Name: New Arrival Li’l David and Li’l Ruthie
Made by and When: Sculpted by Irene Szor for Horsman, 1975
Material: Vinyl heads, stuffed vinyl one-piece bodies
Marks: 1/Horsman Dolls, Inc/19©75 (Lil’l David); 1/Horsman Dolls, Inc/19©75 (Li’l Ruthie)
Height: 13-1/2 inches
Hair, Eyes, Mouth: Painted brown hair, painted brown eyes, drinker mouths
Clothes: Li’l David wears a light blue and white gingham shirt and matching diaper. Li’l Ruthie wears a pink and white gingham dress, matching bonnet, and diaper.
Other: Li’l David and Li’l Ruthie are described as America’s first mass-produced, anatomically correct Black/African American twins. Each doll’s box contains a message to parents that reads: *This doll has true-to-life features which differentiates little girls from little boys. For those who feel they do not want their children to be aware of this difference we do not recommend this doll. (See the image of this message in the slideshow). Because of their anatomy, these dolls became quite controversial for the 1970s play market.
Li’l David and Li’l Ruthie were designed by Irene Szor, who sculpted dolls for Horsman from 1957 through 1986. For playline and other mass-produced dolls from this era, it was very uncommon to know the identity of the designer.
Accessories include a yellow pacifier and rattle (Li’l David) and a baby bottle, pacifier, and sponge (Li’l Ruthie). A punch-out birth certificate is included on the back of each doll’s box.
Slideshow (Use the right arrow to advance to the next image.)
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