The following images of paper dolls were illustrated by the mixed media artist Annemaree Rae for the book Paper Dolls: Stories of Women Who Served.
Paper Dolls resulted from a collaboration between Rae, artist Pam DeLuco, and Shotwell Paper Mill. In an article about the book, the Huffington Post reported:
Using accurate depictions of U.S. military uniforms, [the] Paper Dolls series explores the lives of women in the armed forces. From a helicopter door gunner in Iraq to a trumpeter to an officer in Operation Desert Storm, the collection of handmade outfits provides a glimpse into women’s real life military stories—in the form of two-dimensional paper figures. . . .
With one paper model and an array of regalia including footwear, fatigues, hats and suits, the updated paper doll collection pays homage to the diversity of females working in the armed forces while drawing their stories together in one striking tribute. Recounting everything from boot camp to retirement, some women lament the strict skirt-and-heels dress code of their time in the services, as well as the gender-based expectations that came with them, while others speak of breaking boundaries in their fields of combat.
Surveying over four decades of women in the military, Paper Dolls is not only a feat of screen-printing, but an impressive anthology of modern day veterans.
The paper dolls are based on real veterans and active duty personnel who were invited to participate in the book's production at Shotwell Paper Mill. The paper for the book was handmade from military uniforms, and great attention has been paid to the rank insignia and buttons depicted on the uniforms.
Works of art:
