Do You Remember Keisha...

...and the other Magic Attic Club dolls?

First Issue Magic Attic Club Keisha 1995 by Georgetown Collection

I certainly do.  I fell in love with Magic Attic Club Keisha the year she was released, 1995, one year after the initial dolls were introduced to the market by Georgetown Collection. I recall receiving Georgetown's Magic Attic brochure, discovering that Keisha was added to the line, and immediately filling out the order form for her.  The 1994 debut dolls were:  Megan, Heather, and Allison. 

I was impressed with Keisha's quality and loved her Kanekalon wigged hair, which mimicks the texture of "warm combed" African American hair.  In the image above, Keisha's original hairstyle (one ponytail over loose hanging hair in back) has been restyled in three fat braids with ponytail holders and barrettes as accents. The book, Magic Attic the Adventure Begins featuring Keisha and the debut dolls was included with Keisha #1 along with a lavender brush and her floppy lavender hat. 

From 1994 through 2004 (their final year of release), Magic Attic Club dolls' ownership changed from Georgetown Collection, to L. L. Knickerbocker, to Marian LLC (now Charisma Brands) with each company releasing new versions of the dolls.

Magic Attic Rose - the fifth and final doll in the Magic Attic Club line

Georgetown's Keisha remained my only Magic Attic Club doll for several years; but by 2008, I owned all four Keishas as well as Rose in honor of a niece who succumbed to cancer in September 2007.  Rose and my niece have similar facial features.  I wanted a doll to perpetually remind me of La'Vinia. 

My four Keishas, are included in my second Black-doll reference book, Black Dolls: A Comprehensive Guide to Celebrating, Collecting, and Experiencing the Passion , pp. 182-183 (September 2008).  The copyrighted illustrations and descriptions from the book are below:

Illustration 363 - Magic Attic Club™ Keisha #’s 1, 2, 3, and 4 from 1995, 1996, 2001, and 2004

Material: All vinyl

Height: 18in/45.72cm

Marks: None

Hair/Eyes/Mouths: Dolls 1-3 dark brown Kanekalon wigs; Doll 4 dark brown rooted/brown stationary/closed

Clothing: Doll 1 wears lavender jumper, white blouse, white socks, lavender lace-up sneakers. Doll 2 wears lavender overalls, lavender and white polka dot blouse, and white sneakers with purple laces. Doll 3 wears Keisha’s Fifth Avenue outfit – purple leopard-trimmed jacket, black T-shirt, leopard print pants, white sneakers with purple laces. Doll 4 wears Keisha’s African Princess outfit – a long African-print dress, gold headdress, necklace, sandals.

Other: Robert Tonner sculpted the face mold. Georgetown manufactured doll 1. L. L. Knickerbocker manufactured dolls 2 and 3; and Marian, LLC manufactured doll 4. Doll 1’s hair is coarser than the other wigged dolls’ hair and the original hairstyle is identical to Doll 2’s. Doll 3 is the only doll without bangs. Doll 3’s original outfit consists of a purple and white shirt, lavender T-shirt, denim skirt, and purple sandals. See Magic Attic Keisha #4 illustration for #4’s original outfit.

Value: $75 each

Illustration 364 - Marian – Magic Attic Keisha #4, 2004


Clothing: Lavender, purple and white striped blouse with matching scrunchie; tan pants with floral embroidery on leg and purple belt; lavender lace-up shoes

Value: $75

---

For additional information about the Magic Attic Club dolls, visit the Just Magic website for thorough details, which includes their history, face mold comparisons, accessories, and much more. 

dbg

Please adhere to copyright notice (see bottom of blog).