Category Archives: modern black dolls

Slade Super Agent

Name: Slade Super Agent Made by and When: Shindana Toys, 1975 Material: Vinyl Marks: Shindana Toys / ©1975 Height: 9-1/2 inches Hair/Eyes/Mouth: Sculpted Afro/brown painted eyes/closed mouth with mustache Clothes: Orange shirt, brown faux leather short jacket, brown faux leather pants, black boots Other: Attaché case (black vinyl bag) contains a cardboard box that illustratesContinue reading “Slade Super Agent”

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”

Leo Moss-Type Dolls

Name: Leo Moss-type dolls Made by and When: Betty Formaz, ca. 1984 Material: Porcelain heads and hands; brown knit stuffed bodies, arms, and legs Marks: None Height: 15 inches Hair, Eyes, Mouths: Sculpted curls, brown stationary eyes with teardrops on cheeks, parted lips with molded tongues Clothes: Dressed in matching red velour clothing original toContinue reading “Leo Moss-Type Dolls”

Russian Nesting Dolls

Name: Authentic 5-piece Russian Nesting Dolls Made by and When: Svetlana Lukina, 2019 Material: Wood Marks: Svetlana Lukina 2019 (handwritten on the lower back base of the tallest doll) Height: The tallest is 7 inches; the smallest is 2 inches. Hair/Eyes/Mouth: Hand-painted facial features, clothing, and scenes on the back Clothes: Hand painted Victorian-era clothingContinue reading “Russian Nesting Dolls”

Black Artist Dolls Video Presentation

In July 2019, doll enthusiast, Deborah Butler Johnson, conducted a comprehensive live presentation on Black artist dolls at the 2019 United Federation of Doll Clubs Convention. The live presentation was recorded. It was so well received that the video was aired during the 2020 Virtual UFDC convention held in July 2020. Click or tap theContinue reading “Black Artist Dolls Video Presentation”

Baby Whitney

Name: Baby Whitney Made by and When: Lomel Enterprises, Inc., 1985 Material: Vinyl with cloth body Marks: ©1985 LOMEL ENT. INC. / P.O.BOX 252 / WASH. D.C. 20013 / FIRST EDITION / BABY WHITNEY™ (on the head) Height: 21 inches Hair/Eyes/Mouth: Dark brown rooted curly hair/brown painted eyes/open-closed mouth Clothes: Dressed in original tagged BabyContinue reading “Baby Whitney”

Leslie by Madame Alexander

Name: Leslie (Polly and Elise head sculpts) Made by and When: 1965 through early-1970s Material: Vinyl with rigid plastic body Marks: The Polly head sculpt is marked on the nape of the neck: ©ALEXANDER DOLL CO. INC. / 1965. The nape of the neck of the doll that uses the Elise head sculpt is markedContinue reading “Leslie by Madame Alexander”