Larry of Withington Auctions contacted me to share an Izannah Walker doll they were asked to appraise. The owner had decided to donate this early Izannah with provenance to the Nantucket Historical Society. With the permission of the present owner, Withington's shared images of this splendid 19-20" example of an early Izannah doll to post on the Izannah Walker Chronicles.
The present owner shares the history of this doll as follows:
"The doll was purchased from Izannah Walker in Rhode Island by Elizabeth Pinkham Crosby of 1 Pleasant Street, Nantucket, MA for her niece, Helen Marshall, daughter of Capt. Joseph Marshall and Malvina Pinkham Marshall of the Bark Aurora. The gift was for Helen’s birthday and sent to Pernambuco, Brazil for pick up. Letters suggest that it was received before November of 1857 when Helen was six years old. The doll remained with Helen for the rest of the voyage in the Pacific before returning to Nantucket when Helen was ten years old.
Helen Marshall gave the doll to my mother, Florence Farrier Hall, in 1938 to keep for me, her namesake."
Here are additional images of this wonderful doll.
