Back To School

A few weeks ago the Vogue Ginny dolls and their friends headed back to school.  Most of these dolls are from the 1950's so they wore their plaid dresses to school.  I grew up in the 1950's and that's what my sister and I seemed to wear most of the time back then.  I felt it was appropriate for the Ginnys to all wear plaid this year.  Of course, the boys didn't wear plaid.  I guess the plaid rule didn't apply to them.  If you look carefully you'll see a Cosmopolitan Ginger doll already on the bus.  She's wearing her plaid dress too.  I don't think you can see it so you'll have to take my word for it.  I actually had more dolls dressed in plaid but I couldn't fit them in these pictures.  A Vogue Jeff doll is the school bus driver and he made sure to wear his 1950's era plaid shirt.

 

 

 

I do seem to favor the plaid dresses on my dolls.  I'm really not into all the "frilly" clothes although I do have some for my dolls.  I guess it's because back in my childhood I never liked the "frilly" clothes myself.  I hated going to birthday parties because back then everyone got all dressed up.  I guess I've always been a casual type person.

Here I am in a plaid dress posing for a school photo back in 1954.  My mother made sure I wore a plaid dress but what was she thinking when she let me go out in public with that hairdo???  Remind me to tell my kids to burn any of these old B&W photos when I'm gone.

The school bus was given to me by a doll friend 15+ years ago.  As I recall it was sold at Target and was actually an art kit.  The roof opens up and there are sections for supplies.  We were just thrilled that the bus was the right scale for Ginny photos. You can't really see it but I added the name Medford School District on the side of the bus.  The Vogue Ginny Doll Company was located in Medford, MA at one time.  Betty

The Annual Easter Parade

 I grew up in the 50's and 60's in a suburb of New York City.  Every year I would see the New York City Easter Parade on TV.  That was back when everyone got all dressed up for Easter in new dresses, shoes, hats and gloves.  Anyone else remember?  Here's a trip down Memory Lane.  I'll never admit which one is me!

I recently wondered if New York City still had the Easter Parade and decided to google and find out.  Yes, the parade still exists but has definitely evolved over the years.  I guess when people no longer dressed in fancy outfits and wore gloves and hats the event had to change with the times.  Now it's more like a costume party with crazy outfits and elaborate home made hats.

This year my dolls decided to have a more traditional Easter Parade.  They put on their Easter outfits and lined up behind the Easter Bunny for a march down the main street of town.

My Vogue Ginny dolls, Nancy Ann Muffie, and Vogue Jill all wore seamstress made outfits that I've collected over the years.  After the parade they all had a chance to pose for photos with the Bunny or Chick and show off their outfits.

I was able to find dresses for Ginny and Jill made by different seamstresses but with the same fabric.  I bought one on Etsy and one on eBay.

A few of their friends wanted their pictures posted too!

A good time was had by all!  Betty

The Gal That Started It All

 I thought I'd introduce you to the gal that started it all.  This is the Vogue Ginny Doll that I got for Christmas 1954.  My mother had a professional photographer come to the house every year at Christmas time.  My sister and I also had birthdays (December 23 and December 29) so sometimes he came on our birthdays too.  Here is my 1954 PLW Ginny today:

I always tell people that she's worthless to a serious collector but priceless to me.  Over the years her eyebrows and lashes have faded and she's been cut open and repaired.  She was always a redhead but originally had a flip style hairdo.  As a child I cut her hair.  I found a faded doll on eBay and bought her so she could be a wig donor.  Now my Ginny has braids.  I kept her original bangs because they were long and the color matched the new wig perfectly.  She was dressed in this Whiz Kids outfit #71 that Christmas.  My sister received a blond doll in this outfit and I received the redhead.

This is a picture of me from Christmas 1954.  The Ginny doll in the carriage is actually my sister's doll.  The photographer just grabbed a few dolls for the picture and my little redhead didn't make the cut.

I hated posing for the Christmas pictures but now I'm glad I have them.  I'm glad I still have Ginny too!  Over the last 20 years I've accumulated a lot of doll friends for her but she'll always be my favorite.  Betty