Adrian "A Woman of Means" Fashion ~ Hollywood Ahoy Convention

I did not know anything about Adrian previously. When I saw photographs of "A Woman of Means" I knew I had to have the fashion. Now that I have it, I'm thrilled that I can dress a doll in such a stylish and beautifully made outfit. Here is a brief bio and photo of Adrian which I have snatched from the internet:

Adrian, Gilbert, 1903–59, popularly known simply as Adrian, fashion designer, b. Naugatuk, Conn.

Educated in New York City, he created designs for Broadway shows until 1925, when he moved to Hollywood. As studio designer at MGM studios (1928–41), he created glamorous clothing for such stars as Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Jean Harlow, and Katharine Hepburn, his opulent designs influencing haute couture throughout the 1930s and 40s. Adrian was known for his extravagant, draped evening gowns; hooded dresses; embroidered, padded evening jackets; and elegant suits. He was creative director for MGM's Wizard of Oz (1939), one of his most acclaimed productions; the same year he married actress Janet Gaynor. From 1942 to 1952 he ran a fashionable Beverly Hills salon.

The suit: there was been a great deal of discussion on one doll board regarding where this suit was manufactured. No definitive answer came about as a result of those queries. I didn't see it as relevant in any event.

None of these are meant to be seen as artistic images. They are for showing the style and details of the garments and accessories.

The outfit came with lots of pieces: jacket, skirt, sleeveless shell, handbag, shoes, gloves, earrings, bracelet, hat and faux fur. It was packaged almost identically to the way Ashton Drake packaged the Gene line fashions. There was a lovely ribbon tied around the box with a tag.

I had heard that although the fashion was created for Robert Tonner's Joan Crawford doll that it would fit other 16 in dolls as well. Heavenly Gene needed a change of clothes so she got lucky. Did it fit? The waist and hips of the skirt are visibly large. The bottom of the shell hangs loosely but overall the suit looks very good. It is easy to put on - no struggling with hooks or ill fitting shoes.

The inside of the jacket looks almost as good as the outside. The lining is a royal purple - I love that. The label is a replica of Adrian's original label! The stole is wired for shaping when placing it on the doll. That's a great detail. My stole needs to be aired out as it has a weird odor as if it's been stored too long in a basement in China. Not that I'd know what a Chinese basement would smell like...

The gorgeous metal and rhinestone embellishments truly make the suit. The one at the waist is not laying properly. If it really bothered me, I would make a temporary tack with three stitches to get it to lay flat. It's making a slight right turn as it is now.

The bling, in addition to that which is sewn on to the suit, consists of a multi-strand rhinestone bracelet and dangling rhinestone earrings.

The large zippered handbag and open toed pumps are black patent leather. There is something a little off about the tops of the shoes at the opening. They are too long - unless this is a style of which I am not aware.

The hat...I really didn't know what to do with it. I put it on and turned it this way and that and still couldn't find a pleasing way for her to wear it.

This outfit cost $129. and was available as an optional purchase at the Hollywood Ahoy Convention which just took place in Long Beach, California in August. There are a few still available. Buy one! You will not be disappointed.

Here is the link to purchase Hollywood Ahoy souvenirs that may still be available:

http://sandrastillwell.com/2009/
Tell Sandra I sent you!

Picture of the Week Award ~ August 30, 2009

This photograph of Style Mantra Eden is sure to brighten any computer monitor. I love the colorful, casual fashion and the relaxed pose of the doll. It's young and fresh. The photograph was taken by Nina, a W Club member, who told me that the outfit is from the "Souol by Louos" shop on Etsy.

Congratulations, Nina, on this wonderful photo.

Madame Alexander Wendy Ann - doll repair story

When I first started to collect composition dolls, I decided that I had better learn how to repair them since they are quite old; and unless I wanted to pay premium prices for premium quality dolls, I needed to be prepared to buy dolls that were less than perfect.

In some cases, I was lucky and bought near perfect dolls for a reasonable price at auction, but in some cases, I deliberately bought dolls that needed some help, so that I could learn how to restore them without detracting from their original beauty.

I have nothing against dolls sold as "One of a kind" restorations with custom face paint, but that was not my intention. I wanted my dolls to look somewhat close to factory perfect.

