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Page 34 The Antique Shoppe October, 2019
Dionne souvenirs were big
“SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE” business. If you couldn’t afford

Design Trends of the Mid-20th Century a trip to Canada, you could at
least buy a Dionne hankie, douse
yourself with Dionne perfume,
By Donald-Brian Johnson wash up with Dionne soaps, or sing
along to “Fifty Chubby Tiny Toes—
The Quintuplets’ Lullaby”. There
were Dionne picture books, Dionne
spoons, paper dolls, fans, calendars,
games, and dolls. Lots of dolls. The
most famous of these, designed by
Madame Alexander, jumpstarted
her dollmaking career. Advertising Picture books featuring the Dionne
Quintuplets were issued at least annually.
This one covers “their first two years”.

endorsements ranged from Karo
Perhaps the most popular photo of the Dionnes, dating from 1935. This Newspaper Syrup to Palmolive Soap.
Enterprises Association photo could be purchased at Papa Dionne’s souvenir stand. Since so many Dionne collectibles
were produced, they remain

This Month’s Feature— remarkably affordable. Most sell
for well under $50, except for those
“FIVE OF A KIND: The Dionne Quintuplets” Madame Alexander dolls, still a
pricey $300-plus/set.
In the 1930s, Shirley Temple was America’s sweetheart. Ah, but there was Shortly before their 10th birthday,
only one Shirley. There were five Dionnes. the quints were reunited with the rest
Just over 85 years ago, on May 28, 1934, the Dionne sisters, the first—and of the family. Papa Dionne built a
so far, only—set of identical quintuplets, were born in Canada. In this day of $75,000 mansion, with funds from
advanced fertility treatments, multiple births are nothing to get goggle-eyed Let’s Play House with the Dionne Quints the girls’ varied endorsements. The
over. In the 1930s, the odds were one in 57 million. The “five most adorable was a 5-book paper doll series. This reunion was not a happy one. By the
little girls in the world” made headlines. one features Annette. time the Dionne Quintuplets turned
Cécile, Marie, Yvonne, Emilie, and Annette Dionne first saw light A 9” souvenir Dionne 20, their “novelty” appeal had largely
in a ramshackle farmhouse near Corbeil, Ontario. Their mother, Quintuplets faded. Following Emilie’s death in
Elzire, had already given birth to six children. She was just plate, issued by 1954 from an unattended epileptic
25. Their father, Oliva, with whom the quints had a turbulent Canadian Art seizure, the sisters became estranged
relationship, was. . .well, as he remarked in an early news China, Ltd., of from their parents. Today, only Annette
report, “I’m the kind of fellow they should put in jail.” Collingwood, and Cécile survive, and rarely emerge
The initial survival of the Dionnes was credited to “the Ontario. from self-imposed seclusion.
country doctor” who delivered them, Dr. Allan Dafoe. The In a 1964 McCall’s article, the
quints weighed in at just 10 pounds, 1-1/4 ounces—total. sisters wrote, “quintuplets seem to
Dafoe was so uncertain of their fate that he baptized them bring out the best and the worst in people.” The
before the arrival of the parish priest. Dionnes lived through the worst. The best? The
Oliva Dionne quickly explored his options. Within image of youthful joy they conveyed, which cheered
three days of their arrival, he’d agreed to exhibit his a Depression-weary age. As one devotee put it, “the
daughters at the Chicago World’s Fair for $250 a world never ceases to marvel at the phenomenon, and
week (plus 23% of ticket receipts, if all lived.) affectionately admire the charming reality of the five most
At that point, the government of Canada winsome members of its teeming population.”
stepped in. A court order prohibited Papa Dionne
from exposing his daughters to “certain death Dionne memorabilia courtesy of Joyce Cramer. Photo Associate: Hank Kuhlmann
Donald-Brian Johnson is the co-author of numerous books on design and collectibles,
in some vaudeville show”, and appointed including “Postwar Pop”, a collection of his columns. Please address inquiries to:
guardians. With their parents sidelined, the donaldbrian@msn.com
Dionnes were on their way to worldwide
celebrity.
The “Dafoe Hospital” was built near the family
farmhouse. There, the sisters took up residence
in a communal crib. As the girls grew, they were
photographed constantly, in staged replications of Why Palmolive Soap? According
to Dr. Dafoe’s statement on this
their daily lives: toasting with glasses of milk on promotional button, the Dionne
their birthday; peering through heart-shaped cutouts babies were bathed with olive oil to
on Valentine’s Day: pulling the beard of Dr. “Santa” protect their sensitive skin.
Dafoe on Christmas. Hollywood came calling, and Next step: Palmolive Soap!
the quints starred in three films loosely based on their
lives, beginning with The Country Doctor in 1936.
And, there were the visitors. Each summer brought over 100,000 guests to
“Quintland”. Upon arrival, the curious could view the quints at morning and
afternoon “showings” through one-way, soundproof glass. Meanwhile, outside
his farmhouse Papa Dionne ran a souvenir stand, complete with personally
autographed “fertility stones”. “Queens of the Kitchen”, a 1946 calendar illustration by Andrew Loomis.