Show and Tell Dolls - Billye

Billye with vintage Japanese doll; eggshell composition

R. John Wright's Golliwogs and the Little Prince

Happy Birthday to Ann!

Happy Birthday to you, Ann!   This is Ann's beloved yoyo rag doll.

Georgene Raggedy Ann Program - October - Georgenes and Others

Clock on photos to enlarge.

A Volland Raggedy from 1915; she has a hair redo; clothing not original

Knickbocker pair from the 1970's

Dress Me Knickbocker and Mama Made

Miscellaneous Georgen Raggedys - one Mama Made and one Repro Molly'E

Raggedy Ann Mama Made (I loved her expressive eyebrows, and she helped me get through chemo).

 Beloved Belindy knockoff bought in New Orleans

Mama Mades Raggedy Andy and an ethnic Raggedy Ann (Made by Martha)

Awake/Asleep Georgene from the 40's

Georgene Raggedy Ann - October Program

Jill presented an informative program on Georgene Raggedy Ann dolls.  Georgene Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls were made from 1937 to 1962 by the Georgene Novelty Company, run by Georgene (Madame Hendron) Averill and her husband, Paul Averill.  The dolls have five distinct faces, from the early black outlined nose dolls to the thicker featured dolls with four lower eyelashes.  The Georgene Raggedys are loved by collectors for their sweet faces and precious, diverse cotton clothing.

A Knickerbocker Ann, a Georgene Andy and Ann

Jill with a Mama Made from the 1940's McCall Pattern

A Georgene Ann with a sweet Knickerbocker Ann

A well-loved Knickerbocker Andy (Barbara's son's) with Johnny Gruelle book

Billye's childhood Georgene Raggedy Andy and Ann 

Porcelain Dolls by Martha Hopkins 1970's

I made all but the Choctaw Indian doll on the left.  The pink and blue "twins" are from a mold known as Pinkie.  These dolls have cloth bodies with porcelain heads and limbs.

Here are Hilda on the left (all porcelain), a black and a white Bye-Lo Baby, a repro Kestner baby, and an A.M. Dream Baby - all with cloth bodies and porcelain hands.  All these dolls have glass eyes.

I signed all my dolls with M.H. and the year made.

All porcelain Kewpie twins dressed in coton crocheted dresses.

Friendship Doll Miss Iwate, 1 of 58 sent from Japan to U.S. in 1928 in Birmingham!!

Three members of the Birmingham Doll Club of Alabama -Sharon, Billye, and Jill - were privileged to meet with a curator at the Linn Henley Research Library last week to view Birmingham's gift from Japan in 1928 - one of 58 similar hand made dolls (about 36" tall) given to the children of the United States.  Many disappeared during WWII, and some were found later in bad condition.  Some were restored improperly.  This one, Miss Iwate, seems to be in wonderful condition.  The Birmingham Public Library plans to arrange for her permanent display in a climate-controlled case at some point in the future.

Photos of Birmingham, Al's Friendship Doll from Japan (1928)

Here are the feet and lower half of the Birmingham Friendship Doll

Here is Billye photographing Miss Iwate in her trunk.

Here is the top of the trunk that Miss Iwate was sent to Birmingham in.

Miss Iwate was accompanied by many objects - furniture, tea sets, parasol, etc.  Check out this website to see the many objects accompanying the doll, including furniture, tea set, her own dolls, etc.

http://s225.photobucket.com/albums/dd28/barbiesenior/Miss%20Iwate%20-%20Japanese%20Friendship%20Doll/

To read more about the history of the 58 Friendship Dolls sent to the children of the U.S. in 1928 from Japan, click on the following site:

http://www.bplonline.org/programs/Iwate.aspx

FG French Fashion Doll (Francois Gaultier)

This 18" Francois Gaultier French Fashion (marked F G in block letters) from the 1880's wears a fancy taffeta walking suit, and her own ermine stole with ermine muff and gloves.   FG's are the most common French Fashion, but she is unusual in that she is glazed porcelain rather than bisque (unglazed).  She has pierced ears, but the glaze filled them up, so I just pinned the earrings to her wig.  Double click on photos to enlarge.  Enjoy!

Controversial Talking Baby Doll Removed from Shelves at Target

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnJfBtHHBec&feature=autoplay&list=PL54A8267705F22006&playnext=1

Tinted Bisque Reproduction Doll by Martha Hopkins

I made this doll and others similar to this during the 1970's.  They are signed on the back with M H and the date.  This curly top is wearing a polished cotton and lace dress trimmed with ribbons and tucks.

Friendship Dolls, French Bed Doll, Convention Workshop Doll

Convention Workshop Baby in round box, small doll and bear finds and doll clothes from convention

 Profile of Dorothy's French Bed Doll - lovely

Sharon discussing Friendship Doll Seminar at Convention.  She has found one of the 58 dolls given to the U.S. by Japan before WWII at the Birmingham Public Library!  We are excited, and will investigate.  Here are some interesting websites with information about the Friendship Dolls:
.http://wgordon.web.wesleyan.edu/dolls/japanese/history/index.htm
http://wgordon.web.wesleyan.edu/dolls/japanese/history/index.htm

Stone bisque doll - love her feet - wearing crocheted dress found at UFDC Convention (made by lady from New Zealand)

Kathy Libraty, Doll Collector and Dealer

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2011/04/24/nyregion/20110424HOBBYISTSspan-2.html

Here is an interesting article about Kathy Libraty.  kathylibratysdolls.com is her website for doll sales.

Summer Finds

Jill M.'s Sasha

Jill S.'s tiny china

  Sharon's Sherman Smith tuck comb doll (unusual to have a nose and elaborately painted hair style)               

 German Kersa cat, Just Me UFDC bisque Convention doll, tiny all bisque, and Japanese bisque

               Sharon's carved Hitty with dress knitted by 93-yr. old friend

September Meeting - Great Summer Doll Finds

Barbara with Kestner 154 and Md. Alexanders

Melanie Fay's Md. Alexander babies (both Butch?)

Dorothy's French bed doll all original and great cndition, with Chinese composition.

                                                  Debra's Simon Halbig

Jill S."s Japanese bisque with unusual cloth body

Francois Gaultier Bebe, 1880's, All Original

6 l/2" Antique Doll Restored

I had fun restoring this sweet little antique bisque head doll.  She needed stringing, had no eyes, no wig, and shoes needed retouching.  Also no clothes.  I found clothes for her at the UFDC Convention (crochet dress from a German dealer and fancy hat from a New Zealand dealer).  I made the wig from pieces of wool 

Barbie's Controversial New Career

http://responsibility-project.libertymutual.com/blog/barbie-s-new-career-under-fire?src=keyword_s=ggl_K=doll_C=Responsibility_G=FBIBarbie_Doll_M=b&K_CLICKID=171ac7b5-032a-e148-03c3-000077270521#fbid=sV8SWwBJ4hk&src=keyword_s

Schoenhut Figures from the 1930's

Here are a Schoenhut clown with his special chair and 2 elephants with a barrel.  Great display!

Competitive Exhibits, UFDC 2012 Convention

Upon enlarging, you can often see the card listing each category.  My little Raspbeary bear in the first pic won 3rd Place - not bad for a field of 21 in a national show!

Here is a hand-carved wooden doll by Floyd Bell.  The explorer doll on the left was exhibited in the Louvre!

This little Just Me won a President's Choice ribbon.