Member Elaine Jackson did a program on Norah Welling dolls. Elaine told the club that Wellings was born in England in 1893. She attended school until she was 14-years old, staying home to help her mother care for her father. Wellings took art courses by correspondence with the London School of Art and in 1919 took her art certificates and applied to the Chad Valley Company. She was hired as one of the company's chief doll designers. In 1926, Wellings left the company over a dispute with management. It was reported that she took and destroyed her designs so that Chad Valley could no longer use them.
Her brother Leonard helped Wellings set up the Norah Wellings Company, renting her space in the family's plastering firm. In 1929, Welling's company purchased an abandoned church and Leonard began working with his sister full-time; Elaine said that the company employed many of Wellings' family and friends. By 1930, the company had opened a showroom and office in London. In addition to dolls, the company also made animals, pajama and handkerchief cases, and tea cozies. After Leonard died in 1959, Wellings decided to retire, closing the factory and destroying all designs, tools, and unfinished dolls. She died in 1975.
Elaine explained how to identify Wellings dolls. Some carried a round paper tag. Other dolls have a stitched fabric label around the wrist or on the sole of the foot reading "Made in England by Norah Wellings." The faces are molded and hand painted, either on felt or, for the smaller later dolls, stockinette. Elaine said that the dolls never had composition or plastic faces. The ears are two layers of fabric, stitched around the edge.
This doll with a beautifully pieced felt dress is the model called Norene, produced from 1930 to 1959. She represents a Dutch girl. The red-haired girl in the center of the first picture is Norette, a series produced from 1934 through 1934 as child dolls. She does not have her original clothes.
This doll possibly represents a Dutch boy.
Wellings made a variety of character or novelty dolls, such as this Native American man. The dolls had stitched jointing and the clothes were sewn on the dolls as an integral part of the design. The admiral doll in the first picture, holding a British flag, is another example. The most common Wellings character doll is a sailor; the dolls were sold to cruise lines to stock as souvenirs and often carry the name of the ship or line on the hat band.
This style of doll is referred to as "Old English."
This doll is from a line called "Tiny Tot." Produced in the 1950s, the doll has a stockinette face and cotton limbs. The admiral doll stands behind her just to her right.
Member Jenell Howell brought this felt doll by the Italian firm of Lenci to compare with the Wellings felt dolls.
Member Nancy Countryman brought four dolls. Three of the dolls are by Madame Alexander; the two dolls in the front are Cissettes (the one in the gown is Cinderella), and largest doll is from the Little Women series with a Maggie face. The fourth doll in the red and black outfit is an unmarked composition girl.
Member Elaine McNally shared this charming wax over composition antique doll.
Guest Kenneth Reeves displayed two cloth dolls by the Canadian company of Bamboletta. He said that the Waldorf-style dolls are handmade of natural materials.
Member Pam Hardy told the club that this doll had been brought from Europe by a relative. She said that the doll stayed in such good condition because the children were not allowed to play with her. The label on the doll's skirt identifies her as being made by the Italian firm of Magis.
