Name: Angel Baby
Made by and When: Vogue, 1965-1968
Material: Vinyl with bent baby legs
Marks: VOGUE DOLL / ©1965 (on the neck and upper back)
Height: 13-1/2 inches (the 1969 Sears Christmas catalog documents 14 inches)
Hair, Eyes, Mouth: Brown rooted pixie-style hair, brown sleep eyes with upper bristle eyelashes (some, unfortunately, are missing), closed smiling mouth
Clothes: White lace-trimmed brushed cotton top with a red kitten appliqué, red pants with enclosed feet, white-lace-trimmed red bonnet
Other: Vogue’s Angel Baby was on the market from 1965-1968. Black Angel Baby with three white counterparts was advertised on page 599 of the 1969 Sears Christmas Book without listing Vogue as the manufacturer. This was the norm for many dolls sold through Sears catalogs, many of which were Sears catalog exclusives. Also advertised in the same catalog were four separately-sold outfits for Angel Baby (see gallery photos).
Having been purchased on the secondary market during the 1990s, this doll had been part of the curator’s private collection until recently when someone desired to purchase it as a replacement for their mother’s childhood doll.
After the mother received the doll, she sent the following note to the curator and shared a photo of Angel Baby in her new home. (See the last photo.)
Recently you sold my daughter … one of your dolls, Angel Baby. She gave it to me as a Christmas gift. It brought tears to my eyes. As a little girl I loved dolls and each year I would get one from Santa. I played with them every day and they brought me great comfort especially since my mother had terminal cancer. In the 1960’s I was looking through the Sears Christmas catalog and I saw Angel Baby. There was a black and white doll shown. I circled the black doll immediately. My mom asked me if I was sure I wanted that one and I remember saying, “Yes, look how pretty her face is.” My mom smiled and that year I found Cher [the name she gave Angel Baby] sitting under my tree in her pretty red and white outfit. As an adult all my dolls were destroyed which broke my heart. Over the years I’ve tried to recollect them. Angel baby was the last missing one and [my daughter] found it through you. Thank you so much for selling her the doll. I took a picture… Thank you again for making the little girl in me smile. Blessings to you and yours.
Gallery
A photo of Angel Baby is her new home
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