Category Archives: OOAK black dolls

Johnna Art Dolls

Photograph courtesy of Anita M. Ormsby Name: Group of Johnna Art Dolls, Kalamazoo Made by and When: Barbara Thiery Buysse, various years Group Description: The one-of-a-kind dolls in this delightful group of Johnna Art Dolls by Barbara Buysse were made from 1985 to 1992. They are cloth with very expressive oil-painted facial features. Some areContinue reading “Johnna Art Dolls”

She Wears it Well

Name: She Wears It Well Made by and When: Frantz Brent-Harris of Sona Dolls, 2017 Material: Resin and silk with a steel base Height: 3 feet Hair/Eyes/Mouth: Natural texture fibers create an upward Afro/brown painted eyes with applied eyelashes/closed mouth with luscious red-painted lips Clothes: Elaborate headdress of a red slave ship with red chainsContinue reading “She Wears it Well”

Ella Fitzgerald

Name: Ella Fitzgerald  Made by and When: Floyd Bell, 1999 Material:  Carved from basswood and jetulong, cloth body, wire armature, wooden stand Height:  18 inches tall Hair/Eyes/Mouth:  Black hair carved from a block of jetulong wood/carved facial features with brown eyes, a smiling mouth and painted teeth Clothing:  White brocade suit with full-length skirt embellishedContinue reading “Ella Fitzgerald”

Roberta, a Soft-Sculpture Art Doll

Photographs courtesy of Cat Runnels Name: Roberta from The Big Girls Valentine’s Day Shelf Sitters Series Made by and When: Patricia Coleman-Cobb, 2012 Hair/Eyes/Mouth: Black yarn locs/closed eyes/parted lips with teeth Material: Clay (face) fabric (body), and yarn (hair) Marks: Signed by the artist Height: 13 inches from head to hips with legs that hangContinue reading “Roberta, a Soft-Sculpture Art Doll”

Black Dolls Journey Through Time With Denise Bond

This is a still shot from the video: Black Dolls a Journey Through Time exhibit that was held in September 2018.

Ruby Bridges

Photograph courtesy of Rachel McCullough Sherrod of Starkey’s Daughter Cloth Dolls Name: Ruby Bridges (a one-of-a-kind doll) Made by and When: Starkey’s Daughter Cloth Dolls, January 2020 Material: The face, arms and legs are made of a wool blend felt. The head and torso are a cotton blend. Marks: Signed and dated by the artist,Continue reading “Ruby Bridges”

Linda Brown

Photograph courtesy of Starkey’s Daughter Cloth Dolls Name: Linda Brown (a one-of-a-kind) doll Made by and When: Starkey’s Daughter Cloth Dolls, January 2019 Material: The face, arms and legs are made of a wool blend felt. The head and torso are a cotton blend. Marks: Signed by the artist, Rachel McCullough Sherrod of Starkey’s DaughterContinue reading “Linda Brown”

One-of-a-Kind Maya Angelou

Name: One-of-a-kind Maya Angelou Photo Face Doll Made by and When: Debbie Behan Garrett, 2014 (revised in 2015) Material: Vinyl with mask face made of T-shirt transfer molded over polymer clay Marks: (On the head) ©BIG BEAUTIFUL / DOLLS INC. 2000; (on the back) BIG / BEAUTIFUL / DOLLS / INC. / ©2001 Height: 12Continue reading “One-of-a-Kind Maya Angelou”