Anne's Web -- Paper Dolls

Nora and Tilly

These cut-out paper dolls were published intermittently in Woman and Home Magazine from July 1955 to the mid 1960s.

I started collecting these after coming across some of them on Ebay and remembering one or two fondly from my childhood. My mother tells me it was my grandmother, Alice Lomax, who saved these from the magazines and passed them on to me. I loved paper dolls at the time and had a biscuit tin containing my collection (long since lost, unfortunately). As a child, Nora and Tilly were my favourite paper dolls and they still are.

Since discovering that I could find original copies of the magazines containing these dolls on Ebay, I have collected what I believe to be the complete collection of the dolls, although it's always possible that an undiscovered one will turn up in the future. I'd be very interested to hear if anyone knows of an issue of Woman and Home containing Nora and Tilly dolls not mentioned here.

There seem to be two styles of art work, with the changeover happening around the end of 1960. I particularly like the earlier style. I have no idea who the artist is or even whether the two styles are by two different artists. I'd be delighted to know more about the artist and perhaps to find other illustrations by them. I'd love to hear from anyone who can help me find out who the artist is.

Below are the thumbnails of my collection. If you click on a thumbnail, the full image will open in a new window -- the full image is a better size and resolution for printing onto A4 for use. [Not available on the web version -- sorry.]

The first Nora and Tilly dolls were published in July 1955. Initially, the idea was that one of the girls was dressed tidily and the other was untidy, hence the original names "Natty Nora and Tatty Tilly". In the first few issues, Tilly is drawn with bows undone and smudges on her face and clothes, untidy strands of hair and so on. This idea seems to have been abandoned (apart from a few strands of hair) in December 1955 with the bridesmaids dresses and never reinstated.

Anne

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mailfromweb@c8uboid with .m8e.u8k appended and 8's removed.

1955 -- Natty Nora and Tatty Tilly

Woman and Home, July 1955	Woman and Home, August 1955	Woman and Home, September 1955
Woman and Home, October 1955	Woman and Home, November 1955	Woman and Home, December 1955

1956 -- Nora and Tilly Cut-Out Dolls in Every Issue

Woman and Home, January 1956	Woman and Home, February 1956	Woman and Home, March 1956
Woman and Home, April/May 1956		Woman and Home, June 1956
Woman and Home, July 1956	Woman and Home, August 1956	Woman and Home, September 1956
Woman and Home, October 1956	Woman and Home, November 1956	Woman and Home, December 1956

1957 -- Only Three Nora and Tilly Cut-Out Dolls

Woman and Home, January 1957

Woman and Home, February 1957

Woman and Home, March 1957

1958 -- Only Four Nora and Tilly Cut-Out Dolls

Woman and Home, March 1958	Woman and Home, August 1958	Woman and Home, September 1958
Woman and Home, December 1958

1959 -- Five Nora and Tilly Cut-Out Dolls

Woman and Home, January 1959	Woman and Home, March 1959	Woman and Home, April 1959
Woman and Home, September 1959	Woman and Home, December 1959

1960 -- Last of the Old Style

Woman and Home, January 1960	Woman and Home, March 1960	Woman and Home, May 1960
Woman and Home, June 1960	Woman and Home, September 1960

1961 -- No Cut-Out Dolls This Year

1962 -- New Style Cut-Out Dolls

Woman and Home, February 1962	Woman and Home, March 1962	Woman and Home, April 1962
Woman and Home, May 1962	Woman and Home, June 1962	Woman and Home, July 1962
Woman and Home, September 1962	Woman and Home, October 1962