August 9, 2026, Meeting

The meeting focused on the recent United Federation of Doll Clubs (UFDC) convention in New Orleans. Members who attended the convention shared some of the treasures they brought home. 

Jenell Howell brought these two beauties. The doll in the box is from a luncheon event and is Starlisse by Robert Tonner. The cloth doll she found at the Original Doll Artists Council of America (ODACA) exhibit and was created by Deanna Hogan of Blue Heron Dolls.

This dainty damsel is an all original all-bisque doll made by the German firm of Simon and Halbig for the French market. Jenell won her at the Theriault's auction, held in conjunction with the convention.

The Doll Dreamers Market was another doll show held at a nearby hotel. There Jenell discovered these two early mohair kittens by the German company Steiff.

While there, she also purchased this early closed-mouth doll by the German Company J.D. Kestner. The mold number is 189.

This reproduction French type all-bisque was created by doll artist Darlene Lane and was the souvenir doll for the luncheon event "High Tea with Rosalie."

Another luncheon souvenir is Beltha by Ruby Red Galleria.

Both Jenell and Myrna Loesch brought home this delightful diminutive doll and trunk by artist Maggie Iacono.

Myrna won this elegant Gene doll at a doll bingo event. 

Both Jenell and Myrna shared their bargains from the UFDC boutique, which offered for sale hundreds of dolls donated to the UFDC for fundraising, with the prices being discounted throughout the week.  This lithe lady is Vita by Horsman.

An all original composition Princess Elizabeth by Madame Alexander.

Also by Alexander is this composition bride in her original bridal attire.

Jenell loves the character of Alice in Wonderland and she found two composition examples by Alexander. 

Three adorable eight-inch children; the seated sweetie in a romper is Quiz-kin by Alexander. There are buttons on the back that allow the doll or nod or shake its head.  

Sharon Weintraub shared her single purchase at the convention, this black Jumeau 1907 model, Size 1. Sharon noted that the style of her clothing precedes the doll by a couple of decades, but the frilly frock is beautifully sewn out of antique materials and perfectly suits the little doll.

Members who did not attend the convention shared some of their dolls. Kenneth Reeves brought this doll by artist Susan Wakeen. Her dress is original, although Kennth added the tights and hair bow.

This is his 15-inch Miss Revlon by Ideal Toy Corporation. She wears an outfit made by a friend of his.

David Craig shared this doll from Integrity Toys, which had traveled with him on a recent trip to Portugal. He noted that her dress closely matched those he saw being worn by Portuguese women. 

Nancy Countryman brought this Nancy Ann Storybook Doll in her original box. Nancy Ann Abbott began her company in 1936, but this doll with a vinyl head and rooted wig is probably the last of the famed Storybook line, made sometime in the late 1950s to the mid-1960s.

 

January 11, 2026, Meeting

Pam Hardy gave a program on baby dolls. She told the club that she has loved baby dolls since she was four years old. Pam displayed her "last" doll, a Babeside Reborn Baby that was her Christmas present.

Another baby from her collection is this bisque-head Bye-Lo baby, designed by American artist Grace Storey Putnam in the 1920s. Pam said that she had long wanted a Bye-lo baby, but was waiting for one in excellent condition with its original button. She finally found this beautiful babe.

Pam Hardy brought this porcelain doll by artist Donna Rupert. . . 

. . . as well as this vinyl doll by Effanbee named Lisa.

This composition baby was a gift to Pam. It is believed to have been made by Arranbee.

Another early doll from Pam's collection, this all bisque baby is by the German firm of Hertwig and Company and has its original clothing.

Kenneth Reeves brought this composition "Mama" doll (so named because the sound box in her cloth body once said "Mama" when the doll was moved) and a Baby Ginny in a bright bathing suit.

His doll in the yellow outfit is also a Ginny while the tot in purple is an unmarked drink and wet doll. The boy in the white jacket was made by Italo Cremona. Kenneth told the club that he bought this doll because it resembled one that his brother had received as a child.

Elaine Jackson shared a trio of all-wooden Schoenhut dolls. She told the club that Harry Schoenhut had designed the baby head in 1911 and the company used this head until it went out of business in 1935. This doll is a walking model.

The doll in white wears a dress made by Elaine's mother in the 1940s. The boy has an open mouth with metal teeth and sleep eyes. Elaine told the club that this was an attempt by Schoenhut to compete with popular composition dolls and was among the last of the dolls produced by the company.

