HEROES OF THE WEST PAPER DOLLS

James Beckwourth (1798-1866)

Mary Ellen Pleasant (1814-1904)

Colonel Allen Allensworth (1842-1914)

Nancy Gooch (1811-1901)

PRECIOUS PLAYTHINGS

An Illustrated History of Black Paper Dolls:

The First 200 Years

(A WORK-IN-PROGRESS)

by Arabella Grayson

Precious Playthings: An Illustrated History of Black Paper Dolls - The First 200 Years chronicles the history of paper dolls and how they played a role in reinforcing racial stereotypes. Features Black paper dolls created in the United States, Canada, Africa, and Europe; and highlights the fictional characters and real personalities immor-talized in paper doll format, as well as stories of the notable illustrators and artists who created them. A fascinating story of an overlooked history of paper toys and the marketing of images. The work is the culmination of ten years of focused research and a lifelong quest for an understanding of America’s racial history, past and present.

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