“Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.”
— C.S. Lewis
Paper scraps originated in Germany around the early 19th-century as decorations for birthday cakes and confirmation wafers. These embossed lithographs usually depicted angels in long flowing robes or resting on fluffy clouds or rosy-cheeked girls’ faces. These scraps or paper dolls proved very popular and were soon used to decorate greeting cards, letters, and personal mementos.
This trend continued with scraps sent as Valentines or used as Christmas decorations. By the 1930s, scraps were collectible toys for most young children who decorated scrapbooks, boxes, and gifts with images of fairies, puppies, cats, or butterflies. Original Victorian scraps cost pennies to buy but can now make hundreds at auction.
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