Sharon Weintraub display this bevy of all-bisque babies. The largest doll is by J.D. Kestner. It has the plump bent limb body first introduced by Kammer and Reinhardt in 1909. On its lap is an all-original Bye-lo Baby. Sharon told the club that the Bye-lo was so poplar that it was called the "million dollar baby" and was made in a wide variety of sizes, including little all-bisque dolls like this one. The happy toddler in pink is "Bonnie Babe" designed by artist Georgene Averill in the 1920s.

These two bisque-headed babies on composition bodies are also from Sharon's collection. The smiling Black doll is by the German company of Heubach Kopplesdorf and was marketed as "South Seas Baby." The other doll is "Hanna" by Schoenau & Hoffmeister. Both wear their original outfits with "grass" skirts..

Myrna Loesch brought two vintage drink and wet babies by Madame Alexander, This is Baby Wendykins.

Also pretty in pink is the 1957 Little Genuis.

This trio of adorable infants were Myrna's childhood dolls. They are by American Character.  This is Tiny Tears from 1959 to 1960.

This doll is another Tiny Tears,  from 1963 to 1964.

Myrna told the club that this doll is from the Toodles line. 

She also shared this all-original Teenie Toodles by the same company.

David Craig shared this fully-articulated doll by Ruby Red Galleria. 

Sylvia McDonald brought this doll that she received when she was seven years old. The doll has a "magic skin" body made of latex that was advertised as feeling like real skin, but Sylvia noted that this material darkened and deteriorated over the years. She made this doll a body suit to try to preserve it.

Sylvia brought a batch of babies. The brunette in the back is Thumbkin by Effanbee. The babe in the bonnet is an unmarked composition copy of the famous Madame Alexander Dionne Quintuplet doll and the bisque-headed baby in the sweater is mold number 750 was made by the German company of Armand Marseille.

Also shared by Sylvia is the composition baby in the print dress; it has tin sleeping eyes and is circa 1919. In front is Baby Thumbelina by the Ideal Doll Company.

Ann Meier displayed this porcelain-headed baby. The head turns, displaying different faces.

This big German bisque-headed baby brought by Better Birdsong has quite a background story. Bette told the club that when she was in college she traveled by plane to Paris with her mother and sister. There she bought this doll in an antique shop and it flew home with her on her lap. Her doll collection was at her parent's home when the house caught fire, but this baby survived, although her composition body was covered with soot and her hair had been singed.

Nancy Countryman could not recall where she got this baby doll, but has had it since 1977.

Nancy also brought this selection of doll fashions, still in their original packaging.

 

August 5, 2019, Meeting

 Members Jenell Howell and Myrna Loesch gave a presentation on their adventures at the United Federation of Doll Clubs 70th Annual convention in Nashville, Tennessee, which took place from July 23rd through the 27th.  The convention theme was "Starstruck."

This is the convention souvenir doll, Little Miss Star Struck, a felt character doll created by doll artisan R. John Wright.

They displayed their various convention purchases, projects, and souvenirs.

Jenell shared her latest BJD acquisitions from Ruby Red Galleria.  This is Shan, dressed as the legendary Monkey King from the Chinese epic, Journey to the West.

This is his female counterpart Yu Ping, dressed as Princess Iron Fan, also from the same epic.

Shan and Yu Ping garbed as ordinary children

Big sister Ten Ping is dressed for the Dragon Boat Festival.

Another Oriental doll Jenell acquired at the convention, but from an earlier era.  This is the all-bisque Chin-Chin Baby by the German company of Gebruder Heubach.

Many convention attendees look forward to the various workshops teaching all aspects of doll crafts. This sheepskin wig and beautiful be-flowered gown were created at the convention workshops.

Member Sallie Howard shared her convention acquisitions as well.  

Melody Brite is the creation of Judy D. Porter.

This is Pat Moulton's interpretation of country music legend Minnie Pearl.

And this is her Dolly, dressed in her coat of many colors.

This lithe and elegant lady is from the Robert Tonner convention dinner, entitled “Walking the Red Carpet.”

Members also brought non-convention treasures. This is Madra Lord from the world of the Gene Marshall fashion doll series. She belongs to Jenell and was dressed by member Jan Irsfeld.

Elaine Jackson shared the newest addition to her collection, this wonderful antique papier mache boy.

 Visitor Mary Beard made both this cloth doll, dressed in antique and vintage fabrics, and the miniature crazy quilt.