What a healthy looking and happy girl this 18" cloth Alabama Baby is!  She just exudes positivity with her wide open, brown painted eyes, molded features, painted brunette hair, and very well preserved painted face with just a scuff over the tip of the nose. Invented by Ella Guantt Smith of Roanoke, Alabama in 1897, the dolls were known for their “indestructability”, thanks to a plaster-coated cloth head with durable oil-painted features and a flexible, jointed cloth body that can sit or be stood up.

From the Charles Dickens book, The Old Curiosity Shop, is inspired this sweet cloth character doll by Martha Chase of Rhode Island, circa 1910.  Her name is “Little Nell” and she is found in a range of different outfits for a young miss, usually in printed cottons.  The cloth doll is a firmly-pressed stockinette, having an oil painted face and hair, with the hair on this doll being parted in the middle and pulled back into pasted cloth braids.  She has blue painted, dotted eyes, black upper lashes, a closed mouth and softly blushed cheeks.

 Her body is cotton sateen, with oil painted limbs, stitch-jointed at the shoulders, elbows hips, knees and separately stitched thumbs.  Her pale blue polka dot dress, white blouse, leather shoes and knit socks are original. Very few of these were made and she looks quite comfortable standing next to the young Martha Chase gentleman listed separately. She is pictured next to the Martha Chase young gentleman shown in the listing below.

Depicting a boy or young gentleman, we have a Martha Chase cloth character doll, made in Rhode Island, ca 1895.  He is all cloth with pressed and oil painted face and features, with a slightly blushed cheeks, a shy grin, and soft brown impasto painted hair that has wear underneath the cap.  He has such realistically detailed blue eyes with dotted irises, nicely molded ears, and a slightly downturned position of the head to accentuate his shyness. 

 The slender body is cotton sateen covered, with oil-painted, stitch-jointed arms and legs, with separate thumbs. He sports a n original, handsome, deepest navy blue peacoat with black and cream plaid trousers and original black leather shoes with knitted socks.  His nose has a scrape at the tip, as well as a rub at the upper forehead.  He was most probably made to represent the character in a story book of the nineteenth century.  He is pictured with the Martha Chase "Little Nell" shown in the listing above.

From the Art Doll Movement in 1920’s Germany came the artist, Dora Petzold and her thoughtful character children.  Using pressed cardboard or composition for the face and head, and various cotton fabrics for the bodies (this one having the Dora Petzold mark on the derriere), these well-dressed dolls catered to the elegant lady and boudoir doll customers of the day.  This slender young lady has a skillfully painted, long face with gently shaded cheeks, two-tone blue eyes, a bit of pale blue highlight color on the eyelids for depth, pale brows, a long nose and salmon pink painted closed lips.   

Her soft, bobbed wig is of ash brown mohair and her slender, firm cloth body is jointed at the shoulders and hips, with the added movement of a head that swivels.  An antique, pleated front, cotton dress with attached red trim, complemented with a wide, red satin bow in her hair makes up her simple presentation. Her undergarments, cream leather shoes and cotton socks are all antique.  There is some moisture staining where her limbs were exposed and a bit of restitching at the right shoulder joint.  On her derriere is the very faint remnant of her stamped mark. 

An early, collaborative product, with Kathe Kruse fashioning a number one cloth doll after the Kammer and Reinhardt 101 bisque character “Peter”, brought us a seldom seen example from 1910.  The facial expression of Peter rings true, but having the special earthiness of the Kathe Kruse texture.  The features are all painted and there is some wear to the surface of the hair and face. 

 The construction of the stuffed cloth body is very similar to that of the classic Kathe Kruse, with this model having what is called the rare “frog hands” (one of the thumbs is missing).  The knee joints are quite interesting in that the upper and lower leg are connected with cloth ball joints.  There has been some restitching around the left ankle joint.  Quite charming is his three-piece, white cotton outfit that has some creatively constructed underpants under his multi-button joined shirt and shorts.  The sturdy, lace-up leather shoes are unusual in their design and stitching and his vintage cotton cap has been added.

  The body is also of stuffed stockinette, with the lower arms and legs being also oil painted.  When clothed, these dolls usually had a baby gown and bonnet, and this child is wearing an antique mixture of garments, including underclothing, a red gauzy dress that is too small, but probably for color to bring out the lovely embroidered stitching of the antique smock she wears.  The red cotton bonnet is quite worn but was left as it was found on the doll.  Shoes are old replacements over antique stockings.

One of a kind, early black American cloth (20") doll with stuffed stockinette head and body, circa 1880.  Her friendly face has black shoe button eyes, black yarn hair and a red painted mouth with painted white teeth peeking through a subtle smile.  Her red print, antique clothing is original and resting securely on her lap is a small companion cloth doll that was left as found under her arm. 

An elusive, French leather baby from the early 1920’s who sits in a German Marklin carriage with the original, but very worn hood. The original, cream-painted metal surface of this strong, quality carriage has some wear, which is expected.  The baby is jointed at the shoulders and hips of her smooth, flesh tinted, all leather body, and her pressed leather face has suffered puckering of the head over her displaying years.  The painting is intact as are the textured accents to her molded blond short hair.

Dressed in her original, bold red outfit with peachy contrasting borders and red felt shoes, is a black felt doll that has great similarities to a Lenci Mascotte, with painted, surprised features and curly, short black mohair locks.  She belonged to an avid Lenci collector, many of whose prized Lencis are for sale on the Miscellaneous page. 

His polo outfit scores First Place with the vivid red felt polo jacket, cream felt riding breeches with saddle area reinforcements, a cream felt knotted tie stuffed into the lapels of the jacket, a black felt riding hat and his original wooden polo stick with braited leather handle. Last but not least are the serious, black leather, knee-high riding boots of high detail and quality, onto which are mounted authentic metal spurs. 

Dating from the early 1900's, this black cloth doll in her colorful outfit is quite charming! She has a face with features created by strategic stitching that creates a protruding nose, and her eyes, brows and mouth are created with embroidered thread. She even has some white stiching between the red lips and giving her a dot of light in each eye!

Resting in her original, labeled factory box, is this spunky Lenci Mascotte girl (9"), dressed in her original “sweeper” outfit, holding her straw broom with wooden handle. She has light blue, side glancing painted eyes, long blond hair with a top bun and a slightly olive complexion.

Her costume is an orange-red and crème checkered felt dress with crème fabric apron, crème socks and orange-red felt shoes. The red color has faded somewhat but there are no mothholes visible. The box is is good condition, with wear at the corners of the lid.  Cara Bambina!

LW