November 12, 2023, Meeting

Member Sharon Weintraub did a program on Black all-bisque dolls. She explained the French and German companies, and later Japanese makers, created Black all-bisque dolls, although in far smaller numbers than white dolls. While sometimes a Black all-bisque doll was made in same mold as a white doll and simply tinted brown, companies also created these dolls with ethnic features. In most cases the dolls were not made expressly for Black children. Many were garbed in ethnic costumes representing French or German colonies or were dressed as servants or entertainers. This example by Simon and Halbig is incised 836 and is a standard mold tinted with a brown complexion. She has bare feet and wears her original bathing costume. The diminutive doll she holds is a French doll known as a Liliputien. Just 2.75 inches high, she  has a swivel neck with a molded loop and has peg-jointed arms and legs. These Les Liliputiens came in a wide variety of costumes; although the white versions generally wore painted light blue boots, the Black dolls were barefoot.

Sharon next discussed the Black all-bisque dolls by the German company Gebruder Kuhnlenz. She said the these dolls have appealing ethnic features with full lips and prominent lower faces. The complexions vary from brown to deep black, the dolls do not have painted lashes, and are barefoot. This pair in their original box wear the costumes of cakewalk dancers.  Inside one of the sections in the box is written in pencil "From Grace to Sadie Newell Christmas 1889." 

Three more dolls by Kuhnlenz. The red and yellow outfit is a copy of an original costume worn by a Black Kuhnlenz doll.

Sharon displayed these examples of Black all-bisque dolls attributed to the German company J.D. Kestner.  The two girl dolls have swivel necks. The one in the red gingham dress has a closed mouth while the one in blue has an open mouth with tiny inset teeth. The standing boy in the molded rompers has loop-jointed arms. All of the dolls have bare feet.

This is a frozen version of the boy in the molded outfit. 

Sharon said that the firm of Hertwig and Company made a wide variety of Black all-bisque dolls. The tallest doll in the "grass" skirt is painted bisque. Next to her is a tiny immobile figure of a Black man in a yellow top hat; he is part of a family of miniature Black figures. Behind him are two cute character dolls in their original matching ribbon outfits. In the back row are two more examples of German Black all-bisque does by unknown German companies. The one in the molded outfit and "straw" hat is wire-jointed. The doll next to him in a molded turban wears his original Middle-Eastern outfit. 

Sharon then shared examples of French Black all-bisque dolls. The one in the red and white outfit is marked on the back of her swivel neck with the "F.G." in a scroll mark of Francois Gauthier. Her all-original outfit may represent one of France's Caribbean colonies. She was made using a typical all-bisque mignonnette doll mold and has molded boots. The two little dolls are more examples of Liliputiens  and wear their original clothing.

Sharon explained that when German goods were embargoed during WWI, Japanese companies entered the bisque doll market, often directly copying German dolls. This example of a Japanese Black all-bisque doll may be early, because the modeling and decoration are of higher quality than is typically found on these Japanese products. The doll has unusual "snow" hair created with bits of ground bisque. 

Member Bette Birdsong brought several examples of Black all-bisque dolls. This tiny bare-foot example is by Simon and Halbig.

These are more typical examples of Japanese dolls. They are often referred to as "Topsy" because of the tiny pigtails inserted into their scalps. Such dolls were often sold in five and dime stores in the United States. Copies of these dolls with extremely black shiny complexions began being produced in China in the 1980s.  

A variety of itty-bitty Black babies ride in a tiny tin car. The one in red is an all-bisque doll and the other two are seated figurines (the one in the back is eating a watermelon slice). These seated figurines are often found attached to miniature cotton bales and were sold as souvenirs throughout the South.

Member Pam Hardy shared this black cloth doll with an embroidered face. It appears to be a commercially produced doll from the 1940s.

Member Jenell Howell brought these two tiny Liliputiens.

She also shared this stunning wooden Schoenhut doll.

 

Rare Taufling Restored

 At the our July 9, 2023, meeting, member Elaine McNally gave a wonderful program on so-called Motschmann or taufling dolls.  One of the dolls shared at the meeting was this scarce china version with inset glass eyes belonging to member Sharon Weintraub. This poor little guy was waiting to be restored, but the squeak box in his torso still worked. 