My first "victims" are these Madame Alexander Wendy Ann face dolls, made some time in the 1940's. The smaller Wendy Ann has a Mayfair twist waist and human hair wig. The larger Wendy Ann has a mohair wig.

Here's what they looked like when they came to me:



Both dolls needed their wigs cleaned and re-set. The larger Wendy Ann needed to be re-strung and re-painted. She had been left in the sun to bleach. The smaller Wendy Ann's eyes were completely crazed. Neither doll had any clothes to speak of.

Since their composition was still good, I figured it wouldn't take much to bring them back to their former beauty.

So, for both these dolls, the wigs were cleaned and re-set using doll curlers. I bought an old set of curlers that had been sold with Toni dolls. I figured if they were good enough for Toni, they were good enough for Wendy Ann. I could have saved money and cut up some straws to use for curlers, but the doll curlers were a lot more fun. The mohair wig was completely removed from the large Wendy Ann. It was caked with dirt and would have to actually be washed. The wig was still nice and full, however - so it would have been a waste to throw it away. It was dried on a form so that it didn't shrink. The human hair wig was lightly cleaned with a wet cloth and a little bit of conditioner. That wig wasn't as dirty. It was just a bit ratty and needed detangling. Both dolls' wigs were set with a little bit of white glue greatly diluted in water.

I re-strung the large Wendy Ann. She was my first re-stringing project, and I used cotton-wound elastic. While her wig was off, I repainted her face. It was an interesting exercise in recalling my fine art training in order to mix her face paint to match the rest of her body. It's a very close match, but if I had to do it over, I'd just take her down to my local hardware store and get their computer to match it. Since she is composition, I used oil-base paint. I used an oil crayon rub to give her a soft eye shadow and blush, and a modelling detail brush to do her lashes. If I had to do it over again, I would just use an artist's black illustration pencil for her eyelashes, although the brush is closer to factory. Both dolls had their composition sealed.

The eyes of the small Wendy Ann were crazed, so I cleaned them and gave her new pupils with highlights. Now, they were ready to be dressed.

The large Wendy Ann, I believe, was a bride or bridesmaid doll, as the shape of her burnt-out décolletage looked very much like the shape of the original Madame Alexander bridesmaid costume. I may dress her one day with an original bridesmaid costume, but for now, she wears a factory-made tartan jumper and blouse that complement her red hair. Her underwear and shoes are modern replacements.

The small Wendy Ann is wearing a dress made by a very talented doll dressmaker. I made her pearl and glass bead necklace. Her shoes and underwear are modern replacements.

Would these dolls fetch exorbitant prices on the market if I sold them? Probably not; however, the things I learned while restoring them to their former beauty are priceless.

Madame Alexander Wendy Ann - doll repair story

When I first started to collect composition dolls, I decided that I had better learn how to repair them since they are quite old; and unless I wanted to pay premium prices for premium quality dolls, I needed to be prepared to buy dolls that were less than perfect.

In some cases, I was lucky and bought near perfect dolls for a reasonable price at auction, but in some cases, I deliberately bought dolls that needed some help, so that I could learn how to restore them without detracting from their original beauty.

I have nothing against dolls sold as "One of a kind" restorations with custom face paint, but that was not my intention. I wanted my dolls to look somewhat close to factory perfect.

My first "victims" are these Madame Alexander Wendy Ann face dolls, made some time in the 1940's. The smaller Wendy Ann has a Mayfair twist waist and human hair wig. The larger Wendy Ann has a mohair wig.

Here's what they looked like when they came to me:



Both dolls needed their wigs cleaned and re-set. The larger Wendy Ann needed to be re-strung and re-painted. She had been left in the sun to bleach. The smaller Wendy Ann's eyes were completely crazed. Neither doll had any clothes to speak of.

Since their composition was still good, I figured it wouldn't take much to bring them back to their former beauty.

So, for both these dolls, the wigs were cleaned and re-set using doll curlers. I bought an old set of curlers that had been sold with Toni dolls. I figured if they were good enough for Toni, they were good enough for Wendy Ann. I could have saved money and cut up some straws to use for curlers, but the doll curlers were a lot more fun. The mohair wig was completely removed from the large Wendy Ann. It was caked with dirt and would have to actually be washed. The wig was still nice and full, however - so it would have been a waste to throw it away. It was dried on a form so that it didn't shrink. The human hair wig was lightly cleaned with a wet cloth and a little bit of conditioner. That wig wasn't as dirty. It was just a bit ratty and needed detangling. Both dolls' wigs were set with a little bit of white glue greatly diluted in water.

