Grammies Doll
I was a serious doll player until I was 14, of course I played with them secretly for the last couple of years, but my dolls were my babies. I was their mother and I cared for them as if they were real babies. I even used to walk them down the street to visit the old ladies in the Nursing home. Some of those ladies treated my dolls as if they were real and that delighted my 7 year old sense of correctness.My favorite doll was named Lisa and she was the Vogue Baby Dear doll, designed by Eloise Wilkin who is one of my favorite illustrators. Baby dear was played with so much that she went bald from all that brushing of her fine hair and washing it. But it didn't matter to me how many times her arms or legs had to be sewn back on by my father, he was always the doll doctor in our house and did a fine job of stitching them back together.
Today, Mei-Ling wanted to play with my baby dear, now 50 years old. She treated her so tenderly and so carefully as if she knew she was something very special to me.
My girls played with her too on special occasions, and here in front of me sits three copies of the Golden Book about Baby Dear, mine cost 29 cents, the girls copy was 69 cents and Mei-Lings doesn't even have a price on it and has a new title, but contains the same sweet story and the same sweet illustrations.
I couldn't find a picture of me with my baby dear, but in this picture I was holding my doll Tammy but baby dear was asleep in the pram !
Comments
My favorite doll was a Madame Alexander baby doll which is still at my parents house. You've inspired me to get it the next time I'm there. I think she'll be happy in a place of honor on the guest bed. Oh, and I named my daughter Lisa. :)
I've been looking for it lately without luck. I want to keep some on hand. They make great gifts to first children when a second child is born and I have a coworker who just had a baby. I have a quilt for the baby, but nothing for his big sister. I'm glad to know it's still in print.
Cheers - Joolz
I played with baby dolls when I was "old" too. My favorite doll was one of my last dolls. My family did not have a lot of money at the time, but I feel in love with this life size realistic looking doll at a department store.
I remember the lady at the store took the dolls, a girl and a boy, out of the case and let us look at them. Mom told me she would see if my parents could buy it for Christmas, but she couldn't make any promises.
Knowing this was probably going to be my last, if not one of my last dolls, my parents decided to splurge on this doll. Mom even had to buy some 6 month size baby clothes because I had no doll clothes that would fit this doll.
I still have that doll now, even though her face turned yellow from all the times I took her out in the sun. I joke now that she has jaundice. :) It was just a few months ago that mom confided that my parents really debated whether to buy it because at that time, this doll was expensive for them. However, she is so glad they gave in because it has given me years of memories.
Also where did you find a new copy for your granddaughter?
Loved this post...I have never seen a Baby Dear doll, though I knew they existed, because i had the book and loved all things Eloise Wilkin. Then shared the book with my daughter, who still secretly plays with her dolls at almost 13.
Your blog is going to be a delightful use of time later today,
deb meyers