These 13 in. cloth dolls by Georgine Averill have been in my collections since the 1940’s. They carry little silk flags of their countries, China and Romania. Georgine dolls have kept their bright colorful faces and outfits for decades.
Category Archives: 1940s
Dolls from the 1940s
Georgine Averill Dutch Dolls
By the look of their molded mask faces and cloth body construction, I suspect this 13 in. Dutch couple is the work of Georgine Averill. Her dolls were very popular in the 1940’s when they were given to me, along with the Hawaiian doll of similar construction in back.
Shirley Temple Books
In 1930-1940 we had radio shows, Walt Disney movies, and books – lot’s of them! Here are two well-worn Shirley Temple books that I enjoyed.
1940s China Head Doll
My first china head doll was sold undressed. My mother brought it back from a visit to Provincetown, MA in the 1940s. To my surprise, she made a calico dress that perfectly fit the 7 in. doll, and she did it without a pattern. This was a big favor for me because she preferred sewing for people, not dolls. Years later I crocheted the blue accessories.
1940s John Passa and Marie Quoddy Dolls
Occasionally my Mother and Aunt Sue would visit relatives in Nova Scotia. After one trip in the late 1940’s, Mother brought back this 7 in. couple from New Brunswick. These hand made dolls were dressed in hand woven and hand knitted garments. They were called Friendship dolls. I gave them a home safe from moths in a box frame and consider them a work of art. The little 1939 dog with them came from Mrs. Parker’s shop in East Gloucester, MA. I recently learned that four of these dolls are in a collection at the Tides Institute and Museum in Eastport, ME. They described them as follows.
“JOHN PASSA! MARIE QUODDY! Two of these hand made dolls (man and woman) just came into our collections to join the two already here. In the process, we learned more about their origins. The man was called John Passa and the woman Marie Quoddy. They were made in St. Andrews, New Brunswick solely for the St. Andrews based business, Cottage Craft, by two women (Mary Bryant made the bodies and she and a friend Phoebe Lowrey made the woven and knitted outfits). One of the owners of Cottage Craft painted the faces.”
1948 Campbell Kid Doll
This is a 1948 composition 12 in. Campbell Kid by Horsman, bought in Canada. She came dressed in a skimpy sun suit that fell apart. The smaller 9.5 in. vinyl doll c. 1972 was a premium for sending in Campbell’s Soup coupons.
Nancy Ann Story Book Doll
Nancy Ann Abbott started the Nancy Ann Storybook Dolls in the 1940’s. The 5 in. and 7.5 in. dolls had a one-piece body of bisque with jointed arms and a glued on mohair wig. They could stand alone!
Mask Face Dolls
This collection of 10 in. cloth mask face dolls were given to me in the 1940’s. They are unmarked but I think Africa, Scotland, USA, and Romania are the lands represented.
Toddles Dolls
In 1937 the 8 in. composition Vogue dolls, later to be known as Ginnys, were called Toddles. They were grouped into several different series. For instance, the Nursery Rhyme Series in the early 1940’s had a Bo-Peep. Little Red Riding Hood shown here is from the Fairy Tale Series. In 1951 when Toddles were made from plastic with sleep eyes, she had a tag on her arm reading, “Hi, I’m Ginny.”
1940s Pinocchio Walt Disney Doll
Pinocchio, dating from the 1940’s, is 7 in. tall. He has a composition swivel head with wooden jointed body. He is marked “Pinocchio, DES. © BY WALT DISNEY, made by Ideal Novelty & Toy Co.” He was the star of the first movie I saw, a 1940 animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and based on the story, The Adventures of Pinocchio, by Carlo Collodi. Before taking his photo I had to re-string him and find a feather for his cap.
