BRIDE DOLLS

By LISA LOSASSO BELL

Canfield woman’s collection displays wedding history

For Stella Camuso, a birthday gift she received just one month after her wedding has grown into a treasured collection of bride dolls.

Canfield resident Stella Camuso treasures her collection of bride dolls, which began with a birthday gift from her husband one month after they married.

That very first doll, also a music box that plays the “Bridal Chorus” from the opera “Lohengrin” by German composer Richard Wagner, is a Gorham Doll, made in the United States.

Thus, the tradition took hold and the collection began to grow.

The following year her husband gave her a Madame Alexander bride doll, which is a fantasy creation of Scarlet O’Hara. Since then, many more dolls have been collected and several projects have been completed.

Because Camuso had her sister’s original 1959 Barbie, she decided to have a replica of her own wedding gown, complete with a 10-foot train, made to scale so that it too could be displayed.

A room was set aside for her growing collection. Even the lace curtains are reminiscent of the elegant train from Camuso’s own gown. According to Camuso, many bride dolls are fantasy creations and are not historically correct.

“Prior to Queen Victoria’s wedding, wedding gowns were very colorful,” said Camuso.” She explained that during the 1700s, pink was the most popular color for wedding gowns. “Prior to that, during the 1500s, wedding gowns were jade, purple and rich shades of red and were covered in jewels,” she said, explaining that Margaret of Flanders had to be carried in by two male attendants because her gown was so laden with jewels.

According to Camuso, before the Civil War, the color was often beige, and if a bride was over the age of 35, gray was considered to be a dignified color and could be reworn. “The only people who wore white were the nobility, to show economic status, because it would never be worn again.” said Camuso. “It had nothing to do with purity. They were saying, ‘I never have to wear this again.’”

Camuso’s pre-Civil War doll and American Indian doll are both dressed in cream lace. “Although,” said Camuso, “American Indian women would have worn buck-skin.”

Out of 19 dolls, two are in cream. One colorful bride doll was purchased in Tokyo by Camuso’s parents while they were away on business. “They mostly wore red and gold silk,” said Camuso. “They didn’t wear veils. But now, only royalty and dignitaries wear the authentic Japanese bridal costume.” She further explained that contemporary Japanese brides wear what they refer to as “Western White.”

Camuso’s oldest doll in her collection is the Barbie Doll. The gowns are characteristic of those from 1860 to the present.

On the walls of the room in which she displays her dolls, there is a collection of plates from a New York gift shop that visually tells the history of American wedding attire from the antebellum period through the 1980s.

Personal touch

Also on display is a collection of wedding photos from her own family, spanning from 1900 to the present. It includes everyone from her great-grandparents to her nieces and nephews.

Especially treasured are three Lladros figurines from Spain. One depicts the cutting of the wedding cake, and the other is a mother fixing her daughter’s veil.

Camuso also has a black bride doll, which is displayed with a book titled “Jumping the Broom.” “Although she’s dressed in period clothing,” said Camuso, “she’d not have worn lace from head to toe back then. Because slaves were not allowed to marry, they had their own ceremony called ‘jumping the broom.’”

Special meaning

Camuso is obviously discerning about the dolls she collects. She explained that each doll means something special to her. Also, there are certain things she looks for to be sure the doll is of the highest quality. “Good dolls have separated fingers that are cushioned and exquisitely wrapped with padding and gold, pink or blue ribbons,” she said. “You want to save every single piece that comes with it.” When collecting dolls, you have to save everything including plastic, paper, ribbons and boxes. “That’s a very important part of the collection,” she said.

Out of her collection, Camuso said that her Goebel doll has the longest veil and her Barbie, most likely, has the longest train. All of the dolls are 19-26 inches in scale.

Camuso is a registered nurse by profession and has found that the frivolity and joy of weddings are a nice contrast to the demands of the hospital.

“I love anything wedding,” said Camuso, who starts baking cookies the minute she gets wind of an upcoming wedding.