Christmas in May with Tuesday

A recently received gift-wrapped package with Christmas card attached from Jo Maeder is shown above.

On Saturday, May 5, 2018, the Gladys MacDowell Doll Study Club celebrated its 50th anniversary with a "Gladys is Golden" luncheon.  The luncheon was held in the Washington, D.C. area in honor of Gladys MacDowell.  A renowned wax doll maker, MacDowell made dolls from the 1940s through the 1970s.

In a Facebook Live presentation, Jo Maeder*, great-niece of the woman for whom the club was named, gave a lovely presentation.  The week of the presentation, Jo queried me about my Tuesday doll trio that her great-aunt made during the 1950s and their brother (attributed to doll artist I. V. Roberts).  I answered her questions and gave her permission to use photos of my Tuesday triplets and Cal, their brother.

I was a virtual attendee of the presentation and enjoyed learning additional information about Mrs. MacDowell and Tuesday.  Some of what I learned (and some information I already knew) is, "Tuesday was conceived by Gladys MacDowell on a Tuesday, hence her name. The lore is that she only made ten. I know of seven. Gladys briefly lived with her family in the Canal Zone in the late 1940s. The Tuesday doll was inspired by her visit to the Panamanian Carnival in Panama City and the Cuna India fiesta on San Blas Island in 1947."  During the presentation, Jo also discussed dolls made by other family members. The presentation can be viewed at the link provided at the end of this post (the lighting and volume were unfortunately low.)

The week following the presentation, I received a package in the mail from Jo which contained the above-gift-wrapped box with Santa Christmas card attached.  Photos of the card and the unwrapped gift are shown next:

The inside greeting wishes me "Merry feelings, favorite traditions, peace and joy at Christmas" ("and anytime," Jo added).

The top of the unwrapped gift box is see-through plastic which has a Gladys MacDowell Doll Study Club (GMDSC) 50th Anniversary sticker on the lower right corner.  Visible through the box top is a souvenir postcard with images of one of MacDowell's Tuesday dolls dressed in a red floral-print dress along with front and back images of a Tuesday souvenir paper doll designed by paper doll artist and GMDSC member, Victoria Christopherson.

Did you guess what was wrapped in red tissue paper inside the box?  It was one of the Tuesday souvenir paper doll ornaments that each "Gladys is Golden" luncheon attendee received!  The paper doll artist is also a member of the GMDSC, which is a UFDC-affiliated club.

Made of heavy card stock, the Tuesday paper doll stands 8-1/2 inches.  Like the Tuesday dolls, she has multiple braids which are further illustrated in the following posterior view.

Tuesday's red floral-print dress replicates the dresses worn by some Tuesday dolls (all my  Tuesdays wear light blue dresses of floral or tropical-fruit-print).  Does this mean I will have to find a fourth Tuesday wearing red?  The bodice of the paper doll's dress is card stock.  The skirt is fabric with white rick-rack trim at hem. White rick-rack and a red satin ribbon were used at the neck and waist of the dress, respectively.  Ivory eyelet trims the hemline of the card stock white underskirt.

As Jo noted during the presentation, the paper doll's right foot turns inward like the Tuesday dolls.

I am still excited about owning the Tuesday paper doll and remain grateful to Jo for sending one to me.

Photos from the luncheon, which include additional photographs of Tuesday ornaments, can be viewed on Facebook here.  Watch the "Gladys MacDowell:  A Family Tradition of Dollmaking" Facebook Live presentation here.

Thank you, again, Jo, for my Christmas in May surprise.

*Jo Maeder is the author of When I Married My Mother, Opposites Attack, and Naked DJ.


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