The Trailer Family

The Trailer Family cutouts doll book was published by The Saalfield Publishing Company in 1938, identified as #2169. It was designed by Dotty Doivns. It came to me new and uncut, and not too fragile for its 88 years....until I started putting it together. 

THE TRAILER FAMILY

 

INSTRUCTIONS: Cut out the Trailer Family. Bend out each base at the ankles. Paste the fronts and backs of the figures together. Paste the bases together where they overlap.

When I folded them together, the sides did not match. I separated the 2 sides and trimed the back side so the edges wouldn't show from the front. I then lightly glued back to front and created the stand.

While being cut out, the cat ended up losing an ear and the tip of his tail.

They are a handsome family....from the front!

BUILT-IN FURNITURE FOR THE TRAILER

INSTRUCTIONS:  Cut out, and fold on all the dotted lines. Paste the numbered tabs on the corresponding numbers.

There were 2 pages of furniture for the interior of the trailer.

Furniture folded in shape and ready to be installed in the trailer....one bench seat didn't make it into the picture.

THE TRAILER

INSTRUCTIONS: Cut out the trailer from this color side. Cut along the solid black lines around three sides of the door. Fold back along the dotted line. Cut the slits beside the windows as marked. Cut slits 1, 2, 3, and B. Paste the pieces of cellophane on the windows if you want them to look like glass. Now fold along all dotted lines. (no cellophane was included.)

The interior was rather drab compared to the brightly colored furniture.  

I used colored pencils to add a touch of color before pasting the furniture inside.

These 3 pictures show where the appliances and furniture were to be placed.

INSTRUCTIONS:  Put the furniture inside before your fasten the trailer together.

Furniture installed.

Window box, awnings, trailor hitch....

and the trailer top.

INSTRUCTIONS:  Put tab 1 in slit 1, tab 2 in slit 2, and tab 3 in slit 3. The two ends of the tabs should be folded before inserting in the slits, then unfolded. Paste tabs on side and bottom.  

Easy peasy? No. It just did not work that way. The 88 year old card paper was fragile and folds tore easily and tabs, once folded, tended to fall off. The design was "tab and slot" but was helped along with 21st century scotch tape, glue stick and super glue. I never decided if there was a flaw in the construction design, or if there was a flaw in the 81 year old model maker. 

Trailer is fastened together with the top in place,

the awnings in place and the window box on the back of the trailer.

The interior of the trailer.... 

starting with the door on the right side.....

the cupboard/icebox, stove and seat for the table....

the table and two seats at the back of the trailer....

the seat, sink (tight squeeze)  and wardrobe....

unattached chair beside the studio couch at the front of the trailer.

Installation of the studio couch almost ended up with this adorable little trailer tossed in the dustbin. 

Interior looking at the right side of the trailer,

interior looking at the left side of the trailer,

interior looking from the top of the trailer. Yes, it has a wonky side, but I forced the top on it without a problem.

TRAILER FAMILY CAR

INSTRUCTIONS:  Cut out the car, and cut slit A at the back. Fold in on dotted lines. Paste tabs 1, 2, 3, and 4 inside the radiator, and tabs 5 and 6 inside the back of the car. 

Here is the pattern for the car. Feel free to copy and make one for yourself. "It will be fun," she said. 

It did turn out nice and did not come as close to going into the dustbin as the trailer did.

Big, safe 1938 automobile. They were made of steel, no plastic bumpers on these babes. Can you imagine driving this beast without power steering?

And away we go!

Hope the awnings stay on...

and the window box doesn't fall off.

So long and have a safe trip to the Trailer family.