I re-strung the large Wendy Ann. She was my first re-stringing project, and I used cotton-wound elastic. While her wig was off, I repainted her face. It was an interesting exercise in recalling my fine art training in order to mix her face paint to match the rest of her body. It's a very close match, but if I had to do it over, I'd just take her down to my local hardware store and get their computer to match it. Since she is composition, I used oil-base paint. I used an oil crayon rub to give her a soft eye shadow and blush, and a modelling detail brush to do her lashes. If I had to do it over again, I would just use an artist's black illustration pencil for her eyelashes, although the brush is closer to factory. Both dolls had their composition sealed.

The eyes of the small Wendy Ann were crazed, so I cleaned them and gave her new pupils with highlights. Now, they were ready to be dressed.

The large Wendy Ann, I believe, was a bride or bridesmaid doll, as the shape of her burnt-out décolletage looked very much like the shape of the original Madame Alexander bridesmaid costume. I may dress her one day with an original bridesmaid costume, but for now, she wears a factory-made tartan jumper and blouse that complement her red hair. Her underwear and shoes are modern replacements.

The small Wendy Ann is wearing a dress made by a very talented doll dressmaker. I made her pearl and glass bead necklace. Her shoes and underwear are modern replacements.

Would these dolls fetch exorbitant prices on the market if I sold them? Probably not; however, the things I learned while restoring them to their former beauty are priceless.

Integrity Toys Announces Two New AvantGuard Dolls

Two new 16 inch AvantGuard dolls from Integrity Toys will join the ranks shortly. One is called Attention! and is an exclusive to Chelsea's Collector Cottage in Australia. This doll is limited to 300 worldwide. The retail price is $304. AUD which equals US $253.91. The least expensive shipping to the United States is $45.30 AUD or US $37.85. The doll will cost me $291.76! YIKES.
The other doll is called No Exaggeration. This gal has caused a bit of a stir because of the pants she is wearing. Whether they're called harem or dhoti pants, they're "out there" and they are freaking some collectors out. What I don't understand is that collectors seem to want high style and when they get it it scares them. She is priced at $220. and is limited to 400 dolls worldwide. She can be ordered from any AvantGuard dealer. With shipping from my dealer who is in a neighboring state, she will cost me about $232. That's about $60 less than the one from Australia. The Oz exclusive itself before shipping is nearly $40 more. I can't figure out why. No Exaggeration's fashion is more complex and interesting.
Some collectors have been commenting on the uber-colorful eye screening. The same complaint is heard with Fashion Royalty dolls, too. They're saying the doll is not as versatile. Does every doll have to wear shades of ochre and gray? It sounds funny coming from me but I've learned to wait until I see the doll in person. The change in my perception began with Aphrodisiac. I thought her eyes were freaky and that she looked like a zombie with her huge curly wig and black rings around her eyes. I never did get to liking that wig but the doll herself became beautiful and ultra-fashionable in my eyes after a short while. When the last set of basic Fashion Royalty dolls came out, I thought Vanessa looked diseased because of the dark blue/black lips. Now, redressed and with her hair crimped, she's one of the most stylish of my Vanessas.

I've also heard complaints about the lack of extra clothing for the AvantGuards. There has been only one fashion created for them so that's a valid point. When I compare what Tonner puts out for his new lines of dolls to what Integrity puts out, the difference is night and day. When Tonner created the character DeeAnna Denton he put out two basic dolls in lingerie, two dressed dolls and four outfits. The next season he put out three basic DeeAnnas in bathing suits, two dressed dolls and four separate fashions. This season there is one basic DeeAnna in a bathing suit. A new character, Peggy Harcourt, has been added and comes in two basic versions. There's one dressed Peggy and two separate outfits. Collectors cannot complain about a lack of support for this doll's body type.

What are we seeing here? We often hear the excuse from Integrity Toys that they are a small company. Yet they keep putting out line after line of new dolls. How small are they? How does a company grow? Not every doll that Robert Tonner releases is a success but he still keeps going with creativity and daring. Robert's famous quote is "Believe in the Power of Play." Is Integrity's theory, "Believe in the Power of Display?" or "Put it on a Shelf and Go Away?"

