The ballerina tutu of this 20 in. doll marked ”20 H” needs a lot of work. She was very much played with and her ankle has a small split. The multi-jointed ballerina dolls of the late 1950’s could strike a pretty pose.
Little Dancer
The 1881 bronze sculpture, Little Dancer of 14 Years (La Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Ans), is the work of Edgar Degas. This is a doll-sized reproduction. The original actually wears a fabric knee-length tutu.
1950s Horsman Fashion Doll
A 19 in. jointed knee Horsman fashion doll of the late 1950’s is a favorite from a flea market. For her outfit I chose a vintage bubble dress. I curled her rooted hair and lent her a pair of my blue crystal earrings.
1950s Glamour Doll
A 19 in. vinyl glamour doll, 1957-1959, is marked “14 R” on the back of her head. The same mark was used by many companies such as Belle, Deluxe Reading, Eegee, and Sayco. She was given to me with a trunk of clothes.
1950s Clothes Trunk
This trunk of clothes and accessories dates to the late 1950’s when 19 and 20 in. hi-heeled fashion dolls were popular. I have used some of the items to dress thrift shop/flea market dolls of the same vintage.
1950s Dolls
A friend gave me two unidentified doll trunks, each containing a fashion doll of the 1950’s with its wardrobe. The dolls were 19 in. and 18 in., each having an identical set of outfits, some factory made but most hand made from commercial patterns. The 18 in. vinyl glamour doll, 1957-1959, is marked VT 18, which stands for the Ideal Toy Co. She is wearing a flower-trimmed gown, nylons, and wrist corsage. She was given to me with a trunk of clothes. I added the wig and earrings.
Uneeda Doll
Even before Barbie was introduced in 1959 there were vinyl full figure dolls with high-heeled feet and suran-rooted hair. They came in sizes 18 – 23 in. and also smaller 10.5 in. look alikes. The doll on the left is 19 in. with hard vinyl body and soft vinyl head. Unmarked and wearing a 1950’s dress, she has the face of a Uneeda doll. The 10.5 in. doll on the right is marked Uneeda on her head. With a hard vinyl body and soft vinyl head, she has sleep eyes and a twist waist.
Godey’s Little Lady Doll
My daughter Elaine found this 7 in. Ruth Gibbs Godey’s Little Lady at a thrift store. She knew I had one from 1955 and would love to have another, even though it had no clothes. I made this dress and bonnet from a pattern in Doll Reader magazine.
1955 Godey’s Little Lady Dolls
Here are two 1955 Godey’s Little Lady dolls in their original clothes. They are 7 in. with china head and limbs and cloth bodies. Their clothes reflect the style of Godey’s Ladies Books, pattern guides for ladies of the late 1800’s. Their creator was Ruth Gibbs.
Nancy Ann Storybook Dolls
I found these 1950’s plastic Nancy Ann Storybook dolls at a flea market. The two dolls in the center were already dressed but I made the yellow and blue outfits. A 4 in. doll was also part of the group, a size I was surprised to find.
