Like Peynet's drawings, the dolls had a very simple, naive quality. Measuring about 20 centimetres, they were made from foam, with metal wires in their arms and legs allowing them to pose. Their hair was glued and sewed on, and their facial paint was very stylised - with just two black dots for eyes, a little mouth, and painted on shoes. They were sold in pink and white striped boxes with a clear plastic lid, either singly, or as a couple (often in wedding clothes, accompanied by a trademark white metal chair).
Over 200 different Peynet dolls were sold during the 1950s and 1960s. The dolls were themed, wearing outfits that were often highly fashionable and up-to-the-minute. Clothing was sewn on, and almost every doll came with a range of clever accessories (hats, umbrellas, bags, books, glasses...).
Today, Peynet's work is still collected avidly (in Japan, there is even a statue of his lovers in Tokyo), meaning that the dolls have become very sought after. Unfortunately, they were not designed to last, and the foam they are made from is highly perishable. Extremities, such as hands, feet and even noses, are often missing, whilst the foam around the wires hardens and cracks, making it almost impossible to pose the dolls or remove them from the twisted positions they are often found in. The skin colour can also darken with age. The saddest example I found had turned completely black, and was oozing a sticky substance. This is a problem that happens with all foam toys, but it can be slowed down by proper storage, away from heat and sunlight.
Because the original dolls are so hard to come by in good condition, collectors were delighted when the French company, Massport, reintroduced three dolls for Valentine's Day 1997. These were the classic wedding couple, and two single dolls, Starlett and Miss Twist. Based on Brigitte Bardot, Starlett was dressed in a lace trimmed, pink and white gingham dress, with a white headscarf, white lace up shoes and hinged white sunglasses that bear more than a passing resemblance to Barbie's famous early Cat's Eyes. (If only Mattel could have reproduced them so accurately...). Miss Twist wore a black scoop necked top and record-print skirt, ideal for doing The Twist in.
According to Massport, these dolls were made from a different type of material which, unlike that of the early dolls, would not perish. They were packaged in reproductions of the pink and white striped boxes the originals came in (these look really good next to early Barbie clothes boxes), and were sold at very reasonable prices, starting at around £12 for the single dolls, with the wedding sets selling for around £20.
The 1998 collection expanded to include three more dolls. Parisienne wore a black and white gingham sundress, trimmed with lace, a pink felt cloche hat, heart shaped choker and white lace up shoes, and carries a white 'Paris' bucket bag and elegant (closed) parasol. Opera wore a sheer white embroidered gown and a single stranded pearl necklace. Accessories include her opera programme, glasses, and a cream rose for her hair. Slightly less glamourous (but still interesting...) was L'Avocat, dressed in a black legal gown. All these dolls (and the 1997 range) were available with blonde or chesnut hair.
Although the 1998 range included a card in the box inviting buyers to nominate their favourite dolls for future reproductions, and there was a competition to design a doll for the year 2000, this was the last range I saw in the shops (if anyone has seen them since, please let me know, I would love to be proved wrong!). As recently as last year, you could still find at least some of the range in French department stores (with the exception of Miss Twist who I saw once in 1997 and could never find again).
Peynet dolls were not really made as fashion dolls, yet their clothes, hairstyles and packaging capture the mood and style of the 1950s perfectly. Whilst many companies have tried unsuccessfully to reproduce classic dolls from this era, Massport's reproductions must be amongst the most sympathetic and authentic I have seen, and they are definitely worth looking out for if you ever happen to be in France.
