An Offered Gift

A circa 1930s composition Topsy gift

I was offered a gift of a circa 1930s composition doll that had been owned by the grandmother of the kind person who offered. He shared the story of purchasing the doll for his grandmother in 2000 to replace one that her mother gave away when she was a child. In one of the email notes he wrote, "My grandmother was so happy to have Topsy back for the remaining twelve years of her life. She’s been stored safely for the past eight years."

Topsy arrived in well-preserved condition with a handwritten note:

18 Oct 2020

Dear Debbie, 

Thank you so very much for including sweet, orange-dress wearing Topsy into your collection ~ I can't tell you how happy I am that she will be part of a cherished collection within your larger, entire collection, and that she will be loved at a deep level by a human and doll companion!

After photographing my new-to-me 9-inch Topsy alone, I photographed her with several similar-sized dolls and finally with some that are larger. Those photos are shared below:

Topsy posed with similar-sized dolls. The one on the far left was also adopted. These two look like sisters.

Close-up of the previous dolls

Three other smaller dolls posed with Topsy. The one on the far left is a composition Topsy-Turvy--a doll with two heads that share one body. The doll head underneath Topsy-Turvy's skirt is white.

This is a close-up of the dolls immediately above.

These two 16-inch Topsy dolls are almost twice the size of the newest doll.

Here they are again in a close-up.

Topsy poses with two straight-legged Topsy dolls. The largest is 16 inches tall.

A slight imperfection in the composition had been described to me before new-to-me Topsy's arrival. This was just an indentation flaw in the composition on the thigh that was an easy fix with Mod Podge to fill in the indentation and a mixture of brown paints to match the doll's original tone. Before and after photos are shown next.

The thigh imperfection was filled with Mod Podge to level it with the surrounding area.

A brown paint mixture covers the Mod Podge.

Higher up and on the side of the same leg, there was another imperfection. Mod Podge to fill and paint to cover were repeated.

Finally, I hand washed Topsy's pink dress, hung it on the showerhead to dry, and redressed her.

Hand washed dress

Topsy posed for this final photo.

As I indicated to the sender, I am delighted I was chosen to care for Topsy. As illustrated by these photos, she is in good company.

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There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
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Two More Composition Doll Repairs

The crazed head of the Topsy doll seated to the right of the doll in the rust-colored romper was recently repaired.   This photo was taken before the repair.

After repairing the 9-inch Topsy, shown above in the rust-colored romper and introducing her to other circa 1930s composition Topsy dolls that are displayed in a doll baby bed, I noticed a couple of other dolls that needed my attention.

A crazed head (lifted composition) was one doll's issue.  Another doll had been poorly repaired by a previous owner.  Crazed areas had not been filled in on the second doll; these and other areas on the doll's hands, body, and legs had been painted a brown color that did not match the original brown paint.  Additionally, this doll was not an authentic Topsy.

I did not take pictures immediately before the repairs of either doll because this post about their repairs was not planned.  I was able to find some vintage before photos of the dolls to share.

The First Doll Patient

These vintage photos illustrate some of the head crazing this doll had prior to its recent repair.

The 9-inch Topsy in the peach gingham dress arrived in the late 1990s to early-2000s with some head crazing and minor crazing on the sides of the face.  The head crazing had progressed as shown in the first photo of this post where the head looked like a case of vitiligo.

The crazed areas were almost crater-like.  These were filled in using several layers of Mod Podge until the areas were even with the original surface of the head.  After the Mod Podge dried completely, I painted the hair area black.  The lightly crazed areas of the face were filled in and painted with a mixture of acrylic brown paints that match the doll's original complexion.  I repainted the eyes and sealed the dried paint with satin finish liquid varnish that was applied with wedge make-up sponges.  Most of the painting was done with the sponge wedges, too. Paint brushes or toothpicks were used for detailed painting of small areas.  As a final touch, I gave her new ribbons for her hair.

Below are several after photos of this little girl now.

The different angles of her head illustrate the repaired and painted head crazing.

Full-view and fresh look post repair.

The Second Doll Patient

12-1/2-inch fake Topsy wears the same white see-through dress that she arrived wearing over a decade ago.  A crazed area on her chin and other areas throughout her body had been painted over by a previous owner using a lighter color brown than that used for the rest of her face and body.

This doll had been made into a Topsy by a former owner who took the liberty to shoddily drill three large holes into the doll's head and add a few pieces of embroidery thread into each.  While performing the minor fill-ins of this doll's crazed areas (mostly on the head) and repainting the entire doll an even color, I decided to remove the embroidery thread from the head and fill in the holes with air-dry clay to restore her to her original molded/painted hairstyle.  After painting, satin finish liquid varnish sealed the paint.  Photos of how she looks now are shared below.

There are no more holes in this baby's head and those tacky ponytails are gone, gone gone!

The chin area is now a more even color.

I used a men's crew sock to make a pair of undies for the baby to prevent most of her body from showing through the dress.

New undies made from a crew sock

I think she looks much better without the Topsy braids and her now even coloring also adds to her appeal.

"I'm all better now."

Back to Bed

The baby in the peach gingham dress readily went back to her place in the baby bed.

The second doll reluctantly went back.  She chose to stand instead of sit as she was doing before (facing in the opposite direction) in the first photo of this post.  I will have to watch her closely because I think she still "wants out."

Related Link
Repair of a 9-inch Composition Topsy

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There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
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Doll Gifts Part 3

A gift of dolls from Leslie Foster includes a Topsy Turvy doll, three souvenir dolls, two Black Americana dolls, a composition doll, and an oilcloth mask-face doll.

This is part 3 of a 3-part doll-gifts series to acknowledge dolls that I have received recently from doll friends and people who do not know me personally.

