Velva Doll - The Magic Playmate

 

Velva Doll was produced in 1932 by Kingston Products Corporation. Information above is from Mary Young's  20th Century Paper Dolls. Two sized Velva dolls were produced....one large 17" doll and a smaller 13" doll, both named Jill. Mary Young indicated another version of the Velva doll has been found, so dolls may vary. 

My Jill doll is 13" tall and came with many items of clothing. 

      

 Jill is made of 1/8" cardboard with a velvety surface. Her neck has been repaired and her coloring has faded, but you can still see her red hair and pale blue eyes. 

These are the clothes made of felt that came with Jill.

In addition to dresses, jackets and slacks,  several collars and yokes, plus suspenders, hats, gloves and a neck scarf were included for play. 

 

  

Playing with accessories..... 

     

            

Instructions came with Velva dolls....

and also suggestions for creating different outfits.

Checking this sheet, I think Velva arrived with her complete wardrobe!

A more detailed set of clothing came with Velva, and I was curious what doll they belonged to. 

Looking through Mary Young's wonderful book on paper dolls, I found several sets of "magic" paper dolls....

       

                   The Magic Doll for the Little Dressmaker, $40.00

and discovered that the extra clothes were part of The Felt-O-Gram Doll and Her Wardrobe. This set was made by The Poster Products Company of Chicago in 1932. The the black and yellow dress on the front of the box and the little red dress, boots and cap in the lower left corner of the box are the same clothes that came with Velva. Between 1932-1934, the Poster Products Company made several other sets of Felt-O-Gram dolls....Twins, All American Boy Bobby, Black-Eyed Sue and I'm  Bebé  of All Nations.

Just for fun, I dressed Jill in the extra set of clothing even though they were a bit large for her......

     

     

I am always happy to learn more about the paper dolls I have collected. And thanks to Mary Young for her exceptional book 20th Century Paper Dolls!

Poky-Hontas, a paper doll with "real" hair!

 

This is Poky-Hontas, a paper doll with "real" hair, produced by The DeJournette Mfg. Company, most likely in the 1950s. 

Paper Doll House Co. was formed in Atlanta, Georgia in the late 1930s. When it incorporated in 1946, it was renamed after its paper doll designer, Alma DeJournette. 

In the 1950s, their paper dolls had many added features that were not like other paper dolls sold at that time. 

Examples listed in Mary Young's 20th Century Paper Dolls Identification & Values....

★ Dolls might come in a box that converted to a trunk or a house

★ Dolls might have paper clothes that were washable

★ Dolls might have eyes that blinked

★ If a baby doll, it might come with a cloth diaper, bottle and actually drink water

★ Dolls might have "real" hair

Poky-Hontas came with six colorful decorated dresses and a jacket, plus some small accessories that are missing from my set

           

    

        

What a nice wardrobe to dress little Poky-Hontas!

This special paper doll can still be found new in the  package on Ebay.

OK, now you are wondering about the information above telling you  "If a baby doll, it might come with a cloth diaper, bottle and actually drink water"....I did also!  Mary Young answered that question by adding a picture of the paper doll box, 

LITTLEST DARLING   

The Paper Doll That Drinks and Wets.

Pepe and Pepita from Mexico

 This is PEPE and his twin sister, PEPITA. They live in Mexico, and are going to show you different kinds of clothes worn there. 

Pepe's shirt and trousers are white cotton, and he wears a bright sash or 'faja' to keep them together. The gay blanket is a wool 'sarape'. It has a hole in the middle for Pepe to put his head through. When he isn't wearing it like that, he carries it folded over one shoulder, and when he isn't wearing it that way he is probably wrapped up in it fast asleep. His sandals are woven of leather thongs.

Pepita embroidered the flowers and birds on her blouse  herself. She never leaves the house without her shawl, called a 'rebozo'. The basket and doll are both made of straw. If the pig bank looks wise it is because he has a secret - he is guarding all Pepe and Pepita's pennies.

These are the costumes worn in Tehuantepec, which is the tropical country in the south of Mexico. There is an interesting story about Pepita's headdress. When the Spaniards first came to Mexico they gave an Indian woman a baby dress with lace frills on the skirt. She didn't know what it was for, so she just put it on her head and folded the lace frills back the way you see it now. All the other women copied her headdress, and it has been worn in that region ever since. Pepe tries to scare all the other little children with his fierce looking mask.

When there is a big fiesta or holiday, Pepe and Pepita dance the 'Jarabe Tapatio' in these costumes. Pepita wears a rebozo again, but in a different way, so that it will not slip off as she dances. Pepita's skirt is bright red flannel and is so heavily embroidered with sequins and spangles that she has to hold it up when she dances around Pepe's big sombrero.

Now Pepita pretends she is a Spanish senorita, and hides her eyes behind her fan. She puts a high comb and flowers in her black hair. Pepe puts out his chest and says he is a brave 'matador' - but if he is a bullfighter, where is the bull?

This is the envelope this wonderful set of paper dolls arrived in.  I did not find information when this set was produced, but I am guessing it was in the 1930-40s era. The artist is Leonie Pennock Lowell, lifespan 1916-2006. The envelope indicates if was printed in Mexico. 

Pepe and Pepita are 10" paper dolls printed on heavy weight paper.