Where are Reuben Bates' molds?

"Hey!" you say, "This site is about Izannah Walker, so why are you talking about Reuben Bates?"

Well, dear reader, here is why. I was reading in Janet Johl's 1952 book Your Dolls and Mine, and again saw the picture of a "Reuben Bates" doll and the iron molds used to make it on P. 39, above. Some time ago the members of the Izannah Walker Dolls group (now on Maida Today) were wondering what the connection between Reuben Bates and Izannah might have been. The Reuben Bates doll looks remarkably like an Iznanah Walker doll.

Last year I did a little sleuthing on Ancestry.com to find out more about Reuben Bates, and found him living in Providence, Rhode Island in the 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880 censuses. He was listed as a "pattern maker" which may translate to mean mold maker.

The often quoted Providence Bulletin written by Philomena Hart quotes a Mrs. N. M. R. who was a neice of Izannah's saying that "Izannah designed a parlor stove that beat Ben Franklin's." It can be assumed that Izannah did not have an iron works in her back yard, and that in designing a parlor stove may have visited an iron works or stove manufacturing company. Could it possibly have been the Barstow Stove Manufacturing Company where Reuben Harlow Neal Bates was employed?

Here is what is written about Reuben Harlow Neal Bates' molds and dolls in Your Dolls and Mine by Janet Johl:

"This additional information about a highly cherished example of an early American doll is indeed welcome. Collectors can, however, be doubly grateful to Mrs. Singsen for she has added to the data of this particular era of doll by making the amazing find of a rag doll with its original mold. Although undoubtedly inspired by Izannah Wlaker, this doll was created by a man named Reuben Harlow Neal Bates who was born in 1802 in Attleboro, Massachusetts. He was a pattern maker all his life residing for a number of years in Providence, Rhode Island probably about 1840 until his death. He was employed by the Barstow Stove Manufacturing Company and it may have been during hs work there that he developed the mold from which the "Bates" doll was made.

This mold is most unusual and interesting for it is of iron and therefore very heavy. One half, fitting down firmly and tightly on to the other, pressed the features and head into the desired shapes.

Izannah Walker commenced making her cloth dolls in 1840 and the similarity in type is what makes one believe that Reuben Bates had her dolls in mind when he made his own mold. So far as is known his dolls were never offered for sale. Perhaps they were made for his own large family, or for his friends.

"The body of this most interesting specimen," writes Mrs. Singsen, "is well made and is covered with blue cloth. The pattern for the body was in the possession of the lady from whom the doll was obtained as well as the mold, her husband having been a descendant of Reuben Bates, but at the moment she could not locate it. In the photogrpah, the mold to the right, is of rouse, the hollow part. Note also that the doll's mouth is slightly crooked and that one eye is higher than the other."

One wonders how many of the Bates dolls are out there and are identified as Izannah Walker dolls? These are the kinds of mysteries that may never be solved but are interesting to try to solve. Could Reuben's mold have been the first trial mold taken for Izannah? Or did he see an Izannah doll and try to copy it? Is this why Izannah felt she needed to get her patent? When I was talking with my husband about this he said, "Maybe Izannah WAS Reuben Bates." He's such a jokester.

All of these questions bring up the question of WHERE are Reuben H. Neal Bates' iron molds.? They were last written about by Janet Johl and documented by photograph in her 1952 book Your Dolls and Mine as being owned by Lila Singsen (aka Mrs. Edward Singsen), who was a noted doll collector of the time. This is why keeping track of where the antique dolls have been is important - it sometimes gives clues to present mysteries to be solved. I bet some of you out there should look in your basement for some iron molds.

Frances Walker, Collector

Today I began putting a list together to thank all the people who have shared images of Izannah Walker dolls and articles about Izannah Walker dolls. Please see the list to the left. This is an ongoing task, and I will continue to add to it. Listing these made me think about how collectors, museums, auction companies and shops contribute to the preservation of these wonderful dolls, and to the history of our country. And also how all of these have contributed to the development of this site dedicated to learning about Izannah Walker dolls. You all have shared in large pixel ways. Thank you.

I learned about Frances Walker, who is quoted in the article above, from another collector who remembers seeing her first Izannah Walker doll at the auction of Frances Walker's collection. The article above was posted in the St. Petersburg Times in 1972, and quotes Frances Walker.

Of course, seeing that Frances had the last name of Walker gives rise to the question of how Frances' family might have been connected to Izannah's. Click the image above to go to the Google News site where you can read the article at full size.

Izannah Walker Dolls at Lucy's Doll House

The antique Izannah Walker dolls above
are available for purchase at Lucy's Doll House:

Click here for contact information
for Lucy's Doll House

To see current dolls available from dealers,
click the tab at the top of the page that says,

"Original Antique
Izannah Walker Dolls
for Purchase"

Izannah's Elbows?

Izannah skillfully hid much of the connection points of her doll's jojints underneath the body covering. Those of us who are dollmakers are always wondering what's underneath that covering! Up until recently, I had always assumed that Izannah's dolls had no jointing at the elbows, and if there were joints, that's because the doll had been repaired. Jackie Hendricks asked Kathy Patterson in the previous post if her original doll is jointed at the elbows as she has made her Izannah reproduction doll's arms. The following three pictures are courtesy of Kathy Patterson, who sent pictures of her original doll's elbow joints below:

Picture courtesy Kathy Patterson

Picture courtesy Kathy Patterson

Picture courtesy Kathy Patterson

Of course we also don't know what has been done to some dolls which have been with us for well over 100, and sometimes 150 years. Below are elbow areas of dolls that I have taken or that I've been given permission to post. It's up to the reader to look carefully and decide is this how Izannah originally made the doll or has it been "helped".

