All Kitted Out

Following up on the Hitty program at out last club meeting, Member Gail Simpler shares her Hitty doll, which came from the American Kit Company by Robert Raikes. The kit included a 6.5 inch tall wooden Hitty doll, a storage bag with her name stitched on it, fabric, and patterns for making her a dress.

 

June 13, 2022, Meeting

Elaine Jackson and Elaine McNally did a joint program on Hitty and her friends. Hitty is the wooden doll heroine of Rachel Field's 1929 children's novel, Hitty, Her First Hundred Years. In the book, the eponymous Hitty (short for Mehitabel), a simple wooden doll carved by a peddler in the 1820s, narrates her adventures over her century of existence. Jackson explained that Fields was friends with illustrator Dorothy Lathrop and sometime in the 1920s, while strolling together in New York City they saw a small time-worn wooden doll in an antique shop window. All the shop owner could tell them about the doll was that she was at least 100 years old. Neither woman could afford the doll by herself, so they pooled their resources and purchased her jointly. Inspired by the diminutive doll, they created a history for Hitty, written by Fields and illustrated by Lathrop. The book was a success and was awarded the John Newbery Medal of Excellence in 1930. Elaine brought several examples of Hitty, which is still in print. 

The book's charming historical tale has inspired generations of doll artists to carve their own versions of Hitty based on the book's illustrations, as well as Hitty-type dolls referred to as Hitty friends. 

This an early all-wood Hitty was carved by Helen Bullard, one of the founders of the National Institute of American Doll Artists. Jackson explained that because of copyright issues, Bullard called her doll "Holly." People began to wonder what had happened to the original Hitty and Jackson stated that in the 1980s Hitty was discovered in the Stockbridge Library in Massachusetts, where she had been donated by a relative of Lathrop. The original Hitty now resides in a climate-controlled case donated by the Friends of Hitty.

The copyright has since expired and artists now may call their creations "Hitty." Michael Langton persuaded the Stockbridge to permit him to measure the original Hitty and he created Hitty replicas both in wood and resin. This doll, belonging to Elaine McNally, is actually a perfume bottle created by Langton.

Jackson displayed a wide variety of Hitty dolls in wood and resin, showing each artist's own unique interpretation of the beloved doll. 

This doll by Sara Cole is made of resin. Using resin allows an artist to make multiple editions of a doll.

This Hitty by Janet Cordell was a wooden shoulderhead on a cloth body.

Many of Jackson's Hitty dolls are souvenirs from Hitty conventions. This doll by Constance Hardt was the souvenir for a San Antonio convention called "Hitty at the Alamo."

Like many Hitty fans, Jackson has a "Hitty House" to display her Hitty dolls and friends. Jackson explained that Hitty is too large for a standard dollhouse and that her late husband built her a house suitable to Hitty's dimensions. This vintage handmade bed and chair are just the right size for many of Jackson's Hitty dolls. The bed was cleverly created out of an old wooden cigar box with clothespin posts and sewing spool legs.

Another wooden doll from Jackson's collection, this one representing "Miss Unity," the mascot of the United Federation of Doll Clubs. The doll was created by Judy Brown, who has also carved Hitty dolls.

Elaine McNally then displayed her wonderful whimsical dolls inspired by Hitty.

She showed the club the tools she uses to carve her creations.

McNally explained that she may start with a block of wood. . . 

or use a commercially-made blank.

This Hitty holds a wooden whale. In the book, Hitty sails on a whaling ship.

A Hitty-inspired Alice in Wonderland cradling the Cheshire cat. McNally said that she enjoys creating miniature dolls holding an even smaller doll or other object.

This doll is an experiment by McNally to create a fully-jointed wooden doll.

McNally also makes little cloth versions of the rare Izannah Walker dolls, created in the 1840s through the 1880s. 

Another version of Alice and the Cheshire cat.

This is McNally's tiny version of an Edith Flack Ackley doll. A writer and doll artist, in the 1930s Ackley published a book entitled Dolls to Make for Fun and Profit, which included patterns for dolls and their clothing. Many dolls were made using her patterns in the 1930s and 40s.

Guest Joey Gomez shared two of his Hitty dolls. This version is by Gail Wilson.

And this one is by Robert Raikes.

Myrna Loesche brought this little wooden girl carved by Austin artist Nancy Grobe, who was once a member of our club. Nancy eventually had to give up carving because of arthritis and became a skilled painter.

In honor of the Platinum Jubilee celebrating Queen Elizabeth's 75 years on the throne, members shared dolls representing English royalty. The Madame Alexander Cissy dolls and Cissette dolls belong to Myrna and date from the 1950s.

Although these dolls' costumes closely resemble the outfit worn by Queen Elizabeth II at her 1953 coronation, Alexander only referred to them as "Queen" dolls. This doll is all original except for the replacement crown created by Myrna.

 

This bisque-headed doll represents an earlier English queen, Queen Victoria. She is 9.5 inches tall and is all original. Her round paper tag reads "Fabrication Jumeau Paris Made in France" on one side and written in ink on back of label is "Victoria I Reine d Angleterre Cirque 1860." The head is incised "221 2/0." She is part of the "Femmes Célèbres" ("Great Ladies") series produced by Société Française de Bébé and Jouets (S.F.B.J.) in the 1940s. In 1899, a number of French doll makers, including Jumeau, joined in this alliance in an attempt to ward off German competition. S.F.B.J. (later under the name UNIS) produced dolls until the 1950s and continued to use the Jumeau name for some of its dolls.

