After pursuing a Hollywood career of acting, dance and costume design, Miss Nancy Ann Abbott (born: Rowena Haskill in 1901) left Hollywood, moved to San Francisco and started designing costumes for small (3-4 inch) bisque baby dolls for her own enjoyment. Her passion grew and soon she began operating her own business. At first she dressed the small bisque baby dolls. Then she wanted to expand her company with a different line of dolls so she discontinued the baby dolls and began to dress little (4-5 inch) girl and boy dolls in numerous outfits. The dolls were categorized in different series. Some of the series were: Flower, Storybook Characters, Around the World, American Girl, Family, Masquerade, Sports, Storybook: Mother Goose, Fairyland, and Nursery Rhyme, Seasons, Dolls of the Day and Dolls of the Month. The early bisque dolls are some of the most sought after today. From 1947 thru the 1950′s, she created plastic dolls with sleep eyes. Around 1950 the company was producing approximately 10,000 dolls a day. Nancy Ann passed away from cancer in 1964 and the company closed in 1965. I have pictured an early baby with the hard to find “star hands” (most had closed fist hands), an early Mexican (hard to find doll marked Judy Ann) from the Around the World Series and the very rare mint in box Cowboy from the Masquerade Series. Some avid Nancy Ann collectors have doll cases filled with hundreds of dolls!
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh my, I love that cowboy with his box, is that one yours? Thanks for bringing up storybooks, I love them and I am a long time collector, always searching for more
Lizzy
Thanks for your very nice comment. He was mine for a short time. I sold him in Dec. 2001 on eBay…now I can just enjoy the picture! I am also constantly searching for more.
Janie
Hello, I have a question about the Dy Dee dolls from the 1930′s. My mother who was born in 1932 often told us about a Dy Dee doll she had when she was a little girl. She said it was one that would wet. I have seen some on eBay but I’m not sure which is which.I would like to know if there were different dolls or was there just one in the 1930′s that wet, because I would like to buy her one for Christmas. She has had a horrible year with our Father passing away and I know this doll would bring her some happiness in what I’m sure will be a very emotionally rough Holiday season. Thanks for taking the time to read this. Mike