This is a continuation of LAST APRIL’s challenge about
HEIRLOOMS. When my sister and I cleaned out our parents’ home, we had to make
many decisions about what to do with all the stuff. Which things are truly
“valuable” and which have only sentiment in their favor? Should we sell it,
keep it, or throw it away? To help ensure a future for our family’s heirlooms,
I plan to leave a booklet for my daughters telling the stories of what they
will inherit one day. (Not TOO soon, I hope!)
is for Ideal, the toy company that produced the iconic
doll of the 1930s-50s: Shirley Temple. Even though Shirley Temple was a child
star of my mother’s era, I LOVED Shirley Temple and always looked forward to
seeing her movies on television. My favorite was “Heidi,” but I would be just
as glad for a repeat of “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm,” “Captain January,” “Wee
Willie Winkie,” or “The Littlest Rebel.”
My Shirley Temple doll arrived one Christmas along with a
doll trunk full of clothes made by Santa-Momma. I do not know what became of my
doll’s original dress. However, I still have the clothes that Momma sewed for
her. Shirley is dressed in a gown of pink eyelet. The dresses are all made from
scraps of fabric Momma had used to sew clothes for herself or for me.
I played with Shirley all the time. At some point I had
the bright idea to comb out all those lovely sausage curls. Her hair was a
mess. As an adult, I regretted that childish decision. Luckily, a doll hospital
was located next to an antique shop in Portsmouth that we used to visit often.
A brilliant doll doctor managed to restore those curls for me.
Original outfit and original box are two things that
Shirley Temple collectors demand, so my doll is not considered REALLY valuable.
However, the vintage clothing still in good shape will make this doll desirable
if my daughters decide not to keep her.
Wendy
© 2019, Wendy Mathias. All rights reserved.
Wendy, my mother loves Shirley Temple and was very proud of a book she had about her....just fallen apart now.
ReplyDeleteCassmob.wordpress.com
Too bad about the book. I bet it has wonderful pictures. Thanks for the visit and comment.
DeleteMy Mom made me a lot of Barbie clothes. Not just me but for 3 generations now. I learned to sew, but I don't like to. Your Shirley & her clothes look great!
ReplyDeleteMomma made my Barbie some clothes too. She complained about the teeny weeny seams though.
DeleteThere was a doll hospital across from my high school. I never went in and I never saw anyone else go in. I did harbor a desire to have a doll hospital for a short time.I even sent away for mail order information about becoming one.
ReplyDeleteKristin, you continue to amaze. If I were to guess which of my blogging friends wanted to be a doll doctor, I would have been wrong.
DeleteSo cute. That was neat your mom made clothes for her too. That itself is something special about the doll!
ReplyDeletebetty
I guess it is. Thanks!
DeleteDo I remember a weekly TV series about Shirley or hosted by her? I loved her movies, too!
ReplyDeleteMy doll was Beth from Little Women - my sister had Amy. While my mother did sew a few things for my Barbies, she never made anything for Beth. She's been through the ringer but I still have her in my hope chest.
Thanks for the memories!
Yes, she hosted a show but it wasn't her movies. I think the stories were all storybook-related.
DeleteI never had a Little Women doll but friends did. Was yours a Madame Alexander doll? One friend had all the Little Women dolls but they were Madame Alexander and we weren't allowed to play with them. Just for show!
Yes Madame Alexander. In the beginning she was just supposed to sit on my bed but I think my mother must have finally given up and just let me play with it.
DeleteOMGosh, your Shirley, her clothes and restored curls are my favorite 'Heirloom' you have presented. Love, love, her story and your memories of her clothes made by your Mom. She is REALLY valuable...in fact priceless.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I read online, Shirley collectors are very particular, so I don't know if mine would make the cut. I'm glad you like her.
DeleteWhat a treasure! Shirley Temple was the cutest.
ReplyDeleteI know! She was an adorable child star, and so talented.
DeleteLooks like she could just start dancing any minute! So cute.
ReplyDeleteJanet’s Smiles
Hey Janet! Thanks for visiting. I enjoyed your A-Z posts last year. I'm off to see what you're up to this time.
DeleteMy mother, who didn't have much as she was an orphan and in the foster system in the 1930's to 40's, did have a Shirley Temple doll she passed on to me. We got a few repairs done to it and I treasured it. But back in the mid 70's, my truck of antique dolls was accidentally left behind in a rental house. When I realized it and went back, the new tenants said it wasn't there. I was heartbroken....
ReplyDeleteDB McNicol, author
Microfiction: Instrument
Oh Donna, what a sad story from beginning to end. But thanks for the visit and comment.
DeleteMy sister had an Ideal doll, a Toni. I liked it so much that a few years ago, I found one for myself on eBay. Now I make outfits for her and blog about it. https://idealtoni.wordpress.com/ It worries my husband a bit that his 70-year-old wife plays with dolls.
ReplyDeleteHA HA - I'm going to have to look up the Toni doll. It sounds familiar but I can't pull up a mental picture.
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