Despina Pappa-Paschalidou

Her father, Georgios Pappas, was a merchant from the island of Chios and owner of one of the biggest shops in Constantinople (Galata), founded in 1852, which sold felt and fabric.

In 1922 the Paschalidis family moved from Constantinople (Istanbul) to Bulgaria (Varna), then to Thessaloniki and finally to Athens in 1925, where they settled permanently, and at this point most likely began Despina Paschalidou's motivation for financial independence.

Despina's inspiration derived from everyday people of Athens’ life such as a tavern boy, a shoemaker, a baker, etc.

Often her dolls would illustrate comical and funny features of people, such as the “Menidiatis”, holding a spit of meat, and the “Delapatridis”.

[1] In 1934, Despina Paschalidou, now a prominent doll maker, decided to create a workshop in her house and eventually hired ten women, all of them refugees from Asia Minor, to work for her business.

After the production and trade of dolls, Despina Paschalidou turned to writing down and illustrating the tales from Constantinople that her aunt, Chariklia Pappa, used to tell her as a child.

Privately she continued making dolls, put on puppet shows with her grandchildren, painted, and noted recipes and traditions of her home country.