys each doll to its maker, mold number, matching Seeley mold and 1980 availability. Later parts cover hair styles, composition bodies, setting sleep eyes, costuming with shoe patterns and hats drawn from the 1911 Ladies Home Journal, and the business of dollmaking. Seeley (1918-2001) founded Seeley's in 1946, co-founded the Doll Artisan Guild in 1977 and started World Doll Day in 1986; when her doll collection was sold in 2002 it set a then-record of $1,800,000. Scott Publications issued a revised edition in 1990 retitled German Children Dolls. Contents: Introduction; Part I; Part II Dolls for Study and Painting Details (Kammer & Reinhardt; Simon & Halbig; Porzellanfabrick Burggrub; Cuno & Otto Dressel; Armand Marseille; Horseman; Bruno Schmidt; Jensen; Kley & Hahn; Gebruder Heubach; Index of Heads and Molds); Part III Typical Hair Styles; Part IV Doll Bodies; Part V Eyes of the German Children Dolls (Setting Sleep Eyes; Painting Eyes); Part VI Costuming the Child Doll (Examples; Shoes and Patterns for Reproductions; Hats and Bonnets for the Child Doll); Part VII The Business of Dollmaking (Doll Shows; Doll Auctions; Business Decisions; Exhibiting Dolls; Seeley Doll Center).