The Making of Leontine Heberlé
Clown Monsieur Musard & Mlle. Leontine Heberlé, from the ballet “Daphnis and Cephise,” dressed by young Princess Victoria. Color plate after an illustration by Alan Wright from Frances H. Low’s Queen Victoria’s Dolls, George Newness, London, 1894
When the United federation of Doll Clubs approached us and asked if we were up to the challenge of making a meal event doll, we immediately said yes and decided it would have to be the young dancer, Mlle. Leontine Heberlé.
This particular ballerina doll was fashioned after the famous young ballerina, Thérèse Heberlé, an Austrian dancer who had trained and performed since childhood with Friedrich Horschelt's world famous Viennese Kinderballett. She danced extensively in Italy during the 1820s and early 1830s. A rising star, she unfortunately met an early death at the young age of 34 in 1840.
Thérèse Héberlé circa 1830.
One of the few privileges afforded to Princess Victoria was attending the ballet and opera regularly where she would make notes on the various costumes worn, and she would sketch them once she returned to Kensington Palace. These drawings were then used to help design her dolls' outfits.
To the left is the doll from the collection that represents Therese Herbelé as she appeared as 'Leontine' in the ballet, 'Daphnis & Cephise' in 1832. To the right is Victoria's hand drawn sketch of the ballerina. According to the newspapers of the time, she looked very “handsome and attractive.” Mlle. Léontine was dressed by her royal majesty’s governess, Baroness Louise Lehzen.
We got busy with the making of our first meal event doll - 100 in total! Charlie began carving and painting his interpretation of the doll (some decisions are dealers’ choice he always remind me), and I got busy searching for the perfect lightweight silk organdy fabric and enlisting the help of some dear worker elves who helped me sew the numerous finer details.
Dolls waiting for the EIGHTH step in the process - the detailed painting of tiny little features.
One of Charlie’s artistic decisions was to paint tiny pink ballet slippers on our Victoria-inspired doll.
After six months and very few days off, our rendition was completed and the boxes were shipped to UFDC headquarters in Kansas City.
Head pieces drying overnight and waiting to be placed in their excelsior filled boxes.
This is our finished prototype doll of Leontine Heberlé, inspired by Queen Victorias’ doll.
The final product was very well-received by those who attended the UFDC dinner event “Victoria, the Timeless Queen.” Our speaker, Carol Cameron, did an inspiring presentation of the Queen’s dolls, and our event sponsor, the Charms of Charleston Doll Club decorated the room with a magical glow of candlelight and lithographed cardboard theaters.
Picture 1) The Pollock Theatres that decorated the room.
Picture 2) Our fabulous speaker Carol Cameron.
Picture 3) Our hard-working event chair, Catherine Peterson, and all of our charming table hostesses behind her.
