Three '50's doll trunks- Part 1

An addictively entertaining resource for identifying old toys and dolls is http://www.wishbookweb.com/. The site's creator has scanned old catalogs from Sears and similar stores. While looking through a 1959 Sears catalog for information about Patty Playpal I came across one of my dolls that I have never been able to identify.

This is an inspiration to open three doll trunks that have been packed away for decades and take photos as I do. This will be fun but I'm concerned about damage. Gold leaf was flaking off the bodice of the Princess's dress so that's no surprise but I've seen damage done by mysterious tiny bugs that destroy natural materials like wool and fur. Let's cross our fingers and see what's inside.

 Ugh! They're dirty and dusty. I'll carefully clean them later.

First, the Princess.

Ah! Wow! The fur looks fine. The metal wires that hold the doll in place have stained the front of her dress but otherwise she looks great! Incredibly, everything shown in the catalog picture-which is very unflattering, by the way- is still there. I'm happy!

Her only marking is a very faint "NEEDA" stamped on her back. A quick search at http://vintagedollcollector.com leads me to believe that this is Uneeda Doll Company's Suzette doll. She has modifications done to the doll during the late '50's- no swivel waist, unpainted nails, no earrings and an oddly short neck. Until now I'd never heard of Suzette. Interesting.

***I examined the Princess more closely later. The elastic in her slip, panties and bra had degraded and all are unwearable. I believe the stain on her dress was a result of this. The clothes have an odd fit, as if they were designed for a slightly smaller doll. Despite the clothing flaws she's still lovely. :)

Next, a trunk that was a Christmas present from a favorite cousin. I was too young to appreciate that the clothes were all handmade.

Eek! It's Marie Antoinette! Her little blond friend seems to be in shock. Instead of examining and photographing the contents I'm going to open the last trunk to check for damage.

Whose leg is that??? Why does the red haired doll have a baby bottle stuck to the top of her head? I'm going to sort through the mess and will resume shortly with Part 2.