Welcome Back Miss Iwate

Miss Iwate, Birmingham, Alabama's own Japanese Friendship doll is back from her recent trip to Japan.  Miss Iwate traveled to Japan to undergo an extensive conservation to restore Miss Iwate to her original beauty.  Some of the members of the Birmingham Doll Club participated in the celebration to welcome Miss Iwate back to the Birmingham Public Library in Alabama. 

Miss Iwate and her many original accessories. 

Miss Iwate is beautiful!!

Welcome back Miss Iwate!

March 2016 Wood Carving Class

March 3-6, 2016 was the date of the 2016 Wood Carving class taught by Janet Cordell and hosted by Sharon Kirby.  We had a great class and learned a lot about wood carving.  Many of the class members were carving Hitty and we concentrated on learning to carve a pretty Hitty face.  My dolls still required the "Hand of Janet" to make them pretty, but I had learned a lot and had a great time!!!

February 2016 Meeting of the Brimingham Doll Club-"My Merry"

The February 2016 meeting of the Birmingham Doll Club was hosted by Janet Snyder.  Janet gave a great presentation on "My Merry Dolly" play sets and doll accessories.  My Merry sets were produced primarily during the 1950's and 1960's by the Merry Manufacturing Co. of Cincinnati, Ohio.  These unique sets contained actual brand name products of the day and were designed as accessories for doll and doll house play.  The packages represented name brand products that helped support a specific theme (kitchen, laundry, party, etc.).  The packages represented the actual items as close as possible and the contents were real.  A small bottle of Windex contained liquid glass cleaner.  A box of Ivory Snow contained laundry soap.  A box of Brillo pads contained small steel wool pads.  The My Merry sets are very collectible today and are popular not only with doll collectors, but also with miniature collects.  Today it is difficult to find these sets in good condition, the card board and plastic deteriorated and the small items were easily lost.  Lucky for us Janet had some My Merry sets that were for sale so many of us were able to go home with My Merry sets of our own!!

There was a wide variety of My Merry sets produced between 1950 through the 1970s. 

This is one of the earliest sets made in the 1950's.  The early sets had all cardboard packaging.

The My Merry sets represented themes of items used in everyday life. 

The closet series were produced in the 1950's.  Packaging in the 1950's included cardboard boxes, but had the items placed in plastic trays with a clear window. 

My Merry sets were packaged in "blister carded" sets and included plastic pieces laid in a cardboard header card covered with a clear plastic bubble.  The sets no longer included name brand items. 

The miniature items were as close as possible to the real item they represented.  The box of Brillo pads contained small steel wool pads and the box of Playtex gloves contained small rubber gloves.  Note the Better Homes and Gardens cook book- just like my mother had!!

"Play things" were introduced from 1960 to 1966.  These sets were patterned after real rooms or house hold areas such as this party room set. 

How many of these name brand items do you remember? 

"Just like mommy's!!!"

During the 1960's and 1970's the My Merry sets also included paper dolls, greeting cards, and purse dolls such as the sweet little doll seen above in her original carrying case. 

Janet recommended this reference book by Fred Diehl. 

Birmingham Doll Club-January, 2016

The January, 2016 meeting of the Birmingham Doll Club was held at the home of the hostess, Jill S.
Jill gave an interesting and very informative presentation on the jointed wooden dolls made by the Albert Schoenhut Company.  The Schoenhut Toy Company (1872-1935) was Philadelphia toy manufacturer which made a wide variety of wooden toys.  The jointed wood dolls were produced starting in 1911 and continued until about 1928.  Suggested references for identifying Shoenhut dolls includes SCHOENHUT DOLLS-ACOLLECTOR'S ENCYLOPEDIA by Carol Corson, "The Schoenhut Doll Mystique"  DOLL NEWS by Betty O' Sullivan, and the web site OldWoodToys.com.

The earliest dolls had the company name and patent date incised on the back

An applied decal placed on the doll's back was used to identify the company and patent date starting in 1916.  

Schoenhut doll's had a unique construction with holes in the bottom of their feet to fit onto a special stand.  This would allow the doll to be placed into many life-like poses. 

The dolls' shoes were made with holes to match the holes in the bottom of the feet. 

Schoenhut Doll Stand

Later dolls had grooves in their upper legs to allow their stockings to be tied into place (we all hate to have our stockings around our ankles!!) 

This 16/301 Schoenhut doll has her original one piece underware.

Close-up of the one piece underware.

The back of the underware

This is a lovely 19/308 Schoenhut doll.

Pinn family Doll

Toddler doll

these twin boys are 14/205 Schoenhut dolls.

This 21/309 Schoenhut has a sweet expression.

This smiling 16/304 Schoenhut girl looks as if she is about to laugh out loud!

A 14/312 and a 21/313 Schoenhut sitting together.   

A 19/308 Schoenhut girl with a friend. 

Additional 19/308 Schoenhut girl. 

Two 19/308 Schoenhut dolls. 

Original box for the Humpty Dumpty Circus

A Schoenhut clown with animals from the circus

Schoenhut elephant

Schoenhut goat (I love his billy goat beard!)