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Topsy-Turvy Dolls
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| It was at the middle
of the 19th Century that doll manufacturers started producing dolls
with a head at either end. A wide skirt attached to the doll's waist
hid whichever head was at the bottom. The clothes were therefore,
sewn on and not removable and the arms were flap hinged to enable
them to hang easily from the shoulder, so as not to stick out from
underneath the dress. These dolls were often designed to tell
stories incorporating several characters or simply to provide more
versatility. Some souvenir costume dollmakers used this method to
produce pretty stockinette-faced dolls, one dressed in Spanish
costume, but when turned over a Dutch doll was revealed.
The variations of these upside down rag dolls seem endless: Cinderella in rags/ball gown; black doll/white doll; happy/sad doll; awake/sleeping dolls; winter clothes/summer clothes; day clothes/ nightgown.
In the mountains of North Carolina craftsmen there were also known for these doubled ended dolls to illustrate the characters in their stories. Some of the dolls would have 2 characters some would have 3 characters all into one doll. In Cinderella, for example, there would be a doll pair representing Cinderella and her two wicked step sisters and another pair representing the step mother and the Fairy Godmother. |
| Below: These dolls were created by a company called 'FUN TO LEARN', makers of excellent Topsy-Turvy Nursery Rhyme dolls and other fabric made toys. (See links page) |
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Alice in
Wonderland set of 3 dolls. Made from stockinette.
FUN
TO LEARN |
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FUN
TO LEARN, Co. Down, Northern Ireland < Snow White/Wicked Step Mother pair. Made from stockinette.
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Little Red Riding Hood double-ended dolls made by different companies.
< This version even has legs. |
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When making such dolls, you need to make sure that the skirts are long enough to cover the hands and head of the doll beneath and you must ensure that the hairstyles are secured so that they don't flop down below the hem line. |
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Cinderella riches and
rags
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