At the 2023 United Federation of Doll Clubs convention in Bellevue, Washington, Sharon found a damaged antique taufling body that was missing the head, but had intact arms and pelvis. Even more serendipitous, the parts were a perfect match to her doll. Here is the now fully restored doll.

Although unmarked, the head resembles the rare glass-eyed china head dolls made by the German company of Kloster Veilsdorf. 

October 8, 2023, Meeting

Member Kenneth Reeves did the program on Ginny  and other Vogue dolls. He explained that in 1922 Jennie Adler Graves opened the Ye Olde Vogue Doll Shoppe. She began by dressing dolls imported from Europe and by 1925, Graves had to hire an additional seamstress, as well as home workers. In 1937, she purchased composition Toddles dolls from  from Arranbee Doll Company. Her daughter, Virginia, joined the company in 1942 (she would take over the company from her mother in the 1960s) and in 1945 Vogue Dolls was incorporated. The company moved to hard plastic in 1946. In 1948, Graves introduced an 8-inch hard plastic doll. The doll was so popular that Graves designed her own version, christening her creation "Ginny," after her daughter, Virginia. Ginny originally had painted side-glancing eyes with sleeping eyes introduced in 1950. The early dolls had painted lashes, with molded lashes introduced in 1955. In 1954, "walking" dolls became popular, with the head turning from side to side as the dolls legs were moved. Kenneth said that Vogue focused on doll fashions. 

Kenneth shared these two early Vogue dolls with painted side-glancing eyes. The girl in the bonnet is Little Bo Peep. 

The doll in the striped dress is a bent-knee walker, introduced in 1957. 

Kenneth said that in 1957, Vogue began creating a family for Ginny. Jill (floral gown) was Ginny's big sister. Jan (doll in polka dot dress), was Jill's best friend and made for one year in 1959. 

Jeff was Ginny's big brother.

Vogue brought back Jill in 1962 in vinyl and reintroduced her again in 1965, dressing her in historic eras. The doll in the floral bonnet and blouse and blue skirt is Jill as "Frontier Days."

Kenneth explained that Vogue acquired Arranbee (R & B) and used used the R & B molds for Littlest Angel until Vogue redesigned the doll in 1964. He stated that the girl in the white dress with tiny pink flowers was made by R & B in the mid 1950s. The chubby-cheeked cutie in the pink dress was made by Vogue in 1963, the last year Vogue used the R & B mold.  The redhead at the end of the front row is Li'l Imp made by Vogue in 1959 and 1960, using the R&B Littlest Angel mold. The charming child in bright yellow in the center is the Vogue version of Littlest Angel and the doll in the blue and white print dress and big pink bow is Vogue's Lil' Lovable Imp. Kenneth stated that Vogue reintroduced Littlest Angel in 11-inch and 15-inch sizes (the brunette in the back row in the red and white outfit is 15-inch example). The smaller size was discontinued in 1975 and the 15-inch version in 1980. The curly-headed blond with the character face in the back row is Brikette

Kenneth explained that in 1972 Vogue was sold to Tonka Toy Company and in 1977 Lesney took over the Vogue Ginny name. In the 1980s, R. Dakin & Company bought out the Ginny and Vogue names.

He told the club that Ginny was introduced in the 1970s as an international doll. The doll in green represents Ireland. The baby doll in pink is Ginnette

In 1970s, Kenneth said that Miss Ginny was introduced. This example is pretty in purple.

Members shared their Ginny and Vogue dolls as well. The cowgirl belongs to Elaine Jackson. She was made as a souvenir for a United Federation of Doll Clubs convention. The Ginny in the blue dress with the blond "pixie cut" belongs to member Myrna Loesch.

Myrna also displayed these two hard plastic Jill dolls from 1957-1960 in detailed "mommy-made" outfits.

This little Ginny on roller skates belongs to member Bette Birdsong. . . .

as does the darling doll in the colorful felt dress.

This is a childhood doll of member Elaine McNally. The photograph shows a young Elaine with her doll. 

Member Jenell Howell brought several examples of vintage Vogue dolls. The twins in the front row garbed in blue and white gingham are Toddles.

