Toys and games: Minnie Warren paper doll set
1863 – 1870 (Date manufactured/created)
Booklet and paper dolls depicting Minnie Warren, younger sister of M. Lavinia Warren, wife of Charles S. Stratton but better known by her stage name as "Mrs. Gen. Tom Thumb." The set was produced by McLoughlin Bro's., Publishers, 30 Beekman Street in New York City. 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 paper doll set was likely produced around 1863 or soon after, amidst the hype of Lavinia and Charles's marriage. The wedding was heavily promoted by P. T. Barnum, who gave it the name of the Fairy Wedding and elevated it to the biggest event in New York City society.
The booklet cover depicts Minnie wearing a green and black plaid dress with a wide neckline, short puffed sleeves, and a very full round skirt. "Miss Minnie Warren" is printed in large red letters above her, and beneath her, "Mrs. Tom Thumb's Little Sister." The back of the booklet lists the various items available from McLoughlin Bros., "Manufacturers of Toy Books, Games, & C." Two gowns have survived with this set, but there were likely at least half a dozen originally. One is a ball gown in light blue, with a wide neckline and short, puffed sleeves. It is trimmed with rows of puffed white silk chiffon around the lower part of the skirt, and a single row on the bodice just below the bosom. The other gown is identical to the one shown on the booklet cover, though the green color was only added to the bodice. Rows of pleated ruffles trim the front and back of the bodice.
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 booklet cover depicts Minnie wearing a green and black plaid dress with a wide neckline, short puffed sleeves, and a very full round skirt. "Miss Minnie Warren" is printed in large red letters above her, and beneath her, "Mrs. Tom Thumb's Little Sister." The back of the booklet lists the various items available from McLoughlin Bros., "Manufacturers of Toy Books, Games, & C." Two gowns have survived with this set, but there were likely at least half a dozen originally. One is a ball gown in light blue, with a wide neckline and short, puffed sleeves. It is trimmed with rows of puffed white silk chiffon around the lower part of the skirt, and a single row on the bodice just below the bosom. The other gown is identical to the one shown on the booklet cover, though the green color was only added to the bodice. Rows of pleated ruffles trim the front and back of the bodice.
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.
EL 1988.107.001