Historical Dolls, Part 1

From time to time, I'll post photos from my 2005 trip to the Enchanted World Doll Museum in Mitchell, South Dakota. Today's theme is black dolls. These dolls were photographed through glass, no flash allowed, so please pardon the occasional reflections or blurriness you see in the photos. Click on each photo to see a larger version.

Unfortunately, most of the dolls at the museum are not identified. My only complaint about this lovely museum is that there's so little in the way of interpretive material. Perhaps some of you who are knowledgeable about this topic will be able to comment.


Above, two small babies. The one on the left is labeled as a "Sun Babe" by the Sun Rubber Company, an Ohio manufacturer that produced dolls from the 20's to the 50's. Notice that she's holding a tiny doll of her own.

This doll has a beautifully molded face and an exquisite outfit, complete with earrings. However, the unrealistic shade of pink used on the lips is somewhat distracting. Too-pink or too-red lips were a frequent feature of black dolls from this period. Below is another view of the same doll, this time with her baby in its pram. Sorry about all those reflections in the window!



Here is a 12" vinyl (Barbie scale) Hattie MacDaniel as Mammy from Gone With the Wind, a role for which she won an Oscar in 1940. Recently, she was honored with a postage stamp bearing a likeness of McDaniel in the dress she wore to the Academy Awards.