These eight dolls were a gift from Leslie Foster, who happened to find me through this blog.  These were purchased, she indicated, over several years because she found them interesting.  I also find them interesting.

Each doll has been photographed individually and its description recorded in my doll inventory workbook.  They are as follows:


Topsy Turvy, also known as Two-Sided and Double-Sided Doll

Circa 1940s Topsy Turvy, black side up

I was pleasantly surprised to discover that this 11-inch circa 1940s doll is a Topsy Turvy.  The black doll has a machine-painted face that is made of black cloth.  She is dressed in a red and white polka dot dress and wears a red headscarf tied in a top knot.  She is missing one of her gold-tone earrings.

Topsy Turvy, white side up

The white doll has a lithographed/screen printed face and yellow yarn for hair that is underneath a blue and white gingham sewn-on bonnet.  Dress color and fabric match the bonnet.  Both dolls' eyes side-glance to their left.

Spice Lady Caribbean Souvenir Doll

Spice Lady Caribbean Souvenir Doll

Still enclosed in a sealed plastic bag, this circa 1960s 7-inch cloth doll has a spice-filled skirt.  A faint scent of the mixed spices is still apparent.  The face is drawn with black ink.  She wears a red bonnet that is tied on with a piece of rust-colored yarn at the neck.  A tag stapled to the end of her scarf reads, "Sunny Caribbe" with "Spice Lady" written below that.

Black Americana Cotton Picker

Black Americana Cotton Picker

Circa 1930s-1940s 9-inch doll has black cloth head with lithographed eyes, nose, and mouth.

He has salt-and-pepper hair.

Black and white yarn create the "cotton picker's" salt and pepper colored hair. His arms are made of wire with black felt used for his hands.  His body, legs, and feet are black wood.  He wears a striped cotton shirt with blue cotton bibbed pants, no shoulder straps. Clothes are stapled on.  

There is real cotton is in his burlap bag.

The Cotton Picker carries a burlap cotton-filled bag.

Trinidad and Tobago Lady Souvenir Doll

Trinidad and Tobago Cloth Lady Souvenir Doll

This circa 1940s 11-inch cloth doll made from heavy canvas-type brown fabric has painted eyes and mouth and a sculpted nose.  

There are creases in her lovely face and some of her lip color has faded.  I want to remove the creases, but I am not sure how.

She has short hair made from black yarn.  Silver beads are sewn to her ears for earrings.  Different cotton printed fabrics were used for her headscarf, shawl, and dress.  A yellowed slip shows underneath the dress.  Trinidad and Tobago is stamped over St. Thomas near the bottom of the slip.  Apparently, this doll or the fabric used for the doll's skirt was also used for St. Thomas souvenir dolls. 

This Trinidad and Tobago Souvenir Lady carries a basket on her right arm that has red, orange, and blue pieces of felt glued to the outside.   Heavy cardstock creates soles which are glued to the bottom of her brown cloth feet (not shown).

Black Americana Boy

Circa 1940s-1950s cloth boy

This 16-inch circa 1940s-1950s Black Americana cloth boy made from black fabric has handpainted side-glancing eyes, a red-painted nose, and a circle-shaped mouth.

He has half-moon-shaped sclerae and seems to be surprised about something.

He has copper-colored yarn hair underneath a red felt cap.  His overalls were made from mattress ticking.  There is a floral fabric patch on the right knee of his overalls that can be seen in his first photo above.

Composition Topsy

Topsy

Circa 1920s 9-inch unmarked composition Topsy has three yarn braids with yellowed ribbons on the ends.  

Topsy has painted side-glancing eyes (the paint has faded).  She is spring jointed and wears a pinned-on white jersey-knit diaper.  The top layer of the composition has flaked off in several areas and continues to flake.  I plan to apply a sealant to prevent additional flaking.  The right arm will not remain inside the socket.  I will try to remedy this as well. 

Jamaica Souvenir Doll

Jamaica souvenir doll

This 9-inch circa 1940s Jamaica souvenir cloth doll has a basket of faux fruit attached to her head.  The fruit is made from balls of colored tissue paper.  

A closer look at the fruit basket

She has a hand-painted face.  The head, arms, legs, and body are made from black cloth.  Multiprint fabrics create the headscarf, dress, and apron.  "Jamaica" is written on the waist of the dress.  This doll is similar to two others that were given to me in 2015 by another woman named Lesley (different spelling, however).  The other two are a couple of inches taller than this one.  This doll is also made similar to one of the dolls given to me by Ms. Grace Anderson.  All three similar dolls can be seen here.

Oilcloth Mask-Face Doll

Circa 1930s Oilcloth Mask-Face Doll

The final doll from Leslie is a 12-inch circa 1930s oilcloth mask face doll with painted facial features.  

She has a charming face.

The eyes glance to the doll's right.  Mohair bangs are underneath a light pink headscarf which is tied in a knot at the top of the doll's head.  Underneath the pink scarf is a red, white, and blue striped scarf made from the same material as the skirt of the doll's dress.  The doll's arms are made from blue fabric that has multicolored diamond shapes.  She wears a white blouse with a red, white, and blue striped skirt, and red felt sewn-on shoes.  She is now my second oilcloth mask-face doll, the other one having been purchased many years ago.

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Thank you again, Leslie, for your generous gift of dolls.  I had actually forgotten how many dolls you were sending.  My mind was focused on receiving only four dolls from you.  After I opened the package and continued unwrapping the well-packed dolls beyond four, I realized I had received a double blessing!

Related Links
Doll Gifts Part 1
Doll Gifts Part 2
Topsy Turvy dolls (recently updated)

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There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
__________
Thank you for following, commenting, and sharing using the share button below.

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!