Here is another of the early paper dolls originally sold by S & J Fuller at the Temple of Fancy art supply store in London.
Ellen, or the Naughty Girl Reclaimed was published in 1811 and is said to have been a favorite of Queen Victoria when she was a little girl. Like Little Fanny and Little Henry, which I blogged about
here, Ellen's head is separate from her body and can be slotted into a paper pocket in the top of each of her outfits. I have constructed her in the same way as the others, gluing her onto paperboard for sturdiness. Ellen's story is, like Fanny's and Henry's, very much a product of its time. Ellen, the "naughty girl," refuses to do as she is told, eventually going through enough hardship as a result that she learns her lesson and reforms. I especially enjoy that one of Ellen's outfits is shown in two states, before and after she falls into a muddy ditch.
The hat from that particular outfit looks strikingly like Little Fanny's fancy hat, so I'm throwing in a picture of Ellen and Fanny wearing their matching hats. The outfits are not as similar; I'm not sure if that's a result of changing fashions or just Fanny wearing her winter coat and muff in the wrong season, as she does in her story. Ellen also has a red cloak and basket ensemble that looks a lot like two of Fanny's market outfits. It would be easy to confuse some of these pieces.
Ellen also comes with a dunce cap and a beggar's outfit. I'm not sure why the beggar's outfits were so popular for these dolls, but Little Fanny and Little Henry have them too. They can all stand around looking disreputable together while they wait to be changed into nicer clothing.
Download PDF files of Ellen and her outfits
here and
here.