Anyway, I tell all the "...no clothes for AvantGuard..." complainers that almost every single Gene fashion, the Madame Alexander Alex clothing and now Tonner's Antoinette fashions, fit AvantGuard dolls. There's no shortage of clothing for them at all. Sybarite items are a bit loose but can be pinned. I've seen them in Tyler clothes as well. Most of Alex's, Gene's and Antoinette's shoes fit, too. There's no nekkid AGs around these parts.

Images in this post are the property of Integrity Toys.

Color Therapy Vanessa

Finally! Some of my readers may know that Vanessa is my favorite sculpt of all the Fashion Royalty dolls. I spend more time and energy (read: money) on them than most of my other dolls. I don't stop until they look gorgeous. Color Therapy arrived on the scene with too much hair. No amount of combing or hair tamer worked. So I bit the bullet and boiled a pot of water and used it to straighten her hair. Believe it or not, the result - which looks like she has had a light perm - was the straightest I could get it! I think it's much better than before.

Here are two earlier photos of her. In these, her hair has been combed out but I couldn't get it into a pleasing style.

NDR: New Yorker Cartoon by Alex Gregory

Just because I think it's funny.

Picture of the Week Award ~ August 23, 2009

When I opened a post on Prego and saw the pictures of this doll, I thought it was a real person!

The photo is by Jackie Saunders who goes by the name of Jackie in Cincy or JinCincy on the boards. The doll's name is Callan. He is a limited edition Iplehouse EID SE version of Akando. Honestly, I have no idea what all those initials stand for but it must be something really good because this doll is as hot as it gets. The photos Jackie posted of him are beautifully exposed and composed. He is so easy to stare at. Jackie knows how to use a black background when her doll is dressed in black. She lights the background to make the doll stand away from it. The lighting creates a wonderful dimensional effect and outlines Callan's body. Well done!

This information regarding the dolls has been provided by Jackie:
Iplehouse does offer regular line versions in different skin tones, (white and normal) but the skin tone my guy has, called "real resin" (which is a mix of urethane and french resins), has only been offered as Special Edition dolls. The Iplehouse EID guys are 70cm tall and they are heavy, weighing in at close to 7 lbs. They are some of the most beautiful, realistic looking male dolls that I have ever seen though, and that was the draw for me. Their bodies are sculpted beautifully. They even have detailed veining in their arms and hands. They are truly pieces of art in my eyes. They range in price from about $640 for a standard doll without make up to $1000 for some of the limited editions.

If you would like to see more of Jackie's photos of her doll collection check out her Picture Trail album and/or her Live Journal. You won't be disappointed!

Congratulations, Jackie, on your Picture of the Week Award.

Arranbee (R&B) Nanette, and hard plastic disease

Some time in the late 1940's, Arranbee began making hard plastic dolls, and one of the first off the line was Nanette. Nanette is another teen doll who sometimes gets mistaken for Nancy Lee; however, Nanette has a slightly more oval face and fuller lips than Nancy Lee (who was also manufactured in hard plastic a few years later. )

Nanette was often made as a walking doll, and came dressed in beautiful outfits and with elaborate hair styles. She wears a Saran wig (not rooted hair) and has sleep eyes. The 1950's hard plastic Nanette is very different to the 1930s-1940s composition Nanette, which has a cloth body and a child's face.

My Nanette is all original, from her head to her toes. She's a 21" walking doll in beautiful condition. Her problem? She had an odor from hard plastic "disease", which is sadly common in old hard plastic dolls. She can be cleaned up and made less stinky, however, using a few tips that I've picked up from other doll collectors:

1) Clean the doll inside and out with Lysol or a similar antibacterial cleaner. I use a hospital grade disinfectant. Do not use bleach or you will ruin your doll's color. The smell from the deterioration of the plastic (something not unlike the smell of Parmesan cheese) usually originates from the inside of the doll, so you will need to take care to swab the inside thoroughly. Since my doll is held together with her metal walking mechanism, the best I can manage it to dislodge her arms from her sockets and saturate the inside of the doll. (I don't feel confident taking her walking mechanism apart at this stage.) Allow to dry and repeat as necessary. If you feel confident about taking your doll completely apart, that is the best way to get to all parts of the doll.

