DeeBeeGee

Career Girl Wanda

Shindana’s Career Girl Wanda dolls are 9 inches, all vinyl, and represent women of different professions and sports players to inspire young girls to imagine themselves in these careers. #Shindanadolls #careerdolls #fashiondoll #blackfashiondoll #operationbootstrap

Baby Nancy

Photographs courtesy of Karen Kilburn Name: Baby Nancy Made by and When: Shindana Toys/1968 Material: Vinyl Marks: DIV OF/OPERATION BOOTSTRAP, INC. U.S.A. / ©1968 SHINDANA (on head) Height: 13 inches Hair/Eyes/Mouth: Black rooted hair/brown painted eyes/drink and wet mouth with painted pink lips Clothes: Dressed in a variety of brightly colored dresses and panties, bareContinue reading “Baby Nancy”

Tuesday

Name: Tuesday Made by and When: Gladys MacDowell,1950s Material: Wax with brown cloth body Marks: The doll on the far left is hand marked: Tuesday = Gladys MacD./Tuesday #1. To-/Marie Mae Schwarz/By/Gladys MacDowell Height: 15-1/2 to 16 inches Hair/Eyes/Mouth: Dark brown and lighter brown mohair styled in several plaits with yellow thread at the ends/brownContinue reading “Tuesday”

Cynthia

Name: Cynthia Made by and When: Madame Alexander, 1952 Material: Hard plastic Marks: 23-inch doll (marked with an A on the head); 18-inch doll (Alexander on head); 15-inch doll (unmarked) Height: 23, 18, and 15 inches Hair/Eyes/Mouth: Black wigs/brown sleep eyes with eyelashes/closed mouths painted in variations of red and pink. Clothes: The dolls wereContinue reading “Cynthia”

Pedigree-Type Walkers

Name: Head-Turning Pedigree-Type Walkers Made by and When: Possibly made by Lines Brothers (Joy Toys Ltd), 1950s Material: Hard plastic (cellulose acetate) Marks: Made in NZ Height: 21-1/2 inches Hair/Eyes/Mouth: Black astrakhan wigs/dark gray flirty eyes (boy)*, brown flirty eyes (girl)/closed mouths with slightly exaggerated red-painted lips Clothes: Redressed in period-appropriate clothes and shoes Other:Continue reading “Pedigree-Type Walkers”

Jackie Robinson

Name: Jackie Robinson Made by and When: Allied Grand Doll Manufacturing Company, Inc., 1950 Material: Composition Marks: Unmarked Height: 13 inches Hair/Eyes/Mouth: Black molded hair/black side-glancing eyes/open-closed mouth with painted teeth. Clothes: White flannel Dodgers uniform with flannel belt, blue knit socks, black lace-up shoes (original); has replaced cap, baseball and bat. Other: DodgersContinue reading “Jackie Robinson”

Saralee Negro Doll

Saralee Negro Doll by Ideal Toy Corporation was released in 1951 as the first mass-produced anatomically correct black doll. #Idealtoycorp #saraleedoll #saraleenegrodoll #ethnicallycorrectdoll #historicalblackdoll

Saralee’s Sister

Ideal Toy Corp.’s Saralee’s 17-inch, all-vinyl sister is featured in this installation. #Idealtoycorp #saraleedolls #saraleesiblings #saraleessister #vintageblackdoll #1950sblackdoll

Norah Wellings Nassau Souvenir Doll

Name: Nassau, Bahamas Souvenir South Islander Doll Made by and When: Norah Wellings, 1930s Material: Stuffed velvet and velvet over a sculpted face, jointed neck Marks: Black cloth tag on back-right side of neck reads NASSAU; black cloth right foot tag reads MADE IN ENGLAND / BY / NORAH WELLINGS. Height: 14 inches Hair/Eyes/Mouth: ShortContinue reading “Norah Wellings Nassau Souvenir Doll”

Norah Wellings Dudu #119

Name: Dudu #119 South Islander Made by and When: Norah Wellings, 1930s Material: Stuffed velvet and velvet over a sculpted face, jointed neck Marks: MADE IN ENGLAND / BY / NORAH WELLINGS (on partial black cloth tag sewn to left foot) Height: 14 inches Hair/Eyes/Mouth: Black short, curly mohair wig (some hair is missing fromContinue reading “Norah Wellings Dudu #119”