Throwback Thursday: This Little Girl Needed Extremities

First seen here, my souvenir doll from the West Indies, circa 1960s, arrived without arms and legs.  I decided to fashion some for her.  Here's what I did:

I connected the mid sections of two pipe cleaners to create an armature.

The armature was inserted through the leg area with the legs exiting the leg holes and the arms guided up and pushed out the arm holes.

She looks like an insect here but her arms and legs will look better soon.  There was no particular reason for my use of red and green pipe cleaners except these were the first two I found in my doll repair materials box (even though I do have brown ones).

I stuffed the body with polyester fiberfill with particular attention at the leg and arm holes to hold the armature in place.

Additional stuffing with poly-fil was done with my handy tool -- a No. 2 pencil.

To create the "skin," I wrapped each extremity several times with self-adherent wrap, creating the shape of arms and legs as I applied the additional layers.

A couple of layers of Mod Podge sealed the wrap in place with the first layer allowed to dry before applying the second.  I mixed black and brown acrylic paint to closely match the doll's complexion.

The arms and legs were painted and allowed to dry.

She's been redressed in her original clothes, which were washed and air dried the day she arrived.

She looks so much better and probably feels much better, too. 

Thanks again, Ellen!


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Throwback Thursday: Made in France Used as Souvenir in West Indies

This blue-eyed black doll was kindly offered to me after I was contacted by its previous temporary owner who wrote:

Hi, Debbie! I was given your email address by Sherry Howard over at Auction Finds, a fellow collectibles person.

Sometimes in my picking/selling travels I come across an item which I'm not comfortable selling, like this Mammy doll which was hiding at the bottom of a box of old Madame Alexander dolls. I don't [principally] sell things like this, and yet I know that there are people who collect these for historical or academic purposes so I am reluctant to just toss it. 

Any chance you would like to add it to your a collection? I'd be happy to send it along.
She's cast plastic, has no limbs, is about 5" from head to crotch, and is stamped "France." Although I know little about these dolls, I wouldn't be surprised if the eerily blue eyes were unusual.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Thanks,

Ellen

Circa 1960s souvenir doll from French West Indies

I accepted Ellen's offer to send the doll to me and offered to pay postage, which she did not require.  The doll arrived yesterday.  She is as I suspected and shared with Ellen who was curious about the doll's origin:  a souvenir doll that was probably sold to tourists in the French West Indies.  Upon visual inspection, her rigid plastic construct dates her to the 1960s.  The missing arms and legs were probably attached with a rubber band which deteriorated over time, separating them from the one-piece head and body.

Similar dolls made prior to the 1960s included those with bisque heads with composition bodies and later all celluloid.  The use of celluloid was discontinued in the US during the 1930s because of its flammability, but other countries continued its use in doll making.  Other Caribbean souvenir dolls were made of porcelain and cloth like these three that I own. 

Manufacture of Caribbean souvenir dolls continues as a thriving business for the tourist trade.  Today's dolls can be made of cloth or vinyl.  The plaid of my doll's skirt is similar to that used on newer souvenir dolls in Martinique dress from Fort De France, Martinique, Windward Islands, West Indies.

She has no arms or legs, but has found a new home.

Thanks again, Ellen.  Your little doll find, though limbless, with blue eyes that are not uncommon for these white dolls painted black, has found a new home. Thank you, Sherry Howard, for referring Ellen to me.

Link to previous post on souvenir dolls from Caribbean

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