KESTNER - KING OF DOLLMAKERS  by Jan Foulke, Hobby House Press, Maryland, 1982/1989. 

“Collectors who have long admired and collected these high-quality German bisque dolls will be fascinated with this comprehensive book containing over 530 very detailed black-and-white plus 26 full color photographs.  Kestner produced quite a variety of dolls, but this book focuses on the bisque dolls produced from the early 1880s until the company went out of business sometime between 1935 and 1938.  Kestner was one of the few German dollmakers who made both heads and bodies, thus producing its own complete doll.” 

”This large reference manual should prove to be a tremendous aid to collectors in identifying their dolls.  For the first time Kestner character children have been gathered together and shown in one place as a series.  Some of the all-bisque characters have been definitely identified as Kestner dolls in this book which, up until this time, were only suspected to be Kestner.”

”In addition to the excellent section on character children, the desirable Hilda doll is covered in detail, showing different variations.  There are also chapters on the Bye-Lo babies, the Century dolls, Kewpies, googly-eyed dolls, lady dolls, not to mention the chapters on the closed-mouth and open-mouthed dolls, character babies and all-bisque dolls.  The author has compiled a very extensive listing of the 100 and 200 series of Kestner dolls including a mold number index.  A number of illustrations show both body and head markings.  Changes and corrections have been made to update the original 1982 book.  The latest research about Kestner dolls has been incorporated in the text and new photographs have been added to some chapters.  The next best thing to having a Kestner bisque doll in your collection is a beautiful picture of one.  By adding this book to your collection, you will have over 400 dolls to feast your eyes upon.”

8.5” x 11” color imprinted hardback in very good+ condition.  234 pages.

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