October 8, 2023, Meeting

Member Kenneth Reeves did the program on Ginny  and other Vogue dolls. He explained that in 1922 Jennie Adler Graves opened the Ye Olde Vogue Doll Shoppe. She began by dressing dolls imported from Europe and by 1925, Graves had to hire an additional seamstress, as well as home workers. In 1937, she purchased composition Toddles dolls from  from Arranbee Doll Company. Her daughter, Virginia, joined the company in 1942 (she would take over the company from her mother in the 1960s) and in 1945 Vogue Dolls was incorporated. The company moved to hard plastic in 1946. In 1948, Graves introduced an 8-inch hard plastic doll. The doll was so popular that Graves designed her own version, christening her creation "Ginny," after her daughter, Virginia. Ginny originally had painted side-glancing eyes with sleeping eyes introduced in 1950. The early dolls had painted lashes, with molded lashes introduced in 1955. In 1954, "walking" dolls became popular, with the head turning from side to side as the dolls legs were moved. Kenneth said that Vogue focused on doll fashions. 

Kenneth shared these two early Vogue dolls with painted side-glancing eyes. The girl in the bonnet is Little Bo Peep. 

The doll in the striped dress is a bent-knee walker, introduced in 1957. 

Kenneth said that in 1957, Vogue began creating a family for Ginny. Jill (floral gown) was Ginny's big sister. Jan (doll in polka dot dress), was Jill's best friend and made for one year in 1959. 

Jeff was Ginny's big brother.

Vogue brought back Jill in 1962 in vinyl and reintroduced her again in 1965, dressing her in historic eras. The doll in the floral bonnet and blouse and blue skirt is Jill as "Frontier Days."

Kenneth explained that Vogue acquired Arranbee (R & B) and used used the R & B molds for Littlest Angel until Vogue redesigned the doll in 1964. He stated that the girl in the white dress with tiny pink flowers was made by R & B in the mid 1950s. The chubby-cheeked cutie in the pink dress was made by Vogue in 1963, the last year Vogue used the R & B mold.  The redhead at the end of the front row is Li'l Imp made by Vogue in 1959 and 1960, using the R&B Littlest Angel mold. The charming child in bright yellow in the center is the Vogue version of Littlest Angel and the doll in the blue and white print dress and big pink bow is Vogue's Lil' Lovable Imp. Kenneth stated that Vogue reintroduced Littlest Angel in 11-inch and 15-inch sizes (the brunette in the back row in the red and white outfit is 15-inch example). The smaller size was discontinued in 1975 and the 15-inch version in 1980. The curly-headed blond with the character face in the back row is Brikette

Kenneth explained that in 1972 Vogue was sold to Tonka Toy Company and in 1977 Lesney took over the Vogue Ginny name. In the 1980s, R. Dakin & Company bought out the Ginny and Vogue names.

He told the club that Ginny was introduced in the 1970s as an international doll. The doll in green represents Ireland. The baby doll in pink is Ginnette

In 1970s, Kenneth said that Miss Ginny was introduced. This example is pretty in purple.

Members shared their Ginny and Vogue dolls as well. The cowgirl belongs to Elaine Jackson. She was made as a souvenir for a United Federation of Doll Clubs convention. The Ginny in the blue dress with the blond "pixie cut" belongs to member Myrna Loesch.

Myrna also displayed these two hard plastic Jill dolls from 1957-1960 in detailed "mommy-made" outfits.

This little Ginny on roller skates belongs to member Bette Birdsong. . . .

as does the darling doll in the colorful felt dress.

This is a childhood doll of member Elaine McNally. The photograph shows a young Elaine with her doll. 

Member Jenell Howell brought several examples of vintage Vogue dolls. The twins in the front row garbed in blue and white gingham are Toddles.

A Jill babysits two of Jenell's Ginny dolls.

This is Jennie Southern Belle from 1943 to 1944.

This curly haired cutie from the 1950s is from Vogue's Crib Crowd.  The Crib Crowd dolls use the standard Ginny head, but have curved baby legs.

Graves began by creating outfits and trousseaus for imported dolls, like this "Just Me," a googly-eyed character doll by the German maker Armand Marseille. This 9-inch tall example belongs to member Sharon Weintraub.  Although the doll has her original dress, shoes, and socks, they do not carry the "Vogue" tag.

 

Women Doll Artists; Jennie Adler Graves

An exceptional seamstress and designer, Jennie Adler Graves opened the Ye Olde Vogue Doll Shoppe in 1922.  She began by creating outfits and trousseaus for "Just Me," a wistful googly-eyed character doll by the German maker Armand Marseille.   The dolls ranged from 8 to 11 inches.  This 9-inch tall toddler is an example of the Just Me, and although she has her original dress, shoes, and socks, they are not from Grave's talented fingers.

In 1948, Graves introduced an 8-inch hard plastic doll. The doll was so popular that Graves designed her own version, christening her creation "Ginny," after her own daughter, Virginia.  Ginny and her extensive wardrobe were a huge hit and inspired a new generation of 8-inch tall play dolls.  This trio of early Ginny dolls, plus Ginny's canine companion, Sparky, belong to member Jenell Howell.  The company Graves started is still in existence today as the Vogue Doll Company and is still making a version of Ginny.

Beautiful Baby

You must have been a beautiful baby

You must have been a wonderful child

When you were only startin'

To go to kindergarten

I'll bet you drove the little boys wild

Harry Warren and lyrics by Johnny Mercer, 1938

Continuing our virtual doll meeting, member Jenell Howell shares this delightful diminutive doll. Dating from the early 1950s, this curly haired cutie is part of the Vogue Ginny family known as the Crib Crowd.  Jennie Adler Graves opened the Ye Olde Vogue Doll Shoppe in 1922. An exceptional seamstress and designer, she began by creating outfits and trousseaus for imported German dolls. In 1948, Graves introduced an 8-inch hard plastic doll. The doll was so popular that Graves designed her own version, christening her creation "Ginny," after her own daughter, Virginia.  Ginny and her extensive wardrobe were a huge hit and inspired a new generation of 8-inch tall play dolls.  The Crib Crowd dolls have the standard Ginny head, but curved baby legs.

Her bright brown eyes have painted lashes and she has a caracul wig

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.

 

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.