October 13, 2024, Meeting

The club met at member Bette Birdsong's home, where she gave a program on French faux bamboo doll furniture. She explained that after trade opened with China and Japan in the 1860s, a style of furniture called “chinoiserie” that incorporated Asian motifs became popular in Europe. However, bamboo was too fragile for heavier European furniture, so companies began creating faux bamboo furniture using hardwoods. Doll furniture reflected this popular style throughout the 1800s. She displayed these examples from the collection of her sister, Lynda Eitel.

Bette said that the early faux bamboo doll furniture was high-end and often associated with French fashion 

dolls. Toy armoires, like this one, featured mirrored doors, as well as shelves for storing doll clothing and linen.

Night tables and dressing tables sometimes had marble tops. The night stand has a cabinet for secreting the chamberpot, while the dressing table features racks on the sides for holding towels.

The settee and chair have woven cane seats and the table folds up for storage,

Bette told the club that beds were the most expensive of such furniture, often outfitted with feather pillows and mattresses, as well as lace canopies. Lynda's bed has tiny metal casters and an arm for supporting a delicate canopy of lace or net. 

Sometimes pieces can be found with the maker’s label. Choumer and Collet began making making doll furniture in 1867 and later contracted with the American toy store FAO Schwarz. Faux bamboo doll furniture was exhibited at the 1900 Paris Exposition. 

Member Sharon Weintraub shared this French all-bisque doll by Fernand Sustrac, with ball-jointed elbows. Sustrac patented this doll in 1877. Sharon got the doll from a woman who had inherited the doll from her grandmother. The family spent time in France in the late 1800s and the woman assumed that the doll was probably purchased then. 

Bette displayed this Black character doll, attributed to the German firm of Bahr and Proschild. She said that the doll is on "permanent loan" from her sister, Lynda.

In honor of Halloween, member Elaine Jackson brought this cloth "gypsy" doll made in the 1970s by a local doll artist, Ann Lind. Elaine told the club that as a child she sometimes dressed up for Halloween as a gypsy woman wearing skirts, scarves, and jewelry borrowed from her mother's wardrobe.

September 8, 2024, Meeting

This month's meeting had a special guest, United Federation of Doll Clubs Region Three Director Karen Allen.  Members were asked to a bring a newly acquired doll or a doll with special meaning to them. This composition bride doll belongs to Myrna Loesch. She won her at a raffle in 2023 at a luncheon held by the Fort Worth doll club. The beautiful bride in Mary Ann by Madame Alexander and dates from the 1940s.  The dress is original, but Myrna made her veil.

Sylvia McDonald shared this handsome lad, made by German doll artist Käthe Kruse. He was the childhood doll of her great-aunt, who was born in 1902. Sylvia thinks her aunt received the doll around 1912. He still has his original box and a wardrobe of clothes, including this spiffy sailor suit.

Jan Irsefeld brought this stunning Cissy by Madame Alexander in her trunk filled with gorgeous gowns, all created by Jan.

This blond china head doll belonged to the collection of Pam Hardy's mother. She told the club that her mother kept the dolls packed away, allowing them to be seen only on New Year's Day. 

This terrific trio was created by Elaine McNally. The larger cloth doll is her interpretation of dolls made by Izannah Walker in the 1800s. The smaller pair are carved wood.

Also of wood is this Bébé Tout en Bois belonging to Elaine Jackson. Despite the French name, the dolls were made in Germany.

Sharon Weintraub shared two new acquisitions. This all-bisque cutie with an unusual swivel neck is by German doll maker Gebruder Heubach. She is faintly incised "Igodi" on her lower back; this was the trademark for this patented neck joint system invented by Johannes Gotthilf Dietrich.

This 11-inch tall doll is from the Dunaev factory in Russia, which used a head from Kammer and Reinhardt as a mold for its terracotta heads. The dolls were made beginning in the early 1900s and were dressed in detailed and authentic costumes representing different regions of Russia. This doll carries a label, "Made in Soviet Union," indicating that it was made following the 1922 Russian civil war. The factory was seized by the state in 1929 and doll production ended by 1937. His costume is all original, including his wonderful lapti shoes, woven from birch fiber. 

Nancy Countryman brought two well-loved dolls from her childhood.

She made the dress for this doll.

Ann Meir displayed this colorful quilt she had crafted,

Member Jenell Howell brought these two example of dolls created by Dewees Cochran for Effanbee. The one in the striped dress is all original.  

Bette Birdsong shared this wistful French doll by Jules Steiner. She is a Series C and her eyes open and close by a lever on the back of her head. 

This doll is modeled after "Wingy" Plenty, a character from the Dick Tracy cartoon strip.  Bette had a similar doll as a child.

Karen surprised the club with a door prize.  Sue Smith was the lucky winner of this appealing antique bisque baby doll.

 

August 11, 2024, Meeting

Members Jenell Howell and Myrna Loesch gave a report on the United Federation of Doll Clubs Convention, held July 23rd through the 27th in Kansas City, Missouri. 

Jenell's convention find was this dashing Puss in Boots by doll artist John Wright.

Myrna shared the convention souvenir doll, "Miss Unity" designed by Helen Kish,

this all-bisque reproduction doll by Darlene Lane from the Fourth of July Luncheon, 

this fashionable femme from the Doug James 1470 line with multiple detailed outfits and accessories (the doll is a James' interpretation of the antique Mold 1469 by German maker Simon and Halbig), and

this vintage composition Madame Alexander Madelaine Du Bain she found in the convention sales room.

