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Averill Manufacturing
Company a New York, USA doll manufacturer has a long and somewhat
confusing history, mostly due to the various names the company
operated under such as: Paul Averill, Inc., Madame Georgene,
and Georgene Novelties. It was begun by a husband and
wife team of James "Paul" Averill and wife Georgene Hopf-Averill
with various family members, also being involved. Georgene or
Madame Georgene was the doll designer, one of their doll trade
names was Madame Hendren which was used in some of the doll
markings.
They also collaborated with the Geo
Borgfeldt company, Horsman company and several other doll
artists. They are probably best known for the cloth Raggedy Ann
and Andy dolls designed by Johnny Gruelle and Bonnie Babe from the
1920's.
Here are some of the
Averill - Georgene - Hendren dolls we have found:
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ca. 1918 Baby
Georgene, 15-18 & 22-24" tall, mama or baby
dolls, composition head & limbs, cloth stuffed body
with music box inside that plays "Lullaby Baby", molded
hair and/or wigged, sleep eyes, closed mouth.
Doll is marked: Georgene Baby. |
ca. 1918 Baby Georgene, 22" |
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ca. 1918 Baby
Hendren, 15-18 & 22-24" tall, mama or baby
dolls, composition head & limbs stuffed cloth body, molded
hair, sleep eyes, open
mouth. Doll is marked: Baby Hendren |
ca. 1918 Baby
Hendren, 22" |
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 1922
Dolly Reckord, 26" tall, composition shoulder head
with a cloth body and a recorder/speaker mechanism in it's
back, sleep eyes, wigged, open mouth. Marked in ink on
body: Genuine Madame Hendren Doll. |
1922
Dolly Reckord, 26" |
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1923 Dolly Dingle
or Bobby Dingle, 13" tall, composition shoulder head & limbs,
jointed at the shoulders & hips, cloth body, painted side
glancing eyes, pug nose, closed smiling watermelon mouth with indented
cheeks, face is similar to the Campbell Kid doll, some 11" tall
dolls had two faces, marked: G. G. Drayton
©. |
Photo N/A
1923 Dolly & Bobby Dingle, 13" |
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ca. 1928 Sis Hopkins, 13" tall,
composition shoulder head and lower arms, cloth stuffed body
upper arms and legs, stitched hips, molded hair with five rust
colored yarn pigtails and tied with a green ribbon, black side
glancing painted eyes, watermelon painted slight smiling mouth.
Marked: G. G. Drayton ©.
Sis Hopkins was a character played by
comedian Rose Melville (1873-1946). Amberg
also made a Sis Hopkins doll ca. 1912. |
ca. 1928 Sis Hopkins, 13" |
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1926-1929 Whistling Dolls, 14" tall,
composition head and lower arms, cloth body - upper arms & legs, painted side glancing eyes, puckered
open mouth with a hole for whistling, are unmarked or marked: USA
with an ink
stamp on the cloth body. Names were: Dan, also came
dressed as a Sailor or Cowboy & Nell.
Doll shown is whistling Dan
- unsure if shown in original clothing.
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1926-1929 Whistling Dan, 14" |
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1926-1946 Bonnie Babe,
12-24" tall, bisque or celluloid head with molded painted hair, cloth body,
composition limbs - some have a composition body with bent limb arms, sleep eyes, open smiling mouth,
with two lower teeth, marked: Copr.
By/Georgene Averill/Germany/
1005-3653/1386 or 1402 on
head. The bisque heads were made by Alt, Beck & Gottschalk
or Kestner and imported from Germany.
1926 Bonnie Babe 5-7"
tall, all bisque doll, jointed bisque body, molded painted
hair, painted eyes, open mouth, molded & painted shoes
& socks. |
1926-1946 Bonnie Babe,
18" |
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1927 Jimmie (boy)
or
Dimmie (girl), 14" tall, socket head with all composition jointed body
with/or without body twist ball joint waist, molded painted hair, large
painted eyes, dolls are unmarked but had a wrist tag.
We think both dolls are identical, but that the clothing
determined the dolls name ie. dressed as a boy then it's Jimmie,
a girl then it's Dimmie.
Note: These dolls were
also sold by: Horsman, who called their doll; Boots.
The Maxine Doll Company named their doll Mitzi
(she will be marked as such), & Sears
called their doll Tootsie.
To make a positive ID on the
manufacturer, doll will need tagged clothing, it's original
wrist tag, box or possibly some manufacturers may have had a
marking on their doll.
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1927 Jimmie,
14" |
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1927 Little
Sister or Little Brother, 14" tall, composition
shoulder head and limbs, cloth stuffed body, molded hair,
painted eyes and lashes, painted closed watermelon mouth, based on artist and doll maker Grace
Corry Rockwell. Marked:
© By Grace Corry. |
1927 Little Brother, 14" |
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1927
Sunny Boy & Sunny Girl, 14, 17, 19, or 22" celluloid
shoulder head with the
turtle mark a sun burst + model # Made in USA & dolls name, a
slender cloth stuffed body, composition limbs, molded hair,
glass eyes. |
1927
Sunny Girl, 17" |
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1928 Baby Brite, 18 & 22" tall,
composition flange head and limbs, stuffed cloth body, molded
painted blonde hair, gray celluloid sleep eyes, open mouth with
two upper teeth, slight dimples on each side of mouth, can put
it's right index finger in it's mouth, Effanbee Bubbles look a
like or competitor (Bubbles can put her left finger in mouth).
