Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Doll Collectors of America Convention Features Izannah Walker Dolls



American Made Dolls & Figurines

The Doll Collectors of America, Inc., 1940

In late summer/early fall a reader of this site emailed to let me know that the Doll Collectors of America's convention for this year will be focused on exhibiting members' Izannah Walker dolls seated in their favorite chairs.  What a site that will be, I am sure!  

I tried finding more information about the Doll Collectors of America, and found the following information at Connie & Jaye Lowe's site:
"The first organized group of doll collectors was incorporated in 1936 as the Doll Collectors of America. Meeting monthly in the Boston area, these stalwart women recognized the historical significance of dolls and, being dedicated to research and education, mandated for themselves publication on a regular basis. Their early works, The Doll Collectors' Manuals, long out of print, are even today prized for their valuable content. The thirst for research and knowledge of their collections, many of which were family dolls, treasured and left by their mothers and grandmothers, led pioneer scholars/collectors such as Janet Johl, Eleanor St. George, and later the Coleman family to produce serious publications. The 1968 Coleman Encyclopedia of Dolls, and the companion 1986 Volume 2, remain the backbone of research. The hobby had reached such proportions that by the 1970s myriad price guides were being published. Today, the most widely used is the Blue Book by Jan Foulke."
I own a number of books from the mid 1900's which were published by the DCA, the latest I own being the 1983 Annual.  I wonder if this event will be covered by one of the major doll magazines.  I hope so!  That would certainly fit in well with the past focus of DCA's  pioneering of doll studies.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Withington Auction Izannah Pictures


This was the last time that all three of these dolls will share a home, although the doll with the blue body covering and the large doll below will stay together.  


 The fingers of the large 26" doll were very long indeed!
The hammer price on this doll was $7,000, 
to which a 13% buyer's premium is added.


I loved the blue body covering 
on the doll that I had named "Experience."  
She ended at $4,500 + 13%.


 And this girl below was sweet as pie.
Someone mentioned that she had a less common face.
Even though she had a fragile split in one arm 
and one leg the hammer price was $6,500  - add 13%.


While at the auction I  met a few people I had only emailed before, and it was fun to put faces to names.  One of them was a member of a group I lead - that was great fun.  Another person I met reads this blog, and called me "the Izannah lady".  She was surprised to hear I don't own an Izannah, but thought I had a closet full of them.  Wouldn't that be fun?

There was a section of the hotel where dealers had set up in hotel rooms to sell antique dolls.  One of the dealers  had the sweetest boy Izannah doll (not for sale).  It was amazing, and worth the drive down to the auction just to see that doll!

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Izannah Walker Hands Question


I received the following question by email, and thought it would be interesting to write about here for others to read about. 
Susan Hedrick, in her article in "Soft Dolls and Animals," clearly says, "Molded hands..." and "all but the upper arms and upper legs appear to have been made in the pressed method..."  Can this be true?
 This is interesting to read, and a great question, but I'm not sure I have definitive answers.  Most of the dolls I've seen have cloth hands, with stitching to indicate fingers, and an applied thumb.  Some of them could have had paste applied to the hands, perhaps.   Here are pictures of hands which have been posted here before, for you to look at and think about this question.  What do you think?














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