2) Order D-Stink from Twin Pines of Maine: http://www.twinpines.com/ and give your doll the same treatment.

3) When you have swabbed and dried the doll a few times and the odor has pretty much disappeared, spray the inside and outside of the doll with a matte finish lacquer. This will help to retard any advancement of the disease. The bacteria that feed off the plastic are aerobic - so, no access to oxygen = no stinky plastic.

4) Keep any "diseased" dolls away from hard plastic dolls that do not have this problem. The breakdown of the plastic feeds a bacterium and, like human diseases, can be transmitted from doll to doll. Wash your hands thoroughly after treating and handling a doll with hard plastic disease.

5) This process, from what I have read, does not usually work for plastic Pedigree dolls, as their plastic is of a different composition, but if you have tried something that works, please let us know.

Beautiful dolls, like my Nanette, deserve to be saved from being stinky!

Arranbee (R&B) Nanette, and hard plastic disease

Some time in the late 1940's, Arranbee began making hard plastic dolls, and one of the first off the line was Nanette. Nanette is another teen doll who sometimes gets mistaken for Nancy Lee; however, Nanette has a slightly more oval face and fuller lips than Nancy Lee (who was also manufactured in hard plastic a few years later. )

Nanette was often made as a walking doll, and came dressed in beautiful outfits and with elaborate hair styles. She wears a Saran wig (not rooted hair) and has sleep eyes. The 1950's hard plastic Nanette is very different to the 1930s-1940s composition Nanette, which has a cloth body and a child's face.

My Nanette is all original, from her head to her toes. She's a 21" walking doll in beautiful condition. Her problem? She had an odor from hard plastic "disease", which is sadly common in old hard plastic dolls. She can be cleaned up and made less stinky, however, using a few tips that I've picked up from other doll collectors:

1) Clean the doll inside and out with Lysol or a similar antibacterial cleaner. I use a hospital grade disinfectant. Do not use bleach or you will ruin your doll's color. The smell from the deterioration of the plastic (something not unlike the smell of Parmesan cheese) usually originates from the inside of the doll, so you will need to take care to swab the inside thoroughly. Since my doll is held together with her metal walking mechanism, the best I can manage it to dislodge her arms from her sockets and saturate the inside of the doll. (I don't feel confident taking her walking mechanism apart at this stage.) Allow to dry and repeat as necessary. If you feel confident about taking your doll completely apart, that is the best way to get to all parts of the doll.

2) Order D-Stink from Twin Pines of Maine: http://www.twinpines.com/ and give your doll the same treatment.

3) When you have swabbed and dried the doll a few times and the odor has pretty much disappeared, spray the inside and outside of the doll with a matte finish lacquer. This will help to retard any advancement of the disease. The bacteria that feed off the plastic are aerobic - so, no access to oxygen = no stinky plastic.

4) Keep any "diseased" dolls away from hard plastic dolls that do not have this problem. The breakdown of the plastic feeds a bacterium and, like human diseases, can be transmitted from doll to doll. Wash your hands thoroughly after treating and handling a doll with hard plastic disease.

5) This process, from what I have read, does not usually work for plastic Pedigree dolls, as their plastic is of a different composition, but if you have tried something that works, please let us know.

Beautiful dolls, like my Nanette, deserve to be saved from being stinky!

Dania Zarr "Red Zinger" Fashion Royalty Doll

The only doll I pre-ordered from this year's main collection was Red Zinger Dania. I did so mainly because she is a new character; however, her mold has already been used for Lana Turner. She photographs amazingly well or I was just having a good afternoon...not sure which. Usually when I'm not in love with a doll, the photos show it.

As to the quality of the doll, she passes with flying colors. I'm having a little trouble with the jewelry. The tiny jump rings holding the heavy elements together open easily and when I was removing the necklace from it's cardboard backing, two pieces fell off. Yesterday when I was posing the doll, part of her earring fell off. Annoying but not irreparable.
Dania came dressed with a plastic protector around her shoulders and neck. That's a warning if ever there was one. Do not leave this outfit on the doll for an extended period. I wonder if there is something one can apply to the interior of that area that will protect the doll. Saran wrap?
I removed the navy blue fabric belt/sash as I felt it was completely out of place and ruined the line of the outfit.
As you can see, under the jacket Dania is wearing a sleeveless top tucked into the skirt. It's like a bodysuit although there is elastic rather than fabric holding the top down between her legs. She's also got panties under that. The skirt sheds a bit so when photographing one must carefully blow any stray fibers away.