If any of you collectors or museums have pictures of original joints, please share!

Kathy Patterson's Izannah Walker Reproduction Dolls

Reproduction Izannah Walker doll
by Kathy Patterson

This blog is focused specifically on original Izannah Walker dolls, not on reproduction or Izannah Walker inspired dolls. So why is this post about someone making Izannah Walker reproduction dolls?

Reproduction Izannah Walker doll by Kathy Patterson

Because Kathy Patterson, known for making wonderful wooden reproduction dolls, has purchased original Izannah Walker dolls and had molds made of the original Izannah Walker dolls' faces. She is using these molds to make copies of the original Izannah Walker dolls she has purchased. The mold-making process takes an impression of the original doll in its worn state, right down to the ridges of the stockinette in the original dolls and any wear spots on the face. After Kathy makes the head from the mold, she paints the copy of the head and shoulders so that it resembles the original doll. Kathy makes the bodies to closely follow the lines of the specific bodies she has purchased. I think it's big news in the Izannah world that someone has been able to do this. Of course, Kathy signs the works to distinguish them from original Izannah Walker dolls. To read more about Kathy's process, visit her site called Babes from the Woods.

Pictures of Izannah Walker Dolls: Feet

For the Izannah Walker Workshop online class I've been giving, I put together an album of the feet of dolls that have been posted here on the Izannah Walker Chronicles. So I thought I would share the Feet Slideshow here as well. Enjoy!

Izannah Walker Overseas: The American Museum and Selvedge Magazine

If you live in Great Britain, and you love Izannah Walker dolls, you'll want to pay attention to this...

Barbara Spadaccini-Day will be giving a talk on Izannah Walker at The American Museum in Bath, England on July 20, 2010 at 2 p.m. An expert on dolls, a past curator of the toy department at the Musée des Art Decoratifs in Paris, author of A Celebration of Enchantment and co-author of The Dolls of Jules Nicolas Steiner, Ms. Spadaccini-Day writes for many publications both in Europe and the United States. If you are interested in attending the lecture, please check The American Museum's web listing or telephone 01225 823014 for more information. Be sure to check out The American Museum's lovely online collection.

For more Izannah news in Great Britain, the Izannah Walker Chronicles has been mentioned in Selvedge magazine, published in Great Britain. You can find the magazine on sale here in the States or you can subscribe for an online digital subscription.

Little Compton Historical Society's Izannahs

Jennifer Berkeley, a member of the Izannah Walker Dolls group, went on an Izannah tour recently in the Rhode Island, Massachusetts area.

Jennifer with the Izannah doll -
I recognize the happy look on her face!

Little Compton Historical Society was one of Jennifer's stops on her Izannah tour. I've posted small pictures of the Little Compton dolls here before, but Jennifer was able to get some larger closeups of the dolls at Little Compton. Thank you, Jennifer for sharing these epictures with the Izannah Walker Chronicles. Be sure to go to Jennifer's blog to see more - the links are at the top of the page of her blog. Beautiful! It makes me want to do an Izannah tour as well. Plus I have ancestors from Little Compton from early colonial times.

Little Compton's site has an improved online collection where you can read more about these dolls. Type Izannah into their search bar and information about the dolls will come up. The doll in green is a barefoot Izannah and is wearing Bru shoes.

Finding the Izannah Walker Doll Pictures

Izannah picture links have been
moved to their own page.

Click "pictures & documents" at the top of the page to view them. I'm trying to re-organize this site so that the information is easier to find, and not so much to wade through on the first page. Thanks for visiting!

~ Dixie, Northdixie Designs

Mystery Dolls

Occasionally I get emails from people who have antique dolls that they think are Izannah Walker dolls. Sometimes they have a very nice antique doll, as was the case last year with someone who has what might be a Presbyterian doll. Recently I received an email from someone asking if they might have an Izannah Walker doll, but this doll has blue eyes. I asked for them to send pictures, which they did. After looking over the pictures she sent me, I think she has an Izannah Walker doll that has seen extensive repainting and some helping in other ways. But the doll retains enough of the Izannah hallmarks that I think she is an Izannah doll. Of course, seeing the doll in person would give information that pictures don't. But what do you think? If you have ideas, please email me. I asked permission of the owner to post the pictures here on the Chronicles.

The blue eyes are obviously a later addition...

What do you think? Email me or comment below.

Maida Today: A Related Site

Hello, Izannah Lovers! I wanted to let you know about a related doll study opportunity. For over three years I have been studying Izannah Walker dolls and I am not done! These studies have inspired numerous trips to a special doll shop in Camden, Maine, a family trip to visit the National Museum of Play (The Strong Museum) and a quest to make an Izannah Walker pattern true to the original dolls. Izannah's creations have the top spot in my artist's heart, but I still find other antique dolls charming and worth studying. Occasionally on these trips my eye and camera would notice another doll, and take pictures of that doll as well. Look at the sweet Alabama Baby sitting in the lap of Miss Red Izannah!

This week I started a site called Maida Today (Making Antique Inspired Dolls & Accessories Today) which will be similar to this site, but will be more inclusive of other kinds of dolls such as one of a kind folk dolls, antique wooden dolls, antique papier mache dolls. In addition, the site will offer tips & tutorials about doll making, links to patterns & workshops, and recommended books.

In a world where most things are made by machine, these creations remind us that making things with our hands is one of the unique gifts we have as humans. The focus of Maida Today will be to share the work of others' hands from earlier times, as well as share tips & tutorials for making antique inspired dolls with our own hands today. So hop on over, but keep room in your bookmarks for the Izannah Walker Chronicles, which will be ongoing.