2006.5.68

This Storybook Doll is porcelain with movable arms and legs, painted peach color with blue eyes and red wavy, shoulder length hair wig. She's dressed in a red rayon dress, white eyelet embroidered trimmed pantalets, and a black felt long jacket with a matching hat. The dress coat and hat are all trimmed with a red and white decorative braid; the hat also has a red felt "bow" on top (a la late 19th century fashion). Her high button shoes are painted on, black with three white buttons.

Nancy Ann Storybook Dolld were very popular during the 1940s. There was a factory in Berkeley where the ceramic dolls were manufactured (poured into molds). The commercial address for the business was usually given as San Francisco. The dolls were popular with girls between the ages of 5 and 15; there were special cases built for them (hanging on walls or standing on the floor) where one's collection could be stored and seen. The dolls were dressed to represent various stories and fairytales (Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, etc.), rhymes (like "One - Two, Button My Shoes, Three - Four, Shut the Door..." etc. Most dolls were the size of this doll, but some were made in an infant form (i.e. dressed for a Christening), and others were made slightly taller than this doll. Although this doll has movable arms and legs, many of the dolls hand rigid legs; some dolls had movable heads, but like this doll, most had rigid heads.

Used: childhood | Playing | Collecting