Dolls, Dolls and more Dolls!
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Dolls, Dolls and more Dolls! |
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As Helena Opid was growing up in Crakow Poland, all around her the women of the family were engrossed in handiwork once the daily work was done and there was time for leisure. She was soon taking up the talent as well - - sewing clothes for her dolls. As the famous Shakespearean actress, Madame Helena Modjeska was very aware of her image on the stage and how her costumes would portray the part. She designed her costumes to fit the role and the image she wanted for her success. For example when portraying Mary Queen of Scots, Modjeska once said: "in the character of Mary Stuart. the costumes are very simple and inexpensive, except for their design as Mary was a poor lady and could not afford any diamonds or gems. I first appear in gray, then in black, and then when I am sentenced to be beheaded I appear in deep red costume, so designed as not to show the blood when the tragedy is culminated". She didn't stop at the designing, she made (and re-made) all her costumes from those designs. Hoop skirts required yards and yards of material and many hours of hand sewing. Even after she could afford Paris gowns, Modjeska continued to make many of her own costumes. At Arden her hands seemed always busy with sewing or embroidery. As if it wasn't enough to fill her leisure time at Arden, she and her maid, Nascia, dressed dolls in miniature replicas of her own stage costumes and she displayed these many dolls on a couch in her costume room.. At Christmas time they sometimes dressed as many as thirty dolls to be raffled off at the next church bazaar in Santa Ana or Anaheim. Lucky ticket holders prized these dolls all their lives. Some Modjeska Dolls may still be found in museums. Bowers museum has a Mary, Queen of Scots doll. At the Green Dragon Camp in La Jolla, Modjeska met the owner, Anna Held Heinrich, and her celebrated doll, Miss Olive Mishap, who had once belonged to the English actress Ellen Terry. Learning that Olive liked to go on tour, Modjeska took her on the train to El Toro. Anna received a "letter from Olive" describing her trip. Count Bozenta had lifted her tenderly into a carriage for the long ride into the mountains. As they reached the fairyland, Modjeska and Bozenta "turned on the waterworks" and produced a storm with thunder and lightening. Once in the house, the frightened Olive hid herself in Modjeska's bed. Modjeska and her house guest, Jo Tuholsky, used scraps from old costumes to make Olive some beautiful new clothes. Olive then had her picture taken, seated on the west veranda. This is just a little insight into the wit and playfulness of Madame. Note: Kris and Mike's house has strong ties to Anna Held. |