A child’s doll is often a lifelong treasure. This installation is devoted to the dolls that were long-time friends of their humans—dolls that served as comforters, companions, confidantes, and secret keepers. Dolls that were asked for, were gifts from loved ones, and dolls whose exterior aesthetics might have worn away through years of love are honored in this installation. Ellen’s c. 1965 Christmas doll represents these dolls.
Name: Ellen’s c. 1965 Christmas Doll
Made by and When: Ellen’s sister, c. 1965
Material: Cloth, yarn, thread
Marks: Unmarked
Height: 14 inches
Hair, Eyes, Mouth: Short light-brown yarn hair, embroidered facial features minus a nose
Clothes: Donated to the museum by the original owner, this doll arrived wearing a vintage pink sweater, handmade red satin panties, and blue socks. The curator named the doll “Elle” and redressed “her” in a pink floral-print dress which is worn under the vintage pink sweater. White lacey ankle socks and white patent-leather shoes were also added. “Elle” continues to wear the handmade red satin panties. Pink ribbons were added to the hair on each side.
Other: Possibly made from a 1955 Coats and Clark pattern, “Elle” was the childhood doll of Ellen Gordon whose sister made the doll for her in approximately 1965. According to Ellen, “She’s reflective of an exciting and (sadly) unjustifiably optimistic time in history when we thought things were changing rapidly and irreversibly. Black dolls were really not available then, and one Christmas my sister decided to address that shortage with her gift to me.” In the process of downsizing her dolls, Ellen asked if the curator would accept the doll as a donation. Read more about Ellen’s c. 1965 Christmas doll (Elle) here.
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