`Holy Grail` of Early American Dolls

E N G L A N D ’ S
M A G A Z I N E
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Her skilled carpentry was admired
by carpentry was admired by
Her skilled
doll House
in camden, maine,
oftenHouse
has atin
least
one original
Walker
Lucy’s doll
camden,
maine,izannah
often has
at least one original izannah Walker
local townsmen. A tirelesslocal
tinkerer,
townsmen.Lucy’s
A tireless
tinkerer,
doll for
sale in houseits shop (207-236-4122).
South
museum in narragansett,
doll for sale
in itscounty
shop (207-236-4122).
South county museum in narragansett,
she made furniture, repaired
shehousemade furniture,
repaired
rhode island (southcountymuseum.org),
and(southcountymuseum.org),
the Little compton (ri) Historical
rhode island
and theSociLittle compton (ri) Historical Socihold gadgets, designed a parlor
holdheater
gadgets, designed
a parlor heater
ety (littlecompton.org) each exhibit
one Walker doll. vermont’s
Shelburne
museum
ety (littlecompton.org)
each exhibit
one Walker
doll. vermont’s Shelburne museum
that improved on the Benthat
Franklin
improved on
the
Ben
Franklin
has
three
(shelburnemuseum.org).
For additional
information, visit:
has three
(shelburnemuseum.org).
Forizannahwalker
additional information, visit: izannahwalker
design, bought and sold real
estate,
design,
bought and
sold real estate,
.wordpress.com
or izannahwalkerchronicles.blogspot.com
.wordpress.com or izannahwalkerchronicles.blogspot.com
and even raised canaries. and even raised canaries.
By 1855 Walker had a By
thriv1855 Walker had a thrivexperts
surmise
theysome
may experts surmise they may
ing business making dolls,
in
delicate
dabbed
on
curls faces
of that
delicate
and some
dabbed
on curls
of that
ingand
business
making faces
dolls,and
and
in
been painted
as portrait
dolls.
1873, she patented the design
forshe
an patented
hair. Finally,
thefor
heads
sewn
to have
hair.
Finally,
the heads
were sewn
to have
been painted as portrait dolls.
1873,
the design
an were
unbreakable doll that was “inexpenMost stitched
surviving
examples of
Izancloth
bodies
fingers
unbreakable doll
that
was featuring
“inexpen-stitched
cloth
bodies featuring
fingers
Most
surviving examples of Izansive, could be easily kept clean,
and beand
nah thumbs,
Walker dolls
are girls, nah
but several
toes,
applied
some-applied
sive, could
easily
kept
clean,thumbs,
and
and toes,
and someWalker dolls are girls, but several
boysboots.
have also been found.
In have
good also been found. In good
was not apt to injure a young
boots. times painted-on
boys
waschild.”
not apt totimes
injurepainted-on
a young child.”
Her process included fusing
several
condition,
Walkercondition,
dolls may Izannah Walker dolls may
Theirfusing
sweetness
Her
process included
severaland simplicity
Their sweetness
andIzannah
simplicity
fetch
upthe
to five
figures
at auction.
One
layers of fabric with glue or layers
paste and
work
makegrail”
Walker’s
work
“holy
grail”
fetch up
to five figures at auction. One
of fabricmake
with Walker’s
glue or paste
andthe “holy
fine of
example
sold at Skinner
2006 sold at Skinner in 2006
pressing them into a mold
to cre-them
among
Early among
American
collectors
Early American
fineinexample
pressing
into acollectors
mold to of
crethan
Now
thatthan $27,000. Now that
ate the doll’s face and head.
Once
alsoOnce
admireddolls.
by folk
art for
They’re
alsomore
admired
by $27,000.
folk art for
more
ate the
doll’sdolls.
face They’re
and head.
dry, they held their shape and
seems because
both funtheir
and faces
exciting.seems both fun and exciting.
becauseenthusiasts,
their faces perhaps
dry, could
they heldenthusiasts,
their shapeperhaps
and could
be sewn together, then stuffed
withtogether,
resemble
primitive
resembleofthe primitive portraiture of
be sewn
thenthe
stuffed
with portraiture
horsehair, cotton, paper, orhorsehair,
rags and cotton,
Catherine
represents Skinner
Erastus
Salisbury
William
Catherine Riedel represents Skinner
Erastus
Salisbury
FieldRiedel
and William
paper,
or ragsField
and and
covered with a layer of stockinette.
