By Jennifer Adams
This doll was
given to a little girl as a Christmas present in 1925. Just over six decades
later, in 1991, it was donated to the Goulbourn Museum and has resided in our
collection ever since.
Many of you may
recognize this doll from our Museum banner at City Hall. It was chosen, along
with two other artefacts, to represent our family-friendly site. Even though
her paint is peeling and her face is cracked and chipped, this doll’s ability
to represent a much loved pastime of many little girls cannot be overlooked.
The mid-1920s in
Canada was a time of great prosperity for some, but for others it was a time of
poverty. Many families did not have the money to buy their children toys and
some children worked so hard in the home and fields that there was not much
time for playing. More often than not, if a girl did receive a doll it was on a
special occasion like Christmas. Because
a child would usually only receive one doll during her childhood, (if they
received one at all), she would take extra special care of it. It not only had to
last the rest of her childhood but there was also the hope of passing it down
to her future daughter too.
This toy, known
as a composition doll, reached the height of its popularity in the 1920s
-1940s. The heads, and sometimes the limbs, of composition dolls were molded
out of sawdust mixed with glue. Their heads were easier to manufacture and less
likely to break when played with compared to porcelain dolls. Naturally, these American-made dolls gained popularity and German porcelain doll making companies lost
favour.
The decades have
taken their toll on this doll but like many women who can recall having a
favourite doll, this one would have been loved and cherished by a little girl
beginning on Christmas morning, 1925.
Question: At the
height of the composition doll’s popularity, what famous person’s look-a-like
doll was the most sought after?
Answer: Shirley Temple.
