Dolls - from a simple rag doll that came over on the Mayflower to Barbie - have captured our hearts for centuries. Thrifty Americans have always made dolls for their children. Over the decades, early homemade ones with painted faces gave way to commercial cut-and-sew versions. Advertisers jumped in with dolls printed on flour sacks and fabric panels, which became precious possessions of little girls during the dark days of the Great Depression and World War ll.
You'll find history and photographs of more than 250 dolls, fabric panels and doll ephemera inside, many rarely seen items, carefully collected and documented by historian Gloria Nixon. Enjoy the stories behind these beloved rag darlings.