Toys and games: M. Lavinina Warren paper doll, arm chair
1863 – 1870 (Date manufactured/created)
Paper Documentary Artifact
6.25 in H
X
3 in W
Paper doll accessory, an armchair, that is part of a set representing M. Lavinia Warren, wife of Charles S. Stratton. The couple was best known by their stage names, "Gen. and Mrs. Tom Thumb." Their marriage in 1863 set them on a course to achieve international celebrity, and a wide variety of souvenir items were produced to capitalize on the "miniature" couple's immense popularity. Though paper dolls were not new in the 1860s, they were becoming a more popular pastime for children due to the greater affordability of printed items, including books, magazines, and puzzles. As little people with the condition of proportionate dwarfism, Charles and Lavinia would probably have been likened to "dolls" in the public's imagination, and thus perhaps one of the reasons paper dolls were made in their image. In addition, Charles's character performances in costume presented a perfect opportunity for creating a paper doll wardrobe, as did Lavinia's taste for fashionable, expensive clothing.
The wood frame of this high-backed armchair is depicted as ornately carved, typical of furniture styles in the mid- to late 1800s. The chair back and seat feature "tufted" upholstery (evenly spaced "buttons" that pull in and anchor the padding and fabric), a style also popular in that era. The chair is uncolored, which may have been a mistake since all other items in the show colors added to the black and white printing. The chair is included in the set to give a sense of scale. Photographs of Tom Thumb and Lavinia Warren often show them posed next to a chair of normal size, usually one with a particularly high back, to emphasize their diminutive stature.
This paper doll set was likely produced around 1863 or soon after, amidst the hype of Warren’s marriage to Stratton. Their wedding, popularly known as the Fairy Wedding, was heavily promoted by P. T. Barnum, who elevated it to the major event in New York City society in 1863. Both Warren and Stratton were little people, and well regarded as entertainers. Lavinia was also admired for her beauty, intelligence, and sense of style, making her ideal as a fashion plate for paper dolls. She was often promoted as the "Queen of Beauty."
M. Lavinia Warren was a well known entertainer, whose career spanned the 1860s to the early 1900s. She was born Mercy Lavinia Warren Bump on October 31, 1841, in Massachusetts. She married fellow entertainer Charles S. Stratton on February 10, 1863, and following his death in 1883, she married an Italian entertainer of a similar stature, Count Primo Magri, on April 6, 1885. Warren was a schoolteacher originally but soon began her performance career on a river boat at a time when exhibiting people with dwarfism was profitable. Warren signed with showman P. T. Barnum at age 21, along with her younger sister Minnie (Huldah) Warren, who also had dwarfism. After her marriage to Stratton the two toured the country and around the world giving performances, becoming America's first international celebrity couple. During Warren's second marriage, she and her husband also toured for many years and later operated a roadside stand in Middleboro, Massachusetts, her birthplace. Lavinia Warren Stratton Magri died on November 25, 1919, and was buried beside Stratton at Mountain Grove Cemetery in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
The wood frame of this high-backed armchair is depicted as ornately carved, typical of furniture styles in the mid- to late 1800s. The chair back and seat feature "tufted" upholstery (evenly spaced "buttons" that pull in and anchor the padding and fabric), a style also popular in that era. The chair is uncolored, which may have been a mistake since all other items in the show colors added to the black and white printing. The chair is included in the set to give a sense of scale. Photographs of Tom Thumb and Lavinia Warren often show them posed next to a chair of normal size, usually one with a particularly high back, to emphasize their diminutive stature.
This paper doll set was likely produced around 1863 or soon after, amidst the hype of Warren’s marriage to Stratton. Their wedding, popularly known as the Fairy Wedding, was heavily promoted by P. T. Barnum, who elevated it to the major event in New York City society in 1863. Both Warren and Stratton were little people, and well regarded as entertainers. Lavinia was also admired for her beauty, intelligence, and sense of style, making her ideal as a fashion plate for paper dolls. She was often promoted as the "Queen of Beauty."
M. Lavinia Warren was a well known entertainer, whose career spanned the 1860s to the early 1900s. She was born Mercy Lavinia Warren Bump on October 31, 1841, in Massachusetts. She married fellow entertainer Charles S. Stratton on February 10, 1863, and following his death in 1883, she married an Italian entertainer of a similar stature, Count Primo Magri, on April 6, 1885. Warren was a schoolteacher originally but soon began her performance career on a river boat at a time when exhibiting people with dwarfism was profitable. Warren signed with showman P. T. Barnum at age 21, along with her younger sister Minnie (Huldah) Warren, who also had dwarfism. After her marriage to Stratton the two toured the country and around the world giving performances, becoming America's first international celebrity couple. During Warren's second marriage, she and her husband also toured for many years and later operated a roadside stand in Middleboro, Massachusetts, her birthplace. Lavinia Warren Stratton Magri died on November 25, 1919, and was buried beside Stratton at Mountain Grove Cemetery in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
A Gift of the Discovery Museum, Bridgeport, Connecticut
2003.009.062 I