paper doll: Nostalgic Barbie Paper Doll

Linda Peck befriend neighbor Marilyn Gandre in 1981. Peck created porcelain dolls as a hobby, and Grande suggested that they produce paper dolls. Their first paper dolls were inspired by the photographs they took of Margaret Woodbury Strong’s doll collection. They also created a fairy tale paper doll series called the “Enchanted Forest,” which featured Rapunzel, Goldilocks, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, and Cinderella, among others.

Their first orders were backed by their husbands and their children assisted with collating and shipping. Gandre was responsible for painting the dolls and Peck wrote the stories. Doll collecting proved a popular hobby in the 1980s and their paper dolls sold quickly. In 1989, Peck-Grande also won the licensing to create a Nostalgic Barbie paper doll, which was to be patterned after the 1959 Barbie and her wardrobe of 1959-1964. Their paper dolls were soon found in every state and across the world.