On a shopping trip with my friend, Fusako, I found a few more rain coats to add to my program.  I have one or two more in my own collection then I guess I will be done.  The new additions are plastic rain capes from the 1950s.

Ginger Dolls

Darlene, Linda and I have been working on a PowerPoint program about Cosmopolitan Ginger dolls from the 1950s.  Because the original all-hard-plastic dolls were unmarked they are hard to identify.  To add to the problem  the manufacturer that Cosmopolitan bought the basic doll from used the molds for dolls sold to other companies.  If they have a tagged outfit it helps but there are also many outfits out there with the cosmopolitan characteristics and no tag.  Here are some of the authenticated and mystery dolls.

More Rain Gear

MORE RAIN GEAR

 

 

Here are two more recent additions to my dolly raingear. The Coquette Cissy (Cissette size) outfit consists of a raincoat with an umbrella print and pink plaid high heel boots.  The hat is one I crocheted.  The repro Patsyette has a wonderful outfit that incorporates April showers and May flowers.  The yellow rain hat, boots, and umbrella are vinyl.



Raincoats for Dolls

RAINCOATS FOR DOLLS

   I recently rounded up a lot of my doll raincoats to do a program for Fashion Doll Club.  Here are a few from the 50s.  Check out the clear plastic overshoes and the rubber boots.  I can remember the joy of splashing through the puddles in rain boots.

The 1930s

The depression marked the end of the flapper styles.  People became more serious and home and family became the center of life.  Into this atmosphere came Patsy and her look-alikes.  These long legged dolls with their short skirts seem to emphasize an idealized view of a child's life.  Patsy had an outfit for every occasion.  Most outfits had matching combination underwear.  She was leading a child's life of luxury while in the real world people were struggling.

Pictured above an 8" tagged Patsy, Arrenbee's Nancy, and a Patsyette knock off.

Kewpies and Mamma Rose

There is a nice article on Rose O'Neill and the Kewpies in the August 2014, Doll Castle News.  There is also an article by me on the fashions of the 1910s which features this UFDC souvenir doll of Rose O'Neill by Lita Wilson.  I redressed the doll to represent a fashion of this period.  The Kewpie is an old one from my collection.

O'Neill was an accomplished illustrator and it is a joy to find one of her old illustrations when paging through an antique magazine.  A wonderful book about her is "Rose O'Neill, The Girl Who Loved to Draw" by Linda Brewster published by Boxing Day Books.  This book is entertaining for both children and grownups and is generrously illustrated.

Vintage Purses

Here are some catalog photos of purses.  The color page is fro the 1950s.  The other two pictures are from the 1920s.  Maybe my flapper doll will get a new purse.