A Jill babysits two of Jenell's Ginny dolls.

This is Jennie Southern Belle from 1943 to 1944.

This curly haired cutie from the 1950s is from Vogue's Crib Crowd.  The Crib Crowd dolls use the standard Ginny head, but have curved baby legs.

Graves began by creating outfits and trousseaus for imported dolls, like this "Just Me," a googly-eyed character doll by the German maker Armand Marseille. This 9-inch tall example belongs to member Sharon Weintraub.  Although the doll has her original dress, shoes, and socks, they do not carry the "Vogue" tag.

 

No Doll Show on October 7th!

Some events websites have posted a listing stating that our club is having a doll show on October 7, 2023. We are NOT having a doll show. Some of these sites, to fill their calendars and attract readers and ad revenue, take past event listings, update them, and post them without authorization. We have tried to have these listings removed, but it is not easy. In some cases, there is no way to even contact the website. Again, there is NO doll show on October 7th.

September 10, 2023, Meeting

 Member Elaine Jackson did a program on Edith Flack Ackley, an author and doll artist. Elaine noted that cloth dolls were often the first dolls given to children. She said that from the 1920s through the 1940s, many stay-at-home mothers began making and selling cloth dolls. This was a thriving industry, but many of these dolls were later discarded after they became worn or dirty from play. During this era, Ackley published books with patterns and instructions for making puppets and dolls. Elaine noted that in 1939, "Woman's Home Companion" magazine published doll patterns and other women's magazines followed suit, as well as offering kits.

Elaine told the club that Ackley was born in 1887 and grew up in an artistic family. Her father owned a paint store and both her mother and sister wrote children's books. Ackley's first husband, Floyd Ackley, was a jewelry designer. Their daughter, Telka, was born in 1918. After Floyd died, Ackley needed a way to support herself and Telka. She had been making marionettes and putting on puppet shows for years, so in 1929 she published her first book, Marionettes. The book included patterns for making cloth puppets in a pocket in the back of the book, as well as plays. Ackley in the 1930s also made marionettes for store displays. In 1938, she published her second book, Dolls to Make for Fun and Profit, and the following year she published A Doll Shop of Your Own. Ackley also created paper dolls and greeting cards, as well as making and selling her own dolls. She created an estimated 3,500 over her career, but except for some very rare examples carrying a ribbon with her name, Ackley's dolls are not marked. Telka became and artist and illustrator, painting still life images that included her mother's dolls, and these paintings were used for creating greeting cards. Ackley died in 1970. 

This is an example of a marionette made from an Ackley pattern.

Elaine described some of the characteristics of a doll made using an Ackley pattern. The dolls had side seams and a flat face with embroidered eyes made with horizontal stitches and no nose. The toes of the feet pointed down unless they were stitched up and there were no fingers. The dolls were stuffed through the top of the head and Ackley recommended placing a stick or nail inside the head and neck to keep the head from flopping. The clothes were typically stitched closed, as Ackley did not mention buttons or snaps. Because these dolls were handmade by many different people, there are a lot of charming variations.

This cowboy was created by a woman in Austin.

Elaine found this little Native American doll at member Jenell Howell's house, where it was being used as a cat toy!

Ackley issued a pattern for this clown doll.

This is a version made by Elaine. The circus-print fabric for his outfit is from a 1940s crib pad.

This doll was made by dolly artist Lucy Geist in New York, who used Ackley patterns to create her own dolls. 

Member Sylvia McDonald displayed dolls made by her and her family members. 

This doll was made by her great-aunt.

Jenell shared this cloth doll from the 1940s. She has an expressive face and stitched fingers.

Member Kenneth Reeves displayed this cute cloth doll by the Canadian company of Bamboletta. He said that the Waldorf-style dolls is handmade of natural materials. 

Myrna Loesch brought this cloth doll by doll artist Susan Fosnot that was made as a souvenir doll for the 2014 United Federation of Doll Clubs convention.

Member Nancy Countryman shared a wide variety of cloth dolls from her collection, including two original Cabbage Patch dolls, Bevo, the University of Texas longhorn mascot, and

Miss Piggy of Muppets fame