 

April 10, 2022, Meeting

Member Jan Irsfeld gave a program on the history of underwear. Member Myrna Loesch made these adorable and appropriate (and DELICIOUS) iced lingerie sugar cookies, as well as the small round shortbread cookies known as "petticoat tails." To complete the undergarment theme, she also provided a bowl of Ruffles potato chips.

Jan explained that early clothing was unstructured and undergarments were often nothing more than a piece of cloth wrapped around the loins. She holds an example of a Cissy by Madame Alexander that Jan dressed in a recreation of an ancient Egyptian garment.

Jan said that this changed in the era of Elizabeth the First, when clothing became increasingly structured, elaborate, and multilayered. Underwear not only protected the skin from chaffing and helped keep costly clothing clean, it served as a scaffolding to support the clothing, as well as to shape the body underneath. A hooped skirt called a farthingale acted as a frame to extend the skirt, a corset emphasized a lady's waist, and a bumroll accentuated the hips. 

The 1700s introduced the pannier, side hoops that extended the width of a woman's skirts. Jan explained that the name comes from paired baskets that hung on each side of a donkey, typically used to deliver bread. The panniers were sometimes so wide that a woman had to move sideways through doors. Jan displayed a miniature pannier she created, along with the start of hand-beaded skirt that will go over it.  

Jan stated that during the early 1800s, fashion took another turn and women wore high-waisted gowns with straight loosely-draped skirts, requiring very little in undergarments. However, by the 1860s, wide hoop skirts or crinolines were in style, supported by swinging bell-shaped cages of steel and whalebone. Crinoline cages were replaced by the bustle, a descendant of the bumroll. This is a miniature bustle created by Jan.

Starting in the 1900s, as women's clothing became less structured and complex, so did undergarments. The brassiere was introduced as women discarded their corsets and teddies replaced the layers of undergarments. Jan passed around examples of vintage bras and teddies designed by Madame Alexander for the Cissy fashion dolls.

Jan ended her program by sharing this limited edition "Cissy's Secret" by Madame Alexander. Issued in 1997, the set includes not only a Cissy doll, but also a trunk full of her luxurious lingerie.

Member Sharon Weintraub displayed this group of ladies showing the evolution of an undergarment called the combination. Combination underwear was introduced in the 1870s to reduce bulk under the fitted jackets and narrower upper silhouette of the period. The little all-bisque doll with the auburn wig has a molded early version of this undergarment, with short sleeves, a modest neckline, and long legs. Combinations were worn through the 1900s, becoming ever briefer, frothier and sheerer, the cuffs climbing closer to the knees as hemlines began to rise. By the 1920s, the combination was reduced to the flapper's chemise or teddy, as demonstrated by the all-original 1159 Simon and Halbig flapper doll.

Myrna shared these two Madame Alexander Cissettes, one wearing a slip and the other a lace teddy.

Member Sylvia McDonald brought her Käthe Kruse boy in his original undergarment. This doll belonged to her great-aunt and Sylvia thinks that her aunt received the doll around 1912. Sylvia said that Kruse dolls still come in a very similar "onesie."

Member Elaine Jackson shared several examples of vintage doll underwear. . .

. . .as well as this very unusual Madame Alexander doll with a composition head and cloth body. Elaine has redressed her as Alice in Wonderland, but who she was originally is still a mystery.

 

March 13, 2022, Meeting

Member Elaine Jackson did a program on Kamkins dolls, bringing two endearing examples of this scarce and desirable American artist doll. 

Kamkins dolls were the creation of Louise R. Kampes and crafted from 1919 until the early 1930s. She sold the dolls, as well as their hand-sewn clothing and accessories, in her shop on the Atlantic City boardwalk. Elaine said that the store catered to wealthy and well-off families, with their little girls looking forward to their annual vacation at Atlantic City so that they could purchase new outfits for their beloved dolls. She explained that the collapse of the stock market in 1929 and the subsequent Depression cost Kampes her clientele and she was forced to close her store. 

The dolls have a molded face and a tightly stuffed cotton body. Kampes received a patent in 1920 for a "new and Improved Doll-Head." A layer of rubber or other elastic material was applied to a die form of the doll's face, a layer of fabric was then applied, and the head placed in an oven or vulcanizing kiln to cure and vulcanize the head. The facial features were hand painted and the dolls had mohair or human hair wigs.

Elaine explained that the dolls came in both 18 and 19 inches, with the larger size having a cryer. 

The doll in the blue and white checked dress still has her original paper heart label, which reads "Kamkins A Doll Made to Love." Elaine told us the dolls were sometimes also stamped on the head, body, or the sole of the foot.

The dolls' clothing was made by talented seamstresses and new outfits were offered every year. This little girl came in her original, but now fragile, dress and shoes. 

Members shared dolls that they had brought. This fabulous folk art baby doll belongs to member Elaine McNally. He is made of a heavy canvas material and is covered in thick paint.

The doll has beautiful inset glass eyes.

Fitting in with the theme of cloth dolls, McNally also brought this much-loved girl from the English toy manufacturer Chad Valley.

This charming cloth child is by the doll maker Martha Chase. Chase began making cloth dolls for family and friends in the 1880s. In 1891, a merchant saw one of her dolls and placed an order. Chase began the Chase Doll Company, producing her painted stockinette dolls in a variety of sizes and styles.

McNally also displayed some of her latest hand-carved wooden Hitty-type dolls. 

Another talented member, Jan Irsfeld, shared her latest fashion design for Madame Alexander's Cissy doll. The glittering green and silver encrusted top took many hours of hand-beading. Cissy in her gorgeous green gown is certainly ready for St, Patrick's Day!

Member Ann Meier showed off her newest baby doll, a winsome porcelain creation by Kingstate