A SPNRERURNASOR EA SRB SS I SUN ENA AR db ah ass BL SAAN EOI LIEN RSE ee y & 8 - PORT PERRY STAR. Who's Pelsnickle? In Doll Library, He Shows . A LERISIMAS, - Why Naughty Children Might Dread His Visits X Where there are dolls, there's holds a bundle of switches. i ay i the spirit of Christmas. While Pelsnickle and = In the Pryor International | switches are usually associated, M4 Doll Library* at Greenwich, | a study of Christmas lore re- red y ~: Conn., there are mole than 8,000 dolls, and naturally, many of them suggest Christmas in a very special way -- from creche figures that symbolize the religious meaning of the holiday to a jolly Santa doll who wrinkles his dried-apple face in a smile that sums up all the joys of the season. From a Christmas-season point of view, one of the most interesting dolls is a figure representing "Pelsnickle." Though little known to mod- {-ekn-celebrants; Pelsniekle-holds- an important place in holiday lore. According fo legend; he accompanied St. Nicholas as his servant and, while St. Nick rewarded good children with gifts, Pelsnickle had the un- welcome task of punishing naughty. boys and girls with "gifts" of lumps of coal and switches. The Dol] Library's Pelsnickle veals that in earlier legends he traditionally carried a birch cane, says Mrs. June Anderson Douglass, whose responsibili- ties as curator of the Pryor Doll Library include research- ing and cataloguing each doll, Like. St. Nicholas, Pelsnickle was a European figure, known primarily in Holland and Ger- many. He came by his name very logically, since he was generally believed to wear a fur coat. "Pelz" is the German word for fur. "Today, the custom of having" Pelsnickle appear at Christ- mas time is still observed in some Pennsylvania Dutch homes, according to the editors of The New Book of Knowl- edge. ~~ DOWN THE CHIMNEY Legend says that St. Nicho- las and the Italian gift-giver, Befana, rang bells on- their PELSNICKLE f{rewarded" naughty children at Dirlarmingy Ly - »- i Re sports Santa Claus whiskers, [way down the chimney*to de- [says legend. Here, he's picture x1} wears a coat of shaggy fur and [liver Yule gifts. S as he appears in the Doll Library. a) NA 4g - Differences may divide na- « LI 3 tions -- but not in the Doll 2 Library. Mr. Pryor's dolls get 4 an opportunity to enact the 3 holiday spirit of peace and a good will, all year. As a pas- time, he likes to bring dolls 2% of many nations together in / friendly groups. yo! ' o DOLLS AND CHRISTMAS GO TOGETHER -- and this doll with TALLEST TREE Tallest Christmas tree? In the U.S. the title probably goes to the Indianapolis, Ind., "tree" "y-- the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. At Christmas, the 246-foot structure is decorated with electric candles and stars. her golden curls and golden harp seems to symbolize the happiness of the season. She's one of more than 8,000 dolls in the Samuel F. Pryor International Doll Library*, Greenwich, Conn. The Doll Library may be visited by appointment only. Dolls, Dolls, Dolls! Each Has Story to Tell "It's fun to get a doll for 'the Doll Library -- hence Mr. Christmas." i Pryor's' personal knowledge This statement comes fram _that a doll under the Christ- a real authority, who is a for-; ma} tree is truly a source of J: we celebrate His Birth, we wish for you the blessings of friendship, love and - ° ° ejoice... ? May the happy tidings of " Noel fill your home with peace, companionship and warmth. Merry Christmas! PHOEBE'S mer Marine, a world traveler and international airline ex- ecutive -- and who is also a man who has more dolls than almost anybody except Santa Claus! Collector Samuel F. Pryor is the founder of.the Interna- tional Doll Library in Green- wich, Conn., where more than 8,000 dolls are gathered in fab- ulous variety. J Begun in 1953 when he in- herited 300 dolls from a friend, the still-growing collection includes hundreds of dolls searched out by Mr. Pryor himself, and it has also Been delight. The Doll Library, so named because every doll has a story to tell, is attractively housed in a 1792 barn, remodeled to provide appropriate settings for-the dolls. Visits to the Doll Library are by appointment only. Here, there are antique dolls, historic dolls, craft dolls, reli- gious dolls, dolls of every land and every era. The dolls in- deed have much to tell to the serious student of world his- tory and world: civilization. understanding .. . the true spirit of Christmas. Pickard Hardware BEAUTY SALON augmented by gifts from some] But to Mr. Pryor, the impor- of the thousands of visitors to| tant thing about the dolls is that they are objects of affec- tion -- cherished by little girls wating for Santa, and by eV- eryone who loves dolls, to play with and admire. Along with their legacy of love, the dolls bring a record of mankind's ingenuity. ; ian WEES ANTAL, CHRI STMAS : GREETINGS A joyous, old fashioned Noel to' you! You're - delightful -to deal with the whole year long. BRIGNALL'S PORT PERRY AREA 'Tis the season "+ to thank you for your patronage and extend best May the true, deep meaning of HH, od IL TT A, TR Among the antique dolls in . v 5 wishes for an old- Mr. Pryor's collection i is a 19th- Christmas fill ; . : cent beaut a fashioned holiday. pony ona agen bay AMBULANCE The season with love . ° heaves her bosom and plays a ] lyre, to the tune of a hidden RT Fillies ! music box. _ | Many. other dolls in the , Pryor collection make it plain that mechanical accomplish- ments are by no means limited to the dolls of today. For in- stance, a group of early Ameri- can dolls includes the "Auto- es 5 a ror do-it-yourself dolls were fea- tured in "Godey's Lady's Book" for May 1867, with illustrations of Mr. and Mrs. Crab and to" instructions. 4 friends and Among the Library's little in- Sd . - - ir habitants, dolls of thor lands { of sll CU amers for their form a miniature United Na- Fe bo loyal patronage. 4 tions. A turbaned Brazilian EA a 7) i '.. y dancer, a Spanish matador / --L 3 with cape and sword, a Japa | k. nese geisha, a Belgian lady, | JN 0 ! i : : i . - = ( \ i Pa German tourist, an Arabian | I So. 4 ceert Brine an Arodit in . 1 1 | { _ yA AS TYT diy, - ' {) \ / LEARY. k prince ai ARAN | t lan [1 he Ya } Ne] a i ( IN / . 3 ; { | s fr Y C ' | Bagg ne li Boon iy | - El v. $7) ord ' J spreading Christmas cheef and once again it's our time to thank 3 ¥ * hd 1 % i o , ot peripatetikos"---a walking doll joyous {3 . patented in 1862. ) Season i a Another kind of ingenuity is of rence 4 ny . /2 a manifest, in the craft dolls, peace, 5 ed ' he on : lovingly fashioned by thought- harmony gi 4 y 8. You ful hands frém_ virtually any ried hore ; 3 fis Vg % Since re thanks yi and every convenient material HE on ' 4 ' and Lest aeishes to our many 57%] - pen wipers, shells, newspa~- Hpon us. L "8 Se Srivanels wd ' bt pers wishbones, sponges, corn Let us eagerly 5 1H ' ons Loo cobs, pine cones, pipec leaners, i d 5 i. ra s. clay pipes. even an old pot: ato share in g 7 masher. : ts Pleadings, Bi i Among them are "Mr. and © is Mrs. Crab," dolls with faces , 7 5 made from craly claws. These Santa 1s busy i ' 5 4 a "how er ve Vals iho i 1