December 14, 2025, Meeting

The meeting was the club's holiday party as well, held at Jan Irsfeld's beautiful home.  Several members brought dolls to share in the festivities. Jenell Howell displayed this serene Sasha doll in her new nutcracker-themed Christmas outfit made by a friend, complete with her own mouse king, nutcracker, Christmas tree, and crown. 

Also appropriate for the holiday theme are these two composition Santas brought by Myrna Loesch. The pair were made by the American firm Freundlich Novelty Dolls between 1929 and 1945. This Santa wears his original, if faded, outfit and and his bag of toys contained a clipping from a Jacksonville, Illinois, newspaper dated December 22, 1948. The jolly old elf has brown painted eyes and is jointed at the neck, shoulders, and hips

Myrna replaced this second Santa's faded grab with a bright red suit. He has blue painted eyes and is jointed only at the neck and shoulders.

Kenneth Reeves explained that to him the holidays brings up images of Charles Dickens and Victorian festivities.  This lovely porcelain lady doll dressed in Victorian winter finery was produced in 2020 by Fingerhut. Kenneth has named her Fannie Dickinson Burnett in honor of Charles Dickens’s older sister. 

He also shared this porcelain doll, representing Tiny Tim from the Dickens classic A Christmas Carol, produced by the House of Lloyds. Kenneth noted that Fannie had a son, Henry, who was a sickly child and it is speculated that he was the inspiration for Tiny Tim. He told the club that he always displays these two dolls together. 

 

For a more modern take on holiday cheer, Kenneth brought this American Girl doll from the Truly Me – Street Chic line. He said that he named this doll Violet and she is garbed in her best purple and gold Christmas attire. 

Jan shared her Pompadour Winter Cissy by Madame Alexander. She noted that she did not like the original outfit, so she made her own lavishly-beaded gown

Pam Hardy brought this charming child by the German firm of Schoenau and Hoffmeister that was purchased by her mother in San Francisco in the 1940s. Pam stated this is one of the few dolls left from her mother’s collection as the others, which were packed in a suitcase, had been accidentally donated to the Salvation Army.  The doll still had her original tag attached to her chemise identifying her as "My Darling."

Thanks to Ann Meier for the pictures and Myrna for the information about the dolls!