Photographs courtesy of Karen Kilburn Name: MarFan Bonnie Lou Made by and When: Terri Lee, late-1950s Material: Hard Plastic Marks: Terri Lee Height: 16 inches Hair/Eyes/Mouth: Black wig/basic painted facial features are not as elaborate as earlier Terri Lee dolls/closed mouth painted red Clothes: All original in a light blue cotton-print dress that ties inContinue reading “MarFan Bonnie Lou”
Tag Archives: 1950s hard plastic doll
Benji
Photographs courtesy of Karen Kilburn Name: Benji Made by and When: Terri Lee, 1950s Material: Hard plastic Marks: Terri Lee Patent Pending Height: 16 inches Hair/Eyes/Mouth: Black fur wig/painted facial features/closed mouth with painted red lips Clothes: White button-down shirt with pointed collar, red suspender pants, white socks, black shoes; Benji is missing his redContinue reading “Benji”
Bonnie Lou, Benji, and So-Sleepy
Photographs courtesy of Karen Kilburn Name: Bonnie Lou and Benji with Reproduction So-Sleepy Made by and When: Terri Lee, 1950s and circa 1990s Material: Hard plastic (Bonnie Lou and Benji); vinyl and cloth (So-Sleepy) Marks: Terri Lee Patent Pending (Bonnie Lou and Benji) Height: Bonnie Lou and Benji are 16 inches tall; So Sleepy isContinue reading “Bonnie Lou, Benji, and So-Sleepy”
Cosmopolitan Ginger
Photographs courtesy of Karen Kilburn Name: Ginger Made by and When: Cosmopolitan, 1950s Material: Hard plastic Marks: Unmarked Height: 8 inches Hair/Eyes/Mouth: Black wig styled in a short flip with bangs/amber-colored sleep eyes/closed mouth with painted red lips Clothes: All original red plaid dress, red straw hat, white socks, red vinyl Mary-Jane-style shoes, red vinylContinue reading “Cosmopolitan Ginger”
Tiny Tears Lookalike
Name: Tiny Tears Lookalike from England Made by and When: Unknown maker, 1950s Material: Hard plastic Marks: Unmarked Height: 12 inches Hair/Eyes/Mouth: Black Astrakhan wig/amber sleep eyes/closed mouth Clothes: Redressed in pink knit dress, bonnet, and pants with enclosed feet _________ Your comments are valued. Donations aid the initiative to preserve Black-doll history. If you subscribeContinue reading “Tiny Tears Lookalike”
Walking African Girl
Name: Walking African Girl Made by and When: Pedigree, 1950s Material: Hard plastic Marks: Pedigree (on the neck) Height: 16 inches Hair/Eyes/Mouth: Black astrakhan wig/brown flirty eyes/red painted lips with two inserted upper teeth Clothes: Period-appropriate red circle-print dress, red Cinderella-marked sandals, gold-tone hoop earrings Other: During the 1950s and prior, Pedigree used very deepContinue reading “Walking African Girl”
African Baby
Name: African Baby Made by and When: Pedigree, 1950s Material: Hard plastic (cellulose acetate) Marks: Pedigree (on the neck) Height: 16 inches Hair/Eyes/Mouth: Black astrakhan wig/brown eyes/red painted open lips with two inserted upper teeth Clothes: Redressed as shown, has original gold-tone hoop earrings Other: The doll’s flirty eyes are now stationary. During the 1950sContinue reading “African Baby”