Marilyn Neuhart and her husband John worked with the Eames Office, Alexander Girard, and Herman Miller during the Golden Age of mid-century modernist design.
When Girard opened his Textiles & Objects shop [T&O, as they apparently called it] to sell folk art and handmade toys from around the world, along with Herman Miller fabric and other bright stuff, he had Neuhart sew up 2,000 of those little dolls she'd been making out of Mexican cotton. The hippy modernist dolls with their yarn afros are now highly sought after collector's items.
But long after T&O folded, Neuhart has kept on sewing--it's just what she does nights--and now Maximo, the Albuquerque gallery that tends the Girard legacy, has an exclusive for selling the dolls. The doll above is a rare vintage model from 1964, made by Neuhart from a DIY embroidery kit she published.
You can almost picture Neuhart sitting there, watching CSI, with her sewing basket and some skeins of colorful yarn at her side. Given that the new dolls start at almost $300 for a tiny one and go up to $1,800 if there's a little doll-sized quilt involved, I can almost picture her watching a giant plasma screen TV.
To which I say, "Good for her." She's on the frontline of a design revolution, and she is an inspiration to all those crafty kids today, who, if they want to make the big bucks with their plush toys, too, should immediately sign on to work with Eames and Girard.
Handmade T&O Dolls by Marilyn Neuhart [maximo.com via kidsmodern]
Hey, Daddy Drama got in the Neuhart mood, too [daddydrama]
Is that an yarn umbillical cord, or is she just happy to see me?