Auctioneers
and Appraisers
and and Appraisers of Boston and
both Walker
contem-Prior,
Auctioneers
covered with Matthew
a layer ofPrior,
stockinette.
Matthew
both Walker
contem- of Boston
Cloth ears were attached, and
Walker
Massachusetts.
poraries.
The
style
and features
of cerMarlborough, Massachusetts. 617-350Cloth
ears were
attached,
and
Walker
poraries.
The Marlborough,
style and features
of cer- 617-350and her three sisters paintedand
theher
dolls’
5400, 508-970-3000;
skinnerinc.com
tain Walker
examples
are sotain
distinctive
5400, 508-970-3000; skinnerinc.com
three sisters
painted
the dolls’
Walker examples
are so distinctive
The The
‘Holy Grail’
‘Holy Grail’
of Early
of Early
American
American
Dolls Dolls
Though sweet andThough
simple, sweet and simple,
Izannah Walker’s Izannah
dolls fetchWalker’s dolls fetch
thousands of dollars.
thousands of dollars.
b y C aT H E r I n E r I E D E l b y C aT H E r I n E r I E D E l
This oil-painted cloth doll
was made in rhode island
by izannah Walker, c. 1860.
hen I was 8 years old, my hen
grandmother
gaveold,
me my
a cloth
doll for gave me a cloth doll for
I was 8 years
grandmother
Christmas. Neither pretty nor
fancy, sheNeither
was plainly
dressed
in gingChristmas.
pretty
nor fancy,
she was plainly dressed in gingham, with yarn hair, buttonham,
eyes,with
and yarn
a painted-on
smile.
Sheand
wasn’t
hair, button
eyes,
a painted-on smile. She wasn’t
exactly fun or exciting, andexactly
I didn’tfun
play
her much.
But long
after
orwith
exciting,
and I didn’t
play
with her much. But long after
my other childhood toys had
their
fate at the
annual
church
mymet
other
childhood
toys
had met
theirbazaar,
fate atIthe annual church bazaar, I
felt compelled to keep this simple
doll, welltointo
mythis
adult
years.
Fact
is, Iinto
wasmy
truly
saddened
when
felt compelled
keep
simple
doll,
well
adult
years. Fact
is, I was truly saddened when
one day I returned home from
find thathome
my black
her Lab,
enthusiasm
onework
day Itoreturned
from Lab,
workGreta,
to findhad
thatshown
my black
Greta, had shown her enthusiasm
for the doll by ripping her face
off.byBad
dog! her face clean off. Bad dog!
forclean
the doll
ripping
Luckily for me and Greta, her
value for
wasme
purely
sentimental.
Hadwas
shepurely
been made
in the 1870s,
Luckily
and Greta,
her value
sentimental.
Had she been made in the 1870s,
versus the 1970s, it would have
been
whole different
kind been
of loss—especially
if she’d
made
versus
thea 1970s,
it would have
a whole different
kindbeen
of loss—especially
if she’d been made
by Izannah Walker.
by Izannah Walker.
Izannah Frankford Walker Izannah
was one of
the earliest
known
American
doll
makers—and
Frankford
Walker
was
one of thefemale
earliest
known
American female doll makers—and
a true New England character.
Bristol, character.
Rhode Island,
Walker
was
orphaned
a trueBorn
NewinEngland
Borninin1817,
Bristol,
Rhode
Island,
in 1817, Walker was orphaned
at age 7 and went to live with
relatives
nearby
Somerset,
Massachusetts.
else isMassachusetts.
known
at age
7 andinwent
to live
with relatives
in nearby Little
Somerset,
Little else is known
about her early life, but accounts
evidence
of her
doll making
as early asof1848.
Although
aboutshow
her early
life, but
accounts
show evidence
her doll
makingshe
as early as 1848. Although she
made her living in dolls, she
dressed
in overalls
and she
lamented
she hadn’t
born athat
man.she hadn’t been born a man.
made
her living
in dolls,
dressedthat
in overalls
andbeen
lamented
64 |
64 |
yankeemagazine.com
Reprinted with permission from Yankee Magazine,November/December 2009
CoUrTEsy of skInnEr InC.
This oil-painted cloth doll
was made in rhode island
by izannah Walker, c. 1860.
CoUrTEsy of skInnEr InC.
N E W
November/December 2009
www.YankeeMagazine.com
november | december 2009
yankeemagazine.com
november | december 2009
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