THE ETERNAL FASCINATION OF DOLLS

Girls in front of the window of a doll store. Buenos Aires. 1904.

Vintage gelatin silver print, mounted on a rigid secondary cardboard. Measurements: 23.5 x 15.1 cm / 9.25 x 5.94 in. Work of an unidentified photographer. It is displayed framed.

From the dawn of time and across all civilizations in human history, girls have spent their childhood lovingly holding the inevitable little doll. Built with all imaginable materials, but always representing the illusion of future motherhood. For this unusual photograph we have consulted the historian Daniela Pelegrinelli, author of the renowned book "Dictionary of Argentine Toys - Childhood, industry and education 1880-1965" and the expert told us: "It is an incredible photograph... it would seem that the dolls that are observed were all German, with certainty porcelain heads. It is the period of preponderance of that country as a producer of dolls that reach the whole world. Millions of all kinds, cheap and expensive, were exported. Moreover, there are toys associated with war, drums and panoplies. It is interesting because from this period, as you know, there are few images of toy stores other than department stores; even this one is relevant because it is a toy store itself, not a hodgepodge bazaar where there was everything."

The summer record towards the fall of the afternoon was made by the attentive photographer to expressly document the scene of astonishment and fascination of the four little girls with their white dresses and coquettish hats, all with their noses glued to the window, admiring the row of coveted european dolls. Dozens of them - including the "Eureka" brand - are displayed in their boxes with sale prices. For boys the classic war toys; for example, "Patria" brand target shooting equipment, small military drums, panoplies of weapons and even sailboats.

By Abel Alexander

President of the Ibero-American Society for the History of Photography

S.O. XVI-GEM