Also in keeping with the convention's Wizard of Oz "There's no place like home" theme is this Connie Lowe doll dressed as Dorothy.

The 2025 convention will be in Norfolk, Virginia, home to the Barry Art Museum and its collection of dolls and automatons.

Member Sharon Weintraub shared her purchases from the sales room. The spotted dog is "Rag," an all-bisque dog designed by Georgene Averill, who joins his companion, "Tag," the white kitten already in her collection. The little antique china doll has a squeaker in its cloth torso.

Member Elaine Jackson displayed this souvenir doll, Rosita, from the 1984 convention in San Antonio. 

Member Sylvia McDonalds shared these two Käthe Kruse dolls from previous conventions. This is "Fritzel," a special limited edition doll made for the 2000 convention.

 

Gretel was made for the 2007 convention. She is stuffed with reindeer hair and is dressed in a traditional Austrian outfit.

Member Jan Irsfeld displayed this Madame Alexander Cissy doll in an elaborate equestrian outfit.

This vintage Cissy belongs to Member Pam Hardy. Jan made the dress and Myrna her shoes.

Member Elaine McNally shared this charming cherub.

July 14, 2024, Meeting

Elaine Jackson did a program on Black cloth dolls. She used as a reference the catalog for “No Longer Hidden,” an exhibit at the Harvard Historical Society museum in 2007. The dolls were from the collection of Pat Hatch and the exhibit and book were by Robin Campbell. 

Elaine noted that Black dolls have never been common. She explained that two factors made the development of Black cloth dolls possible, the production by cotton mills that made cotton fabric widely available and the invention of the sewing machine, which started to become commonplace in houses by the 1870s and made sewing clothing at home more convenient and affordable. Elaine said that subsequently bags of rags and fabric scraps became more common and could be used for everything from cleaning, creating rag rugs, to sewing cloth dolls. She explained that there few commercially made Black dolls, so many cloth Black dolls were made at home.  Elaine stated that Black cloth dolls can be broken down into three eras. The earliest dolls, 1870 to 1890, were one-of-a-kind creations and beautifully made. These dolls are well proportioned and dressed, and often have applied ears and noses, as well as inset eyes. They were stuffed with bran, hay, or horsehair. During the second period, 1890 to 1910, as the dolls because popular and as more people made them, the quality began to decline. Shoe button eyes were often used at this time. Finally in the third period, the dolls became simpler and cruder with less individuality. They were stuffed with lighter material, such as cotton. Patterns became available in magazines. In the 1930s through 1950s, there were patterns for making “Mammy” dolls using bottles or jars or as toaster covers. 

Elaine said that late in the first period to early in the second period, Julia Beecher created the Beecher babies, which had black stockinette faces with needle-sculpted features and eyes of black beads with the whites made from shell. This doll is an artist's interpretation of a Beecher baby.

Elaine told the club that this doll is probably one of the oldest in her collection. At one point she wore a bandana to cover her head.

This sweet set of sisters is from the 1920s or so. The blue dress and pinafore are original. The other doll has a pink replacement dress and a headdress made from a child's handkerchief.

This simple cloth doll was made as a craft project by students at Berea College in Kentucky. Elaine said that the college was founded in the 1850s as an integrated institution and that the students farmed and made crafts to pay their tuition. She stated that the school still has a craft store. This doll was created in the 1980s, but is based on an older pattern.

This is an example of a bottle doll. Magazines printed patterns for such dolls from the 1930s through the 1950s.

Her skirt hides a vintage bottle for rubbing alcohol.

Another bottle doll from Elaine's collection.

This little girl is made from a later pattern which formed a face with seam down each cheek. She was sold as a souvenir for New Orleans,

Elaine said that this doll was a gift from a friend. The doll was commercially created as a decorative item in the 1970s and resembles Beloved Belindy, a character from the Raggedly Ann book series, 

This is Heather Matilda Miranda McGee, a homemade rag doll Elaine found in an antique shop in the 1980s. She is wearing a baby dress from the 1930s.

This cloth doll is a souvenir from the Caribbean. In the 1950s, such handcrafted creations were replaced by plastic dolls.

Member Bette Birdsong shared this doll she found in an antique shop in the 1960s. She said the doll probably dates from the 1930s.

Member Sharon Weintraub displayed a cloth topsy-turvy doll patented by the American firm of Albert Bruckner in 1901, with a Black doll on one side and a white doll on the other. This felt doll was commercially made in Italy by one of the competitors to the famous Lenci factory, such as Magis or Eros.

Member Pam Hardy shared this rag doll from the 1920s.

This cloth and wood black bunny belongs to member Sylvia McDonald.

Member Jan Irsfeld shared this character doll of mathematician Katherine Johnson made by Mattel.

Member Kenneth Reeves displayed this cute cloth doll by the Canadian company of Bamboletta. He said that the Waldorf-style doll was custom made for his niece from natural materials. 

Member Myrna Loesch shared her new book on Cissy dolls created by Madame Alexander.

Member Jenell Howell displayed two dolls she acquired at the recent BJD convention in Austin. This doll is a one-of-a-kind 3D printed creation.

This wistful child is by artist Rose Bbflockling.