Philip Heath's Welcome to the World African American Baby Boy

Philip Heath's Welcome to the World dolls, ca 2001 were presented in a trifold blue gift box complete with ribbon and Gotz gift tags.

Released in 2001, Philip Heath's Welcome to the World porcelain doll series, manufactured by Gotz,  included African American and Caucasian anatomically-correct girl and boy infants positioned in a modified fetal position.

I included my doll in my second book, Black Dolls a Comprehensive Guide to Celebrating, Collecting, and Experiencing the Passion in chapter 5, which is devoted to artist dolls.  A scan of that entry with the 2008 assessed value is shown next.

Heath's African American Baby Boy Welcome to the World doll is seen in this scan from Black Dolls a Comprehensive Guide to Celebrating, Collecting, and Experiencing the Passion, chapter 5, page 262

As indicated in the description in the book, the baby measures 4 inches (10.16cm) from head to toe.  He is unjointed and rests inside a white faux fur-lined gift box, attached to the lining with a metal waistband.  In today's market, the doll would be valued much more than $75.  Additional photographs from different angles are included next.

He is anatomically correct as indicated, with his anatomic parts blotted out in this photo.

My doll's box contained two Gotz gift tags, the inside of both reads in German as follows:

German:
Fur _____, dem süßesten Baby der Welt.  Wir haben uns schon so lange auf Dich gefreut.  Seit _____ bist Du nun endlich bei uns.

Zur Erinnenerung an


English Translation:

For _____, the sweetest baby in the world. We have been looking forward to you for so long. Since _____ you are finally here with us.

To the remembrance

These babies would make a perfect gift to celebrate a newborn infant's arrival to the world, but this one was a gift from me to me the year they were released. 

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Horsman's Controversial New Arrival Dolls

Li'l Ruthie and Li'l David by Horsman, 1975

My blog post of August 7, 2011, included four doll controversies with image and/or information links to three of the controversial dolls mentioned.  I promised to share additional information about Horsman's 1975 dolls, New Arrival Li'l David and Li'l Ruthie in a subsequent post.  This is that post. 

I purchased this pair of dolls during the 1990s, shortly after I began collecting, in response to a dolls-for-sale ad placed in Collectors United.  I telephoned the elderly (based on the feebleness of her voice), former owner to inquire about their availability.  She was surprised that I had no prior knowledge of  Li'l David and Li'l Ruthie.  She explained to me that they were the first anatomically correct dolls manufactured by Horsman for the play market.  I agreed to purchase the dolls, sight unseen, based on her description of the dolls and the history she provided.

Because of the correctness of their anatomy (and it is very correct), Horsman knew that some parents might be opposed to their children being so informed through doll play.   

The top flap of Li'l Ruthie's box reads:

READ MESSAGE BELOW*
PHYSICALLY CORRECT GIRL DOLL
New Arrival Li'l Ruthie

(Li'l David's box flap reads the same with the exception that "GIRL" is replaced by "BOY."

The asterisk leads the reader to the warning Horsman included on the lower front of the box to no doubt  eliminate any parental backlash the dolls may have created.  The warning reads:

*This doll has true-to-life features which differentiates little girls from little boys.  For those who feel they do not want their children to be aware of this difference we do not recommend this doll.

This was a clever move by Horsman, one of America's oldest doll companies, having begun operation in the US in 1865.  Horsman is one of the earliest American manufacturers of black dolls (Black Baby Bumps, 1911, being one of their early black-doll products).

More About Li'l David and Li'l Ruthie

Li'l David and Li'l Ruthie  are 13-1/2in (34.29cm) dolls with a one-piece, stuffed-vinyl body.  They have panted hair and painted brown eyes.  With the exception of their different anatomy and outfits, the dolls are identical. 

Li'l David wears a blue and white gingham shirt and diaper that has a front button closure. 

Li'l Ruthie's dress is pink and white gingham.  She has a matching bonnet.  Her diaper also has a front button closure.   Each doll has a pacifier, rattle, and bathing sponge.

An added extra for the little owner is a punch-out birth certificate on the back of each doll's box.

Li'l David and Li'l Ruthie were designed by Irene Szor, who designed dolls for Horsman from 1957 through 1986. 

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