Objects Record

Images

1 of 1977

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Additional Images [5]

Metadata

Object Name

Doll

Catalog Number

2010.032.a-b

Collection

Merwin Gallery

Date

c. 1955

Description

a) Raggedy Ann rag doll; cloth face is printed with curved black mouth with red at center; four lashes under white eyes with metal buttons at center; red triangle nose; red-orange yarn hair is glued to head, seamed at nape; off-white arms have seams at elbows; pinkish body is printed with a red heart "I Love You" over her heart; cloth body has red and white vertical striped legs with seams at knees; black curved feet; wearing b) a light peach colored flowered cotton dress with white rick-rack trim and puff sleeves; velcro closure at back

Object Information

Kathy Mack was gifted this Raggedy Ann doll, constructed from printed fabric by a friend or family member named "Georgine" when she was a toddler. She enjoyed playing with it for many years-so much so that the original dress wore out. Kathy's mother made the treasured doll a new dress about 1975 and then Kathy's daughter Beth took her turn enjoying the treasured doll.

The Raggedy Ann doll was a creation of Illinois native Johnny Gruelle, a cartoonist-illustrator-author whose daughter Marcella, according to legend, brought him a faceless rag doll she had found in the attic. After drawing a face on it, he named the doll Raggedy Ann, which Marcella enjoyed taking on imaginative adventures. Gruelle believed other children would enjoy a similar doll and patented his Raggedy Ann doll in 1915. In 1918 he published his first in what would become a series of 20 Raggedy Ann adventure stories. He convinced his publisher to sell the doll with the first book, and sales of both took off. He introduced Raggedy Andy in the books, in which the two dolls enjoyed adventures when their humans weren't looking.

The Raggedy Ann doll was a creation of Illinois native Johnny Gruelle, a cartoonist-illustrator-author whose daughter Marcella, according to legend, brought him a faceless rag doll she had found in the attic. After drawing a face on it, he named the doll Raggedy Ann, which Marcella enjoyed taking on imaginative adventures. Gruelle believed other children would enjoy a similar doll and patented his Raggedy Ann doll in 1915. In 1918 he published his first in what would become a series of 20 Raggedy Ann adventure stories. He convinced his publisher to sell the doll with the first book, resulting in the sales of both taking off. He introduced Raggedy Andy in the books, in which the two dolls enjoyed adventures when their humans weren't looking.

People

Waszak, Kathleen Mack

Subjects

Dolls
Toy industry
Toys
Children