Let's talk about the hair. This is just my personal taste. I don't like the roll. So far in all the pictures collectors have posted, they have flattened it. In the promotional photo that Integrity posted (see below), the curl is flattened. So why have it in the first place?

Image Property of Integrity Toys

I have an on-going issue with manufacturers whose promotional photos look significantly different from the production dolls. This isn't a big issue with Dania. Please, show us the dolls we are ordering before we order them. 

I don't know what color the sash is supposed to be. Mine looks navy blue but the shoes are black. Am I missing something?

I hope lighter, more feminine shoes make a comeback. Ultimately each collector personalizes the fashions to his own taste. Some like painted hands and chunky shoes. My own taste in dolls runs to the softer-looking face with less exaggerated features. 

Personal preferences aside, this is a great doll although she is expensive at $135.

Cool Site to Make Photo Presentations

Maybe everyone knows this site already but I just discovered it. All you have to do is upload a bunch of pictures, pick a theme, a presentation format and some music and the program does all the work. I love the way the sepia film look like an old 8mm filmstrip. Very vintage.

I have un-embedded the video. Please click on the link below to watch.

http://www.moblyng.com/watch/i7LWVhYSk0

Picture of the Week Award ~ 8/16/09

Stratos Bacalis used the Vogue Magazine cover seen above as his inspiration to create one using Fashion Royalty dolls.


I asked Stratos to provide a little background on the making of the photograph. He wrote:
"It was difficult to shoot as no more than 5 dolls at a time could fit into my light-box do lighting and background had to be kept the same for the combined shoots. The black & white outfit choice was necessary to maximise the impact and keep it tasteful (I wanted to do the white and blue like vogue but I do not have enough blue items if any in my stash). Lots of thinking went into how the ladies would be combined. It was certain from the get go that they would all be FR ladies but not NU Face girls (they will get their own cover later, plus I do not have all the NU face girls yet). I tried to even the hair colouring - same number of blonds in both groups. The two African-American ladies ended up in the second group due to the dresses and not their skin colour - two white outfits are in each group but the first had both white dresses with a full short skirt that meant that the two black outfits with a short full skirt would have to be in another group and from that point everything fell into place. I tried to convey the feeling of the original Vogue cover as much as possible but it is not always easy, plus I have no ladders to use in this scale. In the end I think it still looks good."

If you would like to read Stratos' blog, see more of his photographs and learn more about the man, here is the link to the Fashion Doll Chronicles, his fashion doll blog: http://fashiondollchronicles.blogspot.com/


Congratulations, Stratos on the Picture of the Week Award!

~

Click to see pages and pages of Vogue Magazine covers.

Click here to see lots of Vintage Vogue Magazine covers.

Celebrity doll - Shirley Temple

Much has been written about this doll who is sculpted to look like her namesake who made her cinematic debut at the tender age of four. In her day, Shirley Temple's face was more recognizable than the president of the United States. From Japan, to the United States and around the world, this little girl gave us all something in common to enjoy.

Shirley Temple dolls were first made of composition material and were manufactured in the United States by the Ideal Novelty & Toy Company from 1934 - 1939. Ideal was the only company licensed to make the official Shirley Temple doll, although there were plenty of imitators. One particularly collectible Shirley was made in Japan and has painted features. They came in 6", 7" and 8" sizes. The Ideal dolls came in 11" to 27" sizes (with a 16" size made by the Reliable doll company of Canada.) The Ideal dolls are the ones that collectors are most familiar with: curly mohair wig, toothy smile, hazel sleep eyes (some eyes were flirty) and of course, Shirley's famous dimples.

Shirley came dressed in copies of outfits that she wore in her films, with the first dolls issued with the dress that Shirley wore in Baby Take a Bow. She came wearing her genuine Shirley Temple doll pin, rayon socks and oil cloth shoes.

In 1935 and 1936, a baby Shirley Temple was manufactured. They came with a composition head with shoulder plate, legs, and arms, and a cloth stuffed body. These dolls are much more rare, and are worth more to collectors, of course.

