Norah Wellings Doll Gift

A beautiful, circa 1940s Norah Wellings Doll

She arrived having been loved for over 40 years by her former owner who offered her to me as a gift. This 13-1/2-inch Norah Wellings doll is very similar to the two shown here. My initial email from her former owner, KL, is copied below for provenance purposes.



On Mon, Apr 27, 2020 at 4:36 PM -0500, "xxxxxx" wrote:

Hello Debbie,

First off, I hope this finds you well. I want to get to the point and then explain in hopes to limit wasted time on your part, I was wondering if my beloved Norah Wellings doll could find a good home with you? No charge, I would very much like to find a loving and caring home for her. I've enjoyed her company for far too many years to feel right selling her and I don't have anyone in my life who I feel would appreciate her as much as I have.

When I was much much younger my mom found her naked in a thrift store, she brought her home and put some clothes on her. I saw her and asked if I could have her. She was mine but placed out of reach with visitation rights. 😉

Now, after having enjoyed her sweet smile and company for decades, as an adult I'm making changes and would like to send her on a new adventure. It really seems like she would be in good company with you and your collection. (I read a little about you online.) All I would ask of you is that you never sell her. (If you find a new home and give her away, that's totally fine!) If you have a better idea of a home for her I'd love to hear it. Please see attached photos for condition.

Thank you so much for your time,

--=KL=--

Being the black-doll enthusiast and rescuer that I am, I gladly accepted KL's offer to provide a new, good home for her beloved Norah Wellings doll and promised to never sell her.  My two other Norah Wellings dolls became as excited about her arrival as I did.

My new girl sat for this photograph where a portion of her cloth foot tag can be seen.

After having been packed with extreme care for her trip to her new home, my new-to-me Norah Wellings doll arrived swiftly. I used my hands to smooth her black mohair wig and to tuck in some areas of the bun. I applied clear fingernail polish to the raw edges of the hem of her handmade skirt to prevent it from fraying. I took photos and documented her in my doll inventory workbook.

Standing photos from the front and back

My doll inventory Excel description entry reads as follows:

13-1/2-inch doll, made of velvet has mask face under velvet with side-glancing, painted brown eyes; a smiling mouth with six painted teeth; black mohair wig styled in an upswept bun; marked on the left foot: MADE IN ENGLAND/BY/NORAH WELLINGS. Has sewn-on cowrie shell and bead earrings and multicolored strung wooden beads that accent her bun (both earrings and hair beads probably added by her former owner), wears original gray marble-colored bangle bracelet and anklet on left arm and ankle. Bracelet and ankle indentations on the right arm and ankle indicate she probably wore bracelets and anklets there. Redressed by former owner's mother using yellow fabric and a multicolored scarf to create a sarong.  The former owner's mother purchased the doll secondhand during the 1970s. 

The cloth tag on her left foot reads:
MADE IN ENGLAND
BY
NORAH WELLINGS

My Norah Wellings gift doll is accompanied by my first and second circa 1930s dolls. The one on the far right is a Dudu model 119; the other is a souvenir of Nassau Bahamas.

After I fussed over her, she was next greeted by her two sisters. The three fell in love immediately. It was a joy to imagine how they would actually interact with one another. Because they are about the same height and wear coordinating colors, they will display well together in the cloth-doll section of my collection.

Their close-up illustrates their different eyes and complexions. The newest girl has a deeper complexion and painted eyes. The older two have glass eyes.

The newest doll is my first Wellings with painted eyes (the other two have brown glass eyes).  According to Gillian Trotter, the author of the Norah Wellings Journal blog, glass eyes were used between "1927 and mid-1930s and the later ones had painted eyes." In an email reply from Trotter about the new girl and dating of the eyes, she indicated, my new girl's original clothing was probably a grass skirt, "the earrings do not look original ... some had hoops like the ones on her arm and others had beads or none at all." She also confirmed the new girl's era as being the 1940s and she feels the Nassau doll was probably sold on a cruise ship that docked in Nassau, Bahamas. Trotter is also the author of Norah Wellings Cloth Dolls and Soft Toys.

Thank you again, KL, for your kind gift. I will cherish this beautiful doll forever.

Addendum - 11/02/2020

I found the following notecard that was still sealed in an envelope with my name "Debbie" written on the front of the envelope. It had been sent with the Norah Wellings doll gift from KL and fallen behind my washer (where I had placed the doll's shipping box to open it upon returning from the post office).

The notecard is part of the doll's provenance, which is why I am including it with this post. 

My washer had to be repaired recently, which is when I found the notecard. Initially, I did not know which doll I was being thanked for adopting. Thanks to my doll inventory spreadsheet, I was able to find the notation of a doll gift received in April 2020 and match it with the name of the benefactor that I had recorded. Records matter. :-) 

Related Links
First and Most Recent Norah Wellings Dolls
Norah Wellings Journal

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First and Most Recent Norah Wellings Dolls

Circa 1930s 14-inch Norah Wellings Dudu #119 islander

Norah Wellings began making dolls in 1919 as the chief doll designer for Chad Valley Dolls of England.  She formed her own company in 1926 (Victoria Toy Works) where she continued making dolls along the style of Chad Valley dolls, made of cloth (velvet, velveteen, plush, and felt) with mask faces or molded faces underneath.  Many of her dolls were sold as souvenirs for the tourist industry.  Her dolls were also sold on cruise ships.

Close-up of 14-inch Norah Wellings Dudu #119 islander illustrates her expressive face and glass eyes, which seem to look through you.

I acquired my first Norah Wellings doll during the late 1990s/early 2000s from a local antiques dealer.  It is a 14-inch doll made of stuffed velvet with molded facial features, glass eyes, smiling mouth, and painted teeth.  This circa 1930s doll represents a native islander and wears only a wheat-colored and orange grass skirt and one orange arm bracelet.  The doll's left leg has orange and wheat-colored grass tied around the calf.  There is a dark area in the same location on the right leg where the same material had been tied around that leg.

Handmade scarf (by me) to cover this doll's missing hair

Some of the black mohair used for her hair is missing from the crown of her head.   I had great intentions of replacing the missing hair but never did.  Instead, I made her a headscarf using a piece of a brown and gold cotton scarf.

I have always wanted at least one additional Norah Wellings doll to upgrade the first one shown in the above photos.  That opportunity presented itself with the eBay purchase of my most recent Norah Wellings doll.  (Thanks again DS for sharing the link.)

14-inch Norah Wellings Nassau, Bahamas souvenir doll

She has such a lovely face!

Except for the usual cheek and nose rubs to the velvet, the newest-to-me Norah Wellings doll is in excellent condition.  She still has all her original jewelry and has both her original black cloth tags.

The cloth tag on the right side of the neck reads "Nassau."

Many Norah Wellings dolls found today no longer contain the cloth tag that identifies them as Wellings dolls.  My doll's identifying tag remains intact on the bottom of her right foot.

The tag sewn to the right side of her neck reads, "Nassau."  Her right foot tag reads:  Made in England by Norah Wellings.  Her sewn-on gold dress, made of velvet, has two felt orange circles on the front of the skirt and two on the back of the skirt.  Her short curly brown hair almost matches her complexion.  This circa 1930s doll was probably sold as a souvenir doll in Nassau, Bahamas.

Both are delightfully lovely dolls.  Their smiles make me smile.

The Nassau souvenir doll and the Dudu #119 islander display well together.

Links of Interest
See more Wellings dolls here.
See a rare, 36-inch doll here.
Allwin and Chad Valley Dolls

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