Beschreibung:

lot of 40 silver print and silver gelatin photographs, most are from a Cincinnati toy store named Arnold Fairyland Doll Company, located at 407-409 Race Street, with photographer imprint on several of Wright & Co., Cincinnati. Most of the images are approximately 8" x 10" with a few being larger or smaller, most are unmounted but a few from the late 19th century through the 19-teens are on original card stock mounts. Many are images of window displays including Halloween and Christmas windows. The earliest image of a window is ca 1880s or early 90s with window text reading Arnold's Doll Manufactory and has rows of both German and French doll bodies and heads, as well as complete dolls on display. Most of the other images lack any reference to Manufactory and primarily display bisque German character, infant, toddler and child dolls. A few show displays of Kewpie's, one has Kathe Kruse dolls, others include doll house and furnishing, various types of toys including Teddy Bears. The latest date on any of these images is 1923, although a few may be slightly later. Arnold's appears to have originally purchased both French and German doll parts and dressed and assembled them in Cincinnati. Many of the heads were likely purchased in the bisque state and were painted in Cincinnati. Artus Van Briggle's first job on moving to Cincinnati in 1886 was with Arnold's as a doll head painter, and records show he was employed painting French bisque heads for this company until he began working for Avon and later Rookwood potteries, before starting his own pottery in Colorado. Condition: Most are VG to VG+, a few with light soil and a few of the mounted images have chips on card stock.