Toys and games: Minnie Warren paper doll, figure in undergarments
1863 – 1870 (Date manufactured/created)
Paper Documentary Artifact
2.25 in H
X
1 in W
Paper doll figure depicting Minnie Warren, younger sister of Lavinia Warren, who was best known by her stage name, Mrs. General Tom Thumb. Lavinia and Charles's 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. Minnie had been Lavinia's bridesmaid, and like her sister she was very small in stature, having the condition of proportionate dwarfism. After the wedding, Minnie, and Charles's best man, George Washington Morrison Nutt, accompanied the bridal couple on tour, becoming famous themselves as part of the entourage. 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, Charles, Lavinia, and Minnie 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.
The figure shows Minnie standing with her arms crossed over her chest. She wears the basic undergarments of the period: a white cotton or linen chemise (like a shift), petticoat, and a corset which is mainly obscured by her arms. She also wears white stockings, and black and white bootees that button on the sides. This is the basic doll to which the paper doll clothing would be added, therefore here is no printing on the back.
Paper doll figure depicting Minnie Warren, younger sister of Lavinia Warren, best known by her stage name, Mrs. General Tom Thumb. Lavinia and Charles's 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. Minnie had been Lavinia's bridesmaid, and like her sister she was very small in stature, having the condition of proportionate dwarfism. After the wedding, Minnie, and Charles's best man, George Washington Morrison Nutt, accompanied the bridal couple on tour, becoming famous themselves as part of the entourage. 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, Charles, Lavinia, and Minnie 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.
The figure shows Minnie standing with her arms crossed over her chest. She wears the basic undergarments of the period: a white cotton or linen chemise (like a shift), petticoat, and a corset which is mainly obscured by her arms. She also wears white stockings and black and white bootees that button on the sides. This is the basic doll to which the paper doll clothing would be added. There is no printing on the back, only identifying information.
Huldah Pierce Warren (Bump) Newell, known better as Minnie Warren (June 2, 1849 - July 23, 1878) was a performer associated with P.T. Barnum. She was the sister of M. Lavinia Warren, and the two sisters had an excellent relationship. Minnie married fellow little person Edmund Newell in 1877; he, too, was a Barnum performer. They had one child, but the infant passed away shortly after birth. Minnie herself died on July 23, 1878, from complications following the delivery of the baby, a loss which devastated her sister. Minnie is buried in Nemasket Hill Cemetery in Middleboro, Massachusetts.
The figure shows Minnie standing with her arms crossed over her chest. She wears the basic undergarments of the period: a white cotton or linen chemise (like a shift), petticoat, and a corset which is mainly obscured by her arms. She also wears white stockings, and black and white bootees that button on the sides. This is the basic doll to which the paper doll clothing would be added, therefore here is no printing on the back.
Paper doll figure depicting Minnie Warren, younger sister of Lavinia Warren, best known by her stage name, Mrs. General Tom Thumb. Lavinia and Charles's 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. Minnie had been Lavinia's bridesmaid, and like her sister she was very small in stature, having the condition of proportionate dwarfism. After the wedding, Minnie, and Charles's best man, George Washington Morrison Nutt, accompanied the bridal couple on tour, becoming famous themselves as part of the entourage. 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, Charles, Lavinia, and Minnie 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.
The figure shows Minnie standing with her arms crossed over her chest. She wears the basic undergarments of the period: a white cotton or linen chemise (like a shift), petticoat, and a corset which is mainly obscured by her arms. She also wears white stockings and black and white bootees that button on the sides. This is the basic doll to which the paper doll clothing would be added. There is no printing on the back, only identifying information.
Huldah Pierce Warren (Bump) Newell, known better as Minnie Warren (June 2, 1849 - July 23, 1878) was a performer associated with P.T. Barnum. She was the sister of M. Lavinia Warren, and the two sisters had an excellent relationship. Minnie married fellow little person Edmund Newell in 1877; he, too, was a Barnum performer. They had one child, but the infant passed away shortly after birth. Minnie herself died on July 23, 1878, from complications following the delivery of the baby, a loss which devastated her sister. Minnie is buried in Nemasket Hill Cemetery in Middleboro, Massachusetts.
A Gift of the Discovery Museum, Bridgeport, Connecticut
2003.009.062 H