Member Sylvia McDonald gave a program on dolls designed by artist Sylvia Natterer. She began with a short history of the artist. Natterer was born in Switzerland in 1949. As a child she made her own dolls and dollhouse and later won awards in drawing and painting. She became a creative design teacher and taught students how to make puppets. Natterer became a member of the Munich puppet theater and made puppets to sell. However, Sylvia said that Natterer decided to cut the strings off her puppets and began selling dolls both as children's playthings and collectibles. In 1972 Natterer began creating dolls from wood composition or resin.
Sylvia discussed the doll artists who inspired Natterer, with examples of their dolls. These included Käthe Kruse (the tallest boy in the back in the green hat and the little girl in front of him in the red and white dress and pinafore), Elizabeth Pongratz (the girl in the navy blue knit dress with blond pigtails), and Sasha Morgenthaler (the remaining dolls pictured). Sylvia stated that Natterer was impressed by the design of the Sasha dolls and how their neutral expressions allowed children to project a wide range of emotions on to their dolls. She noted that in 1979 Natterer met Kruse's daughter Hanne Alder-Kruse and a friendship developed that led to Natterer designing two dolls for the Kruse company. Natterer was also close friends with Pongratz.
Sylvia told the club that Natterer moved to Munich in 1975 and began creating her own molds and porcelain dolls. In 1982, she collaborated with the German company Zapf. Inspired by her own infant children, Natterer designed a large baby doll. In 1989, Natterer partnered with the German company Götz for the production of the Fanouche and Friends line. Sylvia stated that just prior to this, Natterer created an exclusive line of vinyl dolls, hand painted and dressed by her, for The Toy Shoppe in Richmond, Virginia. She explained that Götz agreed to this arrangement because it was seen as free publicity for the upcoming Götz collection. Natterer moved again in 1991 to a historical old schoolhouse in Tyrol, Austria, where she lives and works.
Sylvia stated that Fanouche and her twelve friends were an immediate success when they hit the market in 1990. Natterer also produced other dolls for Götz. She said that the dolls are of the highest quality, with rooted hair or wigs, hand-painted features, and finely-made clothing designed by Natterer. The dolls carry the Götz mark and Natterer's "SN" signature, and came with a certificate of authenticity. In addition to her work with Götz, Natterer designed special collectible dolls with Franklin Heirloom Dolls as well as for an Italian and a Japanese company. From 1999 to 2003, Natterer designed a line of dolls for the Spanish company White Balloon as well.
Sylvia explained that Natterer's partnership with Götz ended December 31, 2003, and the artist began working with Zwergnase to continue the Fanouche line. However, because Götz would not release the doll molds to Natterer, she had to recreate the dolls, so that the two lines look very different from each other. From 2006 to 2014, Natterer collaborated with Kruse on the Minouche line of dolls. When the Kruse company was sold in 2014, the French company Petitcollin took over production of this line.
Sylvia displayed her collection of winsome Natterer dolls.
Member Jenell Howell shared several of her Natterer dolls as well, with examples by Götz, White Balloon, and Petitcollin.
Jenell also shared this beautiful brown-eyed girl designed by Dewees Cochran. She said that this is one of the dolls she has been dreaming of adding to her collection.
Another doll from Jenell, a little Madame Alexander Alexander-kin found at the recent Settlement Home Garage and Estate Sale.
Member Bette Birdsong showed off two of her recent finds from local antique malls, a pretty-in-pink Toni doll by Ideal and a Honey walker doll by Effanbee.
Guest Jeremy Jones shared these two more contemporary porcelain clown dolls.
Member Jan Irsfeld brought this Cissette by Madame Alexander dressed as "Madame X" from the famous 1884 portrait by artist John Singer Sargent.
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