Collections: Antique and Vintage Dolls

Here she is! My Barbie, received on Christmas Day 1962, when I was a mere age 7. I recently rescued her from years and years of storage, washed her up with baby powder and Dawn detergent, using a child's soft cotton toothbrush, washed her hair and reset it carefully (many You-Tube videos on this). She is probably a Number 5, Bubble Cut. At the time, our family couldn't afford Mattel outfits, so I bought this Red Flare set recently from eBay and got her dressed up for Christmas!

My Midge doll is from 1964! I have her dressed for New Year's Eve in a handmade outfit, sewn by one of my dear Aunts who was super talented as a seamstress. Aunt Lorene created this dress with jewel, and matching coat with hat. 

Well, Barbie had to go back to work after the holidays were over! She is dressed in the Mattel Career Girl outfit. As per the times...early to mid 1960s, typewriters and slide rules were used instead of word processors or  Texas Instruments calculators!

Original Mattel American Airlines Stewardess outfit, approx. 1960. 

1962 Bubble Cut Barbie in original Mattel Riding Habit, featuring Breyer Clydesdale Mare

Here is a classic 8 inch Wendy/Alexander-kins, bent knees, strung doll, made between 1954 and 1956. She is not a 'walker', and she has brush lashes and slightly curved arms. She was given to me when I was two years old or so. I actually dropped and broke her, and my mother packed her in a box and sent her to the 'doll hospital'. It took a month or so, until she came back to me, good as new. 

This special doll is a family heirloom from my Great-Aunt Elizabeth, given later to my mother, and then to me. She is an antique, Bisque doll having an unglazed, painted, porcelain face and a soft cloth body bound in leather. She is quite delicate. I believe she was made around 1880.

Here is a pocket Drink and Wet Baby Doll from the mid 1950s. Likely made in Hong Kong and sold in "Dime stores" like our local Kresge. She has a soft vinyl body and limbs, cute sculpting, sleepy eyse of hazel color, and a tuft of rooted hair. She is not a Betsy Wetsy, but a smaller and less expensive alternative in those days.

Barbie with her famous pink French Poodle and the classic 1960s Chevy Corvette Stingray, also in pink!

Midge driving the classic Austin Healey in Arizona!

During the Depression era, dolls were too expensive to buy and families had weightier priorities. Many mothers and grandmothers bought patterns printed with guidelines, and produced these nursery dolls for their babies, by hand-embroidery! Butterick was an example of a pattern company that offered such patterns. The material was a sturdy cotton or linen. Faces were siple, flat design featuring sweet eyes and lips. The dress is removable and hand detailed with loving care. This was my mother's nursery doll, made around 1926, likely by her aunt, my great-aunt Elizabeth who I am named after.