WILLOW SPRINGS TUESDAY STUDY CLUB

Tuesday Study Club met at Geneva Moody’s lovely home for our November 17 meeting. Having the business part of our meeting over, Mary Knott gave her program:

 

Have you ever heard of Nancy Ann Dolls or Nancy Ann Storybook company? If you were a little girl in the 1930s or 1940s, chances are you may have had one of these dolls, or a collection. I guess I didn’t know how fortunate I was that my mother would bring these dolls to me when she went to St. Louis for market.

 

Nancy Ann Abbott, the creator of the Storybook dolls, was born in 1901 as Rowena Haskin. As a child she lived in San Francisco and had a fondness for dolls that lasted her entire life. Before becoming a doll maker, she worked as an actress in Hollywood, and also as a dress designer for various actresses. As a dress designer, she would often dress dolls in costumes representing the full-size costumes she made.

 

In 1935, Ms. Abbott returned to San Francisco where she opened a book lending shop. There she met Les Rowland who would later become her business partner for Nancy Ann Storybook dolls. At the book shop, Ms. Abbott continued to dress dolls and sell them at the book store. The dolls sold well, and in 1936 with $125 and working from her apartment, 16-18 hours a day, the Nancy Ann Dressed Dolls Company was born. In 1937, Mr. Rowland became her partner to handle the promotion and financial matters. Nancy Ann Dressed Dolls was incorporated on February 23, 1937 in San Francisco, California. By 1942, the company claimed a million dollar gross yearly income, and in the 1950s, top production of dolls reached 12,000 per day. In late 1945, the company’s name was changed to Nancy Ann Storybook Dolls Inc.

 

The first dolls created by the fledgling company were the “Hush-a- Bye Baby” dolls. The bodies for the small 3-3/4” bisque dolls were made in Japan. The 5” Storybook dolls which included Cinderella, Little Bo Peep and others began being produced in late 1936. This line first sold at the Emporium in San Francisco, and later at Marshall Fields, Harrods of London and many other fine department stores. Doll bodies began being made in California in 1939. Artists painted the facial features, giving each doll its own special look. During the war years, the potteries made bisque cups, platters and dishes for the Navy hospitals along with dolls. The government felt the dolls were necessary for morale and demand for the dolls was high. Many were sent by convoy to Hawaii where soldiers were able to buy the dolls and send them home to their loved ones.

 

The dolls came in different series, which encouraged collecting by young girls and their mothers. Series included Days of the Week, Months of the Year, the Storybook series, a Sports series, a Nursery Rhymes series, a Powder and Crinoline series (princesses and their courts), an All-Time Hit Parade series (keyed to different songs, such as “Over the Rainbow) and even an Operetta series.

 

Eventually Ms. Abbott decided the company should create the bisque for the dolls themselves and in the early 1940s the company opened a plant in Berkeley, California. This plant was the first of its kind in the US to create bisque doll bodies and parts. The doll company thrived even during WWII since production of dolls was not stopped during the war. Nancy Ann doll factories DID also manufacture plates and other items for the Navy during the war. By the late 1940s, Nancy Ann Storybook Dolls was the highest volume maker of dolls in the nation. The company did very well until in the late 1950s when Ms. Abbott’s health began to fail. At this time Mr. Rowland’s health was also declining. Quality of the dolls declined during her illness and new dolls like Barbie were becoming more popular. Nancy Ann Abbott who had become known as “The Doll Lady” passed away on August 10, 1964 from cancer. A sale of the company was attempted. In 1965 the company filed for bankruptcy.

The company was eventually purchased by Albert Bourla and stockholders. The dolls were made in Hong Kong and were plastic. In 2003 the company was sold by Mr. Bourla to sisters Claudette Buehler and Darlene Budd. Bodies may be bisque or plastic.

 

The earliest dolls go for the highest prices. Dolls dated prior to 1940 can often sell for several hundred dollars or more. Plastic dolls from the 1950s usually sell for under $50. Later bisque dolls can sell for $150 or more if in mint condition and in the box.

 

Nancy Ann Storybook dolls remain one of the most beloved and sought after dolls for collectors. They are irresistible and their petite size makes a large collection a possibility for nearly any collector. Next time you are in an antique mall and see a Nancy Ann doll looking up from a shelf, make sure you take a good look.

 

After enjoying Mary’s interesting and wonderful program, Geneva served homemade pecan or pumpkin pies, a delicious way to end our meeting.