I've been fascinated by the hand-sculpted dolls of I. Roberta Bell for several years. She was the first Black doll artist elected as a member to the National Institute of American Doll Artists (NIADA). Bell began making dolls during the 1940s using premade. During the late 1960s, she began sculpting her own molds that chiefly were portraits of African American historical figures. This Bell doll is a portrait of Annie Davis Frierson, the artist's grandmother; it is believed to be a one-of-a-kind tribute. Hand-sculpted of porcelain for the head and hands, it has a straw-stuffed brown silk body and is dressed in a cameo-accessorized white-eyelet-trimmed collared black taffeta full-length dress, a white eyelet-trimmed half-slip, white full-length eyelet-trimmed pantalettes, black stockings, and white faux-suede lace-up ankle boots. A hang tag with Bell's grandmother's interesting bio is attached to the doll's left hand.
Classic Susi by Estrella arrived on August 17, 2022. |
I enjoy collecting dolls that represent the 1960s and 1970s. A 2022 reproduction of Estrela's 1974 Susi, made for the Spain market, was offered on eBay. The original Susi dolls were Estrela's answer to Ideal's 1960s Tammy. A link to a blog post about Susi and a link to the museum installation is under the Related Links heading at the end of this post.
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There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
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