Marked: Madame Hendren Doll. |
1928 Baby Brite, 22" |
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1928 Snookums, 14"
tall, all composition with jointed body, black African
American
boy doll,
painted tin eyes, open smiling mouth with two upper teeth, the
black Snookums does not have a hair tuff on the top of his head. Marked: Madame Hendren Doll. |
1928 Snookums, 14" |
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1928 Snookums, 14" tall, all
composition with jointed body, white Snookums version boy doll,
painted tin eyes, open smiling mouth with two upper teeth, the
white version has a tuff of blonde hair on top of his head
version. Marked: Madame Hendren Doll. |
1928 Snookums, 14" |
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1928
Girl doll, various sizes, composition shoulder head with cloth
body, composition limbs, molded blonde hair, sleep eyes, open
mouth. |
1928
Girl doll, 17" |
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1930s Patsy types, 14-19" tall,
composition shoulder head and limbs, cloth stuffed body, or all
composition head & jointed Patsy type body, molded
painted hair, some have a pin hole for a hair bow just behind
two small curls on top of head, tin sleep eyes or painted eyes, closed painted
mouth.
Big Peaches, 19" tall, (cloth body
shoulder head, tin sleep eyes), Polly
Peaches, 17", (all composition, tin sleep eyes), Peaches
16" & Bud 14", (composition shoulder head, gray
tin sleep eyes) & a
painted eye version doll was named Blossom Peaches
14", all composition jointed body.
The largest size is marked: A.M.
Co. Averill Manufacturing Co., other sizes could have a
similar marking, ACO Inc., or are unmarked. |
1930s
Blossom Peaches, 14"
Patsy type |
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1937 Little
Cherub, 12 or 16" tall, designed by Harriet
Flanders,
all composition, jointed body, molded painted hair with yellow
hair tuffs, blue painted eyes with three upper painted
eyelashes, open O mouth with painted tongue, marked on neck: Harriet
© Flanders/1937 . |
1937
Little Cherub by Harriet Flanders, 12" |
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1938 Snooks (brunette)
& Sweets (blonde), Peggy Ann, 12-22" tall, printed
cloth doll with painted face, painted or yarn hair, big eyes
with real lashes, closed smiling mouth, usually marked at the
seam: MTF. Based on accurate reproductions of artist Maud
Tousey Fangel (1881-1968).
Offsite
biography on Maud
Tousey Fangel. |
Maud
Tousey Fangel
Baby
in highchair - original artwork |
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1938-1962 Raggedy Ann 15-50" tall, all cloth rag doll
with orangish-red yarn hair. |
ca. 1940's Raggedy Ann
18"
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1938-1962 Raggedy Andy, 15-50" tall, all cloth rag doll
with orangish-red yarn hair. |
ca. 1940's Raggedy
Andy, 16"
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1940's Little
Lulu, 12 or 14" tall, all cloth doll with swivel head
& painted mask face, black yarn hair, applied ears, closed
mouth, usually unmarked but came with a hangtag.
Other Comic Characters
were: Alvin, Becassine, Nancy, Sluggo & Tubby Tom. |
1940's
Little Lulu, 14" |
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1943 Uncle Wiggily Longears, 20" tall,
face close-up
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1943 Uncle Wiggily
Longears and Nurse Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy, 18-21" tall, animal character
dolls, all stuffed cloth toy with painted facial features.
The Uncle Wiggily character is a rabbit dressed as an elderly
man with top hat, overcoat, shirt, tie, vest and pants, the stuffed toys are usually
unmarked, but originally had a hang tag that said:
Georgene Averill. Nurse Jane wore a long gown and is a
muskrat.
The Uncle Wiggily character was
based on the Uncle Wiggily's Adventure story book's, newspaper columns, comics,
board games, radio show and more, all created by American author
Howard R. Garis (1873-1962) beginning in 1910. The
radio show (1920's) was sponsored by Ovaltine.
Photo's courtesy addicted*to*vintage |
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1943 Uncle Wiggily Longears, 20"
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1944-1951 Nancy,
12 or 14" tall, all cloth doll with swivel head &
painted mask face, black yarn hair, applied ears, closed
mouth, usually unmarked but came with a hangtag.
Comic character from
cartoonist Ernie Bushmiller's Nancy comic strip
distributed by United Feature Syndicate .
More about the Nancy comic
strip from
Don
Marksteins Toonopedia website. |
1944-1951
Nancy, 14" |
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1944-1951 Sluggo
Smith, 12 or 14" tall, all cloth doll with swivel
head & painted mask face, yarn hair, applied ears, closed
mouth, usually unmarked but came with a hangtag.
Comic character from
cartoonist Ernie Bushmiller's Nancy comic strip,
distributed by United Feature Syndicate, Sluggo is
Nancy's best friend. |
1944-1951
Sluggo Smith, 14" |
| ca. 1950's Aver
Baby, 18, 24, 26" tall, vinyl head with painted eyes,
wide open smiling mouth, molded hair, usually marked:
Averill. |
Photo N/A
ca. 1950's Aver Baby |
| ca. 1950's Baby
Dawn, 20" tall, all vinyl with rooted hair, large
sleep eyes, dimples in cheeks, open slight smiling mouth,
usually marked: AVERILL. |
Photo N/A
ca. 1950's Baby Dawn,
20" |
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