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| 1950s Pedigree Delite Toddler Boy |
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| His back is marked Pedigree/Made in ENGLAND |
In British Hard Plastic Dolls of the 1940s & 1950s, Frances Baird writes:
Before taking updated photos of my 13- (14) inch boy, I knew my doll's astrakhan wig was deteriorating in spots as illustrated by the scattered white areas that almost expose the wig lining. For cosmetic purposes, I decided to fill in the areas with black yarn clippings.
In the above photo, the white areas of thinning can be better seen.
His enhancements were done at the kitchen table over a two- to three-day period, where the doll remained until completed. During a conversation with my husband, while we watched the memorial service of Congressman John Lewis, my husband said, "Oh, you did a good job on the doll's hair." I had to do a double-take before thanking him because he rarely provides unsolicited compliments.
*After the London, England surgery in 1953 to separate Nigerian-born conjoined twins, Wariboko (Boko) and Tamunotonye (Tomo) Davies, 10-inch bent legged Pedigree Delite dolls with this dedicated "negro" head sculpt were frequently referred to as Boko and Tomo. There is no evidence, that Pedigree actually manufactured dolls with those names.
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Delite Dolls of 10" and 14" tall, came with straight or bent legs, wigged or moulded hair, dressed as boys/girls/babies, and a negro girl and baby in 14" size*. They had sleeping eyes and jointed limbs.Baird's book documents larger versions, e.g. 16 inches, that use this head sculpt as well.
Before taking updated photos of my 13- (14) inch boy, I knew my doll's astrakhan wig was deteriorating in spots as illustrated by the scattered white areas that almost expose the wig lining. For cosmetic purposes, I decided to fill in the areas with black yarn clippings.
What Was Done
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| Thin clippings of yarn were used to fill in the thinning areas of his wig. |
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| Aleene's Tacky Glue was applied to the thin areas before yarn shavings were applied and then rolled into place using a toothpick. This was repeated in all the needed areas. |
In the above photo, the white areas of thinning can be better seen.
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| He is seen in a close-up photo after the yarn was applied to all thinning areas. |
His enhancements were done at the kitchen table over a two- to three-day period, where the doll remained until completed. During a conversation with my husband, while we watched the memorial service of Congressman John Lewis, my husband said, "Oh, you did a good job on the doll's hair." I had to do a double-take before thanking him because he rarely provides unsolicited compliments.
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| This handsome guy poses here and in the photograph below for full-view photos after the hair treatment. |
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| He is feeling even more confident now. |
While working on him, I remembered that his right eyelashes were missing and decided to remedy that issue, too.
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| Missing eyelashes (his) right eye |
Eyelash Repair
I cut the bristles from a paintbrush, spread these on a paper towel to the approximate width of the other eyelashes, and applied a dab of Aleene's Tacky Glue to the cut ends.
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| The glued-together paintbrush bristles were held together with a metal clip as illustrated above to allow the glue to dry completely. |
After the bristles dried, these were placed in the slot in the doll's eyelid. I brushed a dab of glue on the edge of the eyelid slot and the inserted lashes. A toenail clipper was used to trim off excess length.
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| Replaced eyelashes |
Before this guy was returned to his place of display, we went into the backyard where his final photograph was taken and to get about five minutes of direct sunlight.
With the exception of going on quick errands for necessities, I think going outside on days like the day this photograph was taken to take doll photos will be my new "safe" outing during this COVID-19 pandemic that we continue to face.
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Photos of this lovely, approximately 15-inch Pedigree Delite baby girl are what inspired me to give my doll his much-needed attention. Thank you, May McNeal, for the inspiration and for allowing me to share your photos here.
*After the London, England surgery in 1953 to separate Nigerian-born conjoined twins, Wariboko (Boko) and Tamunotonye (Tomo) Davies, 10-inch bent legged Pedigree Delite dolls with this dedicated "negro" head sculpt were frequently referred to as Boko and Tomo. There is no evidence, that Pedigree actually manufactured dolls with those names.
Related Links
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There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
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Thank you for reading. Use the contact form on right of the home page, visible in web viewing, to contact me.
Check out what I am selling here.
Check out my eBay listings here.
Please follow my sister blog Ebony-Essence of Dolls in Black.
Donate here to support this blog. Thank you!
There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
Thank you for reading. Use the contact form on right of the home page, visible in web viewing, to contact me.
Check out what I am selling here.
Check out my eBay listings here.
Please follow my sister blog Ebony-Essence of Dolls in Black.
Donate here to support this blog. Thank you!