Name: Johannes Zook Originals (Dress Me Doll and Michelle)
Made by and When: Johannes Zook Originals, a Pat Secrist Doll Company, 1988 and 1998
Material: Vinyl heads, 3/4 vinyl arms and legs; weighted and stuffed cloth bodies, stuffed cloth upper arms and upper legs; the Dress Me doll’s body is white; Michelle’s body is dark brown.
Height: 21 and 24 inches, respectively
Dress Me Doll
Marks: (Head) Pat Secrist ©1988
Hair, Eyes, Mouth: Short black wig with bangs and a top pigtail, restyled to add two side pigtails; dark brown inset eyes with applied upper eyelashes and painted lower eyelashes, closed mouth with down-turned corners and dark lip color
Clothes: White knit short-sleeved blouse has a lavender ribbon at the neck, lavender cotton short pants with lace-trim, bare feet
Other: This early Zook doll sculpted by Pat Secrist, dressed in a basic top and shorts, was designed for the collector to dress as desired. It was purchased from Duncanville Books and Dolls during the early 1990s and bore a handwritten tag (applied by the shop owner) that read, “Dress Me.” The curator dressed the doll in a preemie-size onesie with matching pants and newborn-size sandals as illustrated in the above photo.
Michelle
Marks: (Head) ©HPY-V PAT SECRIST 1998; (hand signed) J Zook / 38; (body tag, front) Artist / Original Dolls / By / Johannes Zook Originals; (body tag, back) SECRIST TOYS, INC. / P.O. BOX 256 / Midland, MI, 48640 / [materials information] / REG. # PA 4985
Hair, Eyes, Mouth: Shoulder-length black wig with bangs and a top pigtail accented with a pink ribbon, hazel stationary eyes with applied upper eyelashes and painted lower eyelashes, open/closed mouth with sculpted tongue and dark lip color that matches the tongue color; the right extended thumb fits perfectly in the mouth.
Clothes: The white fleeced velour romper is trimmed in lace at the sleeve and leg openings and accented with a large pink fabric rose in the center of the upper bodice. Underneath the fabric bow is a row of pink fabric and lace; wears white lace ankle socks and lace-and-ribbon-accented Mary-Jane-style faux leather white shoes.
Additional Information: Pat Secrist and his wife Joanna worked in the toy industry for 30 years as owners of Secrist Toys, Inc. and later Apple Valley Doll Works. The company’s focus was life-like baby dolls that are predecessors to more modern reborn doll creations. The couple left the doll industry to pursue other interests in 2013. Read more about the couple’s contributions to the adult world of doll collecting here.
Gallery
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