Shirley Temple dolls disappeared for a while in the 1940s as Shirley became a young woman, but some time in the early 1950s, there was a resurgence in interest in Shirley Temple dolls, as little girls who knew Shirley in the 1930s, became mothers of little girls, themselves. Shirley Temple could now be seen on television and once again, little girls wanted a Shirley Temple doll. This time however, the dolls were made of vinyl and could be purchased from a 12" size, all the way up to a 36" size. Ideal was licensed to make the dolls all the way up through the early 1980s. The most contemporary Shirley Temple dolls are made of porcelain by Danbury Mint.

Shirley Temple has been so popular through the ages, that one can also buy Shirley Temple paper dolls, books, sheet music, accessories, purses, clothing, figurines and art plates (to name a few). No other little girl has so thoroughly captured the hearts of millions over almost a century.

My Shirley Temple dolls are the Ideal dolls. One is a 27" composition doll with flirty eyes, which dates her to around 1937. I also own a 12" vinyl doll from 1957 dressed in her Stand Up and Cheer dress. Sadly, neither doll has her original pin and I don't believe the compo Shirley's Swiss dotted dress is original to her. Both dolls are marked Ideal and either Shirley Temple (compo) or ST (vinyl). I love both my Shirley Temple dolls, but in my opinion, the old composition dolls capture the look of Shirley's face the best.





















Check out this old home movie from the 1930s of a little girl getting a Shirley Temple doll for Christmas. So sweet!

Celebrity doll - Shirley Temple

Much has been written about this doll who is sculpted to look like her namesake who made her cinematic debut at the tender age of four. In her day, Shirley Temple's face was more recognizable than the president of the United States. From Japan, to the United States and around the world, this little girl gave us all something in common to enjoy.

Shirley Temple dolls were first made of composition material and were manufactured in the United States by the Ideal Novelty & Toy Company from 1934 - 1939. Ideal was the only company licensed to make the official Shirley Temple doll, although there were plenty of imitators. One particularly collectible Shirley was made in Japan and has painted features. They came in 6", 7" and 8" sizes. The Ideal dolls came in 11" to 27" sizes (with a 16" size made by the Reliable doll company of Canada.) The Ideal dolls are the ones that collectors are most familiar with: curly mohair wig, toothy smile, hazel sleep eyes (some eyes were flirty) and of course, Shirley's famous dimples.

Shirley came dressed in copies of outfits that she wore in her films, with the first dolls issued with the dress that Shirley wore in Baby Take a Bow. She came wearing her genuine Shirley Temple doll pin, rayon socks and oil cloth shoes.

In 1935 and 1936, a baby Shirley Temple was manufactured. They came with a composition head with shoulder plate, legs, and arms, and a cloth stuffed body. These dolls are much more rare, and are worth more to collectors, of course.

Shirley Temple dolls disappeared for a while in the 1940s as Shirley became a young woman, but some time in the early 1950s, there was a resurgence in interest in Shirley Temple dolls, as little girls who knew Shirley in the 1930s, became mothers of little girls, themselves. Shirley Temple could now be seen on television and once again, little girls wanted a Shirley Temple doll. This time however, the dolls were made of vinyl and could be purchased from a 12" size, all the way up to a 36" size. Ideal was licensed to make the dolls all the way up through the early 1980s. The most contemporary Shirley Temple dolls are made of porcelain by Danbury Mint.

Shirley Temple has been so popular through the ages, that one can also buy Shirley Temple paper dolls, books, sheet music, accessories, purses, clothing, figurines and art plates (to name a few). No other little girl has so thoroughly captured the hearts of millions over almost a century.

My Shirley Temple dolls are the Ideal dolls. One is a 27" composition doll with flirty eyes, which dates her to around 1937. I also own a 12" vinyl doll from 1957 dressed in her Stand Up and Cheer dress. Sadly, neither doll has her original pin and I don't believe the compo Shirley's Swiss dotted dress is original to her. Both dolls are marked Ideal and either Shirley Temple (compo) or ST (vinyl). I love both my Shirley Temple dolls, but in my opinion, the old composition dolls capture the look of Shirley's face the best.





















Check out this old home movie from the 1930s of a little girl getting a Shirley Temple doll for Christmas. So sweet!