Anyone who is a lover and collector of Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy stories and dolls is very aware of their very lovable and chubby mammy, Beloved Belindy. The wonderful children’s books written by Johnny Gruelle (1880-1938) from 1918 to the 1940′s feature Belindy in many episodes. The actual 18-19″ cloth doll was first manufactured by the Volland Co. In 1938, Georgene Novelties acquired the rights to manufacture the dolls and then in 1962, Knickerbocker offered a slightly different version of this very sweet doll. The chubby tummy doll was made of brown cotton with painted face and no hair as she wore a kerchief on her head. She usually wears a solid red jacket, flowered skirt with an apron. My doll pictured is a handmade version of the doll. I am not sure of the age (probably not old, but designed from the early 1940′s pattern). In more than twenty years of collecting Raggedy dolls, I have not been successful in finding an early manufactured doll. Due to their rarity, prices for the Vollands, Georgenes, or even a Knickerbocker can be a bit high for this collector! Someday I may find a REAL one!! I can dream of finding one at a yard sale!!

Following a vacation trip to the Lancaster, Pennsylvania area, I became fascinated with the wonderful handmade dolls made by young Amish girls. These dolls were made for play and were dressed in the same clothing that the Amish children wore. The children themselves dressed in smaller versions of their parents clothing. Most vintage dolls that I have seen are about 12″ tall and are sewn by hand using muslin and cotton fabrics. An outfit would consist of dress, smock, socks and a hat. Boy dolls had pants, shirts and hats. Fabric colors are solid and are dark (black, brown, navy, dark green, maroon, purple etc.) Printed fabrics were not allowed. The dolls were faceless for the Amish order believed that it was sinful to capture one’s likeness in photographs, portraits or dolls. Very rarely you might find an Amish doll with lightly penciled eyes, nose and mouth made by a child who could not resist the temptation to add a face! One can easily find souvenir examples of these dolls today but it is truly great fun to find a real old doll from the 1920′s, 1930′s or 1940′s. They are a fine example of American folk art.

Following the popularity of Molly-’es Doll Outfitters, Inc. and Georgene Novelties, Inc. Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls from the 1930′s, McCall Corporation produced the first authorized pattern (#820) in 1940 to make these sweet dolls at home. This first pattern made 19″ dolls with facial characteristics similar to the early black outline nose Georgenes and the multi-colored striped legs that resembled the former Mollye’s dolls. The dolls had yarn hair, embroidered and appliqued faces, shoe button eyes and wonderfully designed outfits. The very old ones were stuffed with cotton rags, kapok, and finely shredded foam rubber (no polyester fiberfill in these dolls!). There were later versions of the pattern (1950′s, 1960′s and 1970′s), but the dolls crafted from the early pattern are my favorites! Any early doll in very good condition with unusual multi-colored striped legs will definitely join my collection!! They just make you smile!

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!