Collectors's Guide My passion for dolls began during the eighties: I was in France for business matters when I stumbled on a doll from my childhood years: a large doll in celluloid with a damaged head, small burns on one leg and dangling arms.
It was love at first sight, or more probably the rekindling of an old flame. And that was how my collection started.
To learn more I contacted the people at CERP in Paris (Centre for the Study and Research on Dolls), Madame Florence Poisson and Madame Elisabeth Chauveau. I read all the books they published on the subject and when I asked them if I could translate in Italian one of the books on celluloid dolls by Mrs Chauveau they replied together:- Why don’t you write a book on Italian dolls?
- It’s impossible, - I replied puzzled, - there is no information about Italian dolls.
- A good reason to write one.
- And please call it: Not only Lenci, - hinted maliciously Mrs Poisson.
In fact, the only Italian doll renowned in the world at that time was the Lenci doll.
Overseas, however, the name Furga was also known. I was in contact with Mrs Polly Judd, an American expert and collector, author of many books on dolls and collaborator of Doll Reader. Through the information and photos given to me by Mrs Judd, I also came to know that there were also other prestigious Italian dolls that following the Lenci dolls managed to get on the transatlantic liner and reach America before the Great Depression.
I started my research by trying to contact doll manufacturers who were still in the business as well as those that had retired (this was much more difficult).
Fortunately, at the same time of my research other people were instituting a Museum of the Toy and the Doll at Canneto sull’Oglio dedicated to Giulio Superti Furga, which would also include other produces of the area.
 Meanwhile, visiting various exhibitions and markets I found out that there was a lot of confusion on the materials from which the dolls were made (for example, polystyrene dolls were said to be of bakelite); moreover, some less informed traders preferred to call “Lenci” any Italian doll in their stock, and date a plastic dolls from the post-war period to the 1930s.
Therefore, I tried to gather as much information as possible on Italian doll manufacturers and on the material used.
The book contains 18 files on the most important Italian manufacturers: the information was obtained from the manufacturers themselves although most of them had retired.
A short history of the Italian dolls is followed by a detailed list of the material, and once one is able to recognise the material it is very easy to date the dolls correctly.
There is also information about the various trademarks, who and when they were used. This part also includes the reproduction of 18 trademarks.
Unfortunately, the history of many famous dolls could not be included since I could not find documents on their origin.
The book (with a summary in English) has 153 pages, 90 black and white photographs, 22 colour, and was presented during the opening ceremony for the Museum of the Toy of Canneto sull’Oglio.
The Articles, some of which can be read only if you have bought the book, describe my further research.
The book can be bought on-line at 26 Euros (plus shipping costs) with a complimentary unplayed small 16 cm Lenci doll dating from the 1960s, in vinyl, with traditional costumes and in its original packet.
Best regards Piera Micheletti
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