Shadow Box with Five Cloth Dolls

Object/Artifact

-

Windham Textile and History Museum

Five Cloth Dolls in a Shadow Box: The image features a display case with a gold ornate frame showcasing five vintage dolls dressed in elaborate period-style clothing, made of lace and colorful fabrics. Each doll is uniquely attired, with varying hairstyles and dress designs, ranging from elegant gowns to richly textured costumes in shades of gold, red, and blue. Set against a deep green backdrop, the dolls are positioned upright, enhancing their intricate details. The soft illumination highlights the craftsmanship of the textiles, creating a nostalgic and charming presentation that evokes a sense of historical allure and artistic beauty.
Five Cloth Dolls in a Shadow Box

The image features a display case with a gold ornate frame showcasing five vintage dolls dressed in elaborate period-style clothing, made of lace and colorful fabrics. Each doll is uniquely attired, with varying hairstyles and dress designs, ranging from elegant gowns to richly textured costumes in shades of gold, red, and blue. Set against a deep green backdrop, the dolls are positioned upright, enhancing their intricate details. The soft illumination highlights the craftsmanship of the textiles, creating a nostalgic and charming presentation that evokes a sense of historical allure and artistic beauty.

Name/Title

Shadow Box with Five Cloth Dolls

Entry/Object ID

2024.10.03

Description

Five cloth dolls mounted in a shadow box.

Context

According to the donor, Sandy Lee Carlson: "May Louise Steen Isbell (b. 1887), the daughter of Mary Mills Steen, was a skilled artist in many disciplines. She could cook, paint, sew, hook rugs, make clothing, embroider, make lace, and play the violin. May constructed the dolls in the shadow box from scraps of fabric she saved from other projects. In addition, some of the dolls have hand-stitched leather shoes as well as bloomers. For years the dolls sat on the back of the sofa at 17 Park Lane, Darien, CT, where everyone admired them. After Nan Isbell passed, two of the dolls were dispersed among Nan's granddaughters. Marjorie would eventually give the remainder to Sandy Lee. Sandy would eventually receive the two dolls that had traveled abroad from her mother and from her first-cousin once removed, Susan Isbell, who wanted Sandy to have the doll for Adella May [i.e., Sandy's daughter]." "Following the passing of her mom, Sandra Isbell Wiley Carlson, Sandy had DaSilva Gallery in West Haven mount them in a museum-quality shadow box. At the time, the framer asked her what she would do with it. "Enjoy them," Sandy said. The dolls represent the women's work of fiber arts. Nan made them with love for the pleasure of her family, who admired the craftsmanship and adored her. That the women of the family kept and cherished them, even as they aged and frayed in places speaks to to the place of creative expression in building family and demonstrating love." "Nan Isbell passed away in 1971, before my fifth birthday. I remember her as a kind lady in a wheelchair who would transport me from one room in Park Lane to another by having me sit on one of the footplates of her chair. She had made a doll for me when I was very little, and I have it to this day. She is a little girl with blonde braids and a blue-and-white dress with white rick-rack trim. She became soiled from an excess of love when I was a child, so as a young adult, I made covers for her legs from white broadcloth. I remember playing with and loving this doll. It's notable to me now that my mother let me play with this erstwhile heirloom without concern for its preservation. It was made with love to be enjoyed with love and to be remembered. Despite all the moving around, sorting out, sifting of possessions for charity donations, and the like, this doll has survived as a prized possession, a remembrance of familial, female love." Genealogy: 1. Mary Mills Steen ("Granny Steen") (1865-1954) b. in Ireland and migrated to NY in 1871. She m. Howard Steen (d. 1907) in Yonkers, NY, in 1886. Moved to Stamford, CT, 1907. Worked as a private nurse. 2. May Louise Steen Isbell ("Nan") (1887-1971). 3. Marjorie Mary Isbell Wiley. 4. Sandra Isbell Wiley Carlson. 5. Sandy Lee Carlson. 6. Adella May Dzitko-Carlson.

Collection

Isbell-Carlson Collection

Made/Created

Artist

Isbell, May Louise Steen

Time Period

20th Century

Place

City

Darien, CT

State/Province

Connecticut

Country

United States of America

Continent

North America

Lexicon

Nomenclature 4.0

Nomenclature Primary Object Term

Doll, Decorative

Nomenclature Sub-Class

Decorative Furnishings

Nomenclature Class

Household Accessories

Nomenclature Category

Category 02: Furnishings

Material

Cloth

Location

Location

Exhibit Room

Stairwell Gallery

* Untyped Location

Main Museum Building

Category

Exhibit

Date

November 24, 2024

Condition

Overall Condition

Excellent

Date Examined

Nov 24, 2024

Examined By

Eves, J.

Provenance

Provenance Detail

According to the donor, Sandy Lee Carlson: "May Louise Steen Isbell (b. 1887), the daughter of Mary Mills Steen, was a skilled artist in many disciplines. She could cook, paint, sew, hook rugs, make clothing, embroider, make lace, and play the violin. May constructed the dolls in the shadow box from scraps of fabric she saved from other projects. In addition, some of the dolls have hand-stitched leather shoes as well as bloomers. For years the dolls sat on the back of the sofa at 17 Park Lane, Darien, CT, where everyone admired them. After Nan Isbell passed, two of the dolls were dispersed among Nan's granddaughters. Marjorie would eventually give the remainder to Sandy Lee. Sandy would eventually receive the two dolls that had traveled abroad from her mother and from her first-cousin once removed, Susan Isbell, who wanted Sandy to have the doll for Adella May [i.e., Sandy's daughter]." "Following the passing of her mom, Sandra Isbell Wiley Carlson, Sandy had DaSilva Gallery in West Haven mount them in a museum-quality shadow box. At the time, the framer asked her what she would do with it. "Enjoy them," Sandy said. The dolls represent the women's work of fiber arts. Nan made them with love for the pleasure of her family, who admired the craftsmanship and adored her. That the women of the family kept and cherished them, even as they aged and frayed in places speaks to to the place of creative expression in building family and demonstrating love." "Nan Isbell passed away in 1971, before my fifth birthday. I remember her as a kind lady in a wheelchair who would transport me from one room in Park Lane to another by having me sit on one of the footplates of her chair. She had made a doll for me when I was very little, and I have it to this day. She is a little girl with blonde braids and a blue-and-white dress with white rick-rack trim. She became soiled from an excess of love when I was a child, so as a young adult, I made covers for her legs from white broadcloth. I remember playing with and loving this doll. It's notable to me now that my mother let me play with this erstwhile heirloom without concern for its preservation. It was made with love to be enjoyed with love and to be remembered. Despite all the moving around, sorting out, sifting of possessions for charity donations, and the like, this doll has survived as a prized possession, a remembrance of familial, female love." Genealogy: 1. Mary Mills Steen ("Granny Steen") (1865-1954) b. in Ireland and migrated to NY in 1871. She m. Howard Steen (d. 1907) in Yonkers, NY, in 1886. Moved to Stamford, CT, 1907. Worked as a private nurse. 2. May Louise Steen Isbell ("Nan") (1887-1971). 3. Marjorie Mary Isbell Wiley. 4. Sandra Isbell Wiley Carlson. 5. Sandy Lee Carlson. 6. Adella May Dzitko-Carlson.

Created By

historian@millmuseum.org

Create Date

November 23, 2024

Updated By

historian@millmuseum.org

Update Date

November 24, 2024