Paper Doll Set: Young Girl with Nine Outfits

Ray Kaiser

c. 1928

While attending Sacramento High School, Ray created this paper doll and her fashionable wardrobe. Ray would later go on to design and make her own dresses.

Medium:Ink, watercolor, and graphite on paper
Dimensions:Framed: 15 3/4 x 12 1/8 in. (40 x 30.8 cm)
Item:A.2019.2.007

Curatorial Notes

The young girl in this paper doll set with a charming wardrobe displayed around her would have been one fashionable child. The variety of detailed garments—from daywear to party dresses, for different seasons, and in a variety of fabric from a knit sweater to a soft, semi-sheer party dress—show the meticulous attention to detail seen in later fashion drawings done by Ray. Perhaps this was done for a “Little Sister” for whom Ray was a “Big Sister” in high school, or just for her own amusement. Ray was already very skilled at rendering different types of fabric—from wool to chiffon. Certainly, any little girl given this paper doll set to play with would be delighted.

— Dale Carolyn Gluckman