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!

October 12, 2025, Meeting

Jan Irsfeld gave a program on goddesses, celestial, movie, and royal, using examples from her collection of Cissy dolls by Madame Alexander. She explained that Madame Alexander was fascinated by powerful and successful women. Peeking out in the far left corner is a Cissy, dressed by Jan, representing  Hatshepsut, a female pharaoh who reigned in the fifteenth century B.C.E.; she qualifies as a goddess because the pharaohs were considering living deities. The dolls on the table represent more modern goddesses of the silver screen. Starting from the left, the luscious lady in white represents Hollywood, while the others are Madame Alexander's  interpretation of actual actresses; Grace Kelly in icy blue, Vivian Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara, Marilyn Monroe, and Elizabeth Taylor.

Elizabeth Taylor models a hand-beaded gown designed by Jan.

Alexander also created many queens. This is an all-original Queen Elizabeth II.

Elizabeth I is represented by a Cissy dressed in authentic Elizabethan garb by Jan. Next to her is "Royal Reception" by Alexander.

French queen Marie Antoinette in her original bejeweled and embroidered gown by Alexander.

In opera, a "diva" is a celebrated female singer, and the word is derived from the Italian for goddess or divine. This Cissy represents Madame Butterfly from the famous opera by Giacomo Puccini.

However, this sassy swashbuckler is more devilish than divine. . . .

Jan shared two more scintillating Cissy dolls, including this flamboyant flapper. . . 

. . . and her favorite Cissy, reduced nude from an Austin doll shop, whom Jan has since restored and elevated to a goddess.

Elaine Jackson shared this wooden Hitty, currently the queen of her Hitty House, carved by member Elaine McNally. 

Jenell Howell brought this goddess of the night, Evangeline Ghastly by Robert Tonner.

David Craig had an earlier example of the eerily beautiful Evangeline. 

Another Tonner doll belonging to David is Ellowyne Wilde, ready for trick or treating in a Halloween outfit made for her by a friend of David's.

Bette Birdsong brought another movie goddess, a Gene doll designed by Mel Odom. In keeping with the season, Jenell shared this Sasha in fall colors.

Sharon Weintraub displayed a trio of little bisque fairies by the German firm of Hertwig and Company, noting that fairies were the subjects the fairy queen and the elfin court.

She also shared this bewitching bisque witch. Witches were thought to worship Hecate. Hecate was originally a Greek goddess, who was the protector of liminal spaces and borders, such as thresholds and doors, and was associated with the night, the moon, and magic. 

Myrna Loesch displayed this doll dress created by the Milwaukee Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.). The W.P.A., which operated from 1939 to 1942, provided work and job training for thousands of unemployed Americans during the Great Depression. While the W.P.A. created large public works such as roads, parks, and schools, it also operated handicraft projects aimed at teaching women skills such as sewing. The Milwaukee W.P.A. handicraft project produced dolls designed to be used as teaching materials in schools, as well as for children in hospitals or as Christmas gifts for children on the relief rolls. This dress was designed to be worn by a cloth doll.

 

November 7, 2021, Meeting

The theme for the November meeting was dolls dressed in fall colors. 

Member Jenell Howell brought her all-original Sasha, made in Germany in the 1970s.

The 1953 Ginny in her pineapple print dress was purchased by member Sylvia McDonald when she was in high school. The Muffy belongs to member Myrna Loesch and dates from 1955.

Myrna also brought this reproduction doll made by former member Mary McKenzie. Another member, Jan Irsfeld, embellished her outfit.

This somber child is by artist Helen Kish and belongs to Sylvia,

Another artist doll, this one created by Sylvia Natterer. Sylvia McDonald added the teddy bear because it matched the doll's original dress.

This doll is entitled "The Frog Prince" and was created by Maggie Iacona. The doll holds a pillow with a fabric frog. Jenell said that this doll was an early attempt by the artist to created a ball-jointed felt doll. 

This quartet belongs to member Elaine Jackson. The two pilgrims have already been featured on our blog. They represent John Alden and Priscilla Mullins and were created circa 1950 by Helen Walker of Just Folks Doll House of Staunton, Virginia.  The cloth doll was made in the 1950s from a pattern created by writer and doll artist Edith Flack Ackley.

 

This Hitty is cast of resin by artist Sara Cole and was dressed by Elaine in a vintage child's handkerchief. 

Fall also means Thanksgiving with its images of Pilgrims and Native Americans.

The taller doll belongs to member Sharon Weintraub. By Gebruder Heubach, she is a portrait of "Princess Angeline." Born Kikisoblu in 1820, she was the eldest daughter of Chief Seattle, leader of the west coast Suquamish and Duwamish peoples.  In 1855, when the Duwamish Indians were forced to leave their land for reservations, she insisted on remaining in Seattle, living in a small cabin and supporting herself by doing laundry and selling handwoven baskets. 

This Ginny dressed as a Native American dates from 1952-1953 and belongs to Jenell.

 

Women Doll Artists; Sasha Morgenthaler

Sasha Morgenthaler (1893 - 1975) was a Swiss artist. She wanted to create dolls that realistically portrayed the innocence and individuality of children.  Beginning in the 1940s, she began to create dolls in her studio.  However, these individually-made dolls were expensive and Morgenthaler wanted to create a more affordable play doll that would appeal to children.  In the 1960s, she created a series of play dolls, manufactured at various times in Germany and England through the 1980s. The dolls were renown for their serene hand-painted faces, poseable realistically-proportioned bodies, and and tan skin tones.  Black dolls and babies were also produced.

Sasha dolls are very popular with collectors.  These Sasha dolls belong to member Sylvia McDonald.  She said that when her daughter was about nine years old, she received a Sasha girl and Sylvia made the doll's wardrobe.  Later,  Gregor and Baby Gregor joined the family, and Shelley received a Baby Sasha after she had girls of her own.  Sylvia has always loved the Sasha dolls and over five years put together this family for herself.