Hobbies And Interests
Handy Doll Materials
Generally, handmade African-American rag dolls were made of materials at hand. These included, but were not limited to, black muslin, straw, buttons for eyes and yarn. Clothing for the dolls would usually reflect the time period and station of the woman creating them, and rare black cloth dolls have been found with velvet coats and fine lace work. Many early dolls had features that were drawn on in pencil or embroidered in yarn, yet you may still find examples with painted cloth faces, inset brass or glass eyes and even finer clothing.
Shoe Button and Calico
The period 1890-1910 is considered the middle period of handmade African-American rag dolls and was dubbed Shoe Button and Calico by Pat Hatch, a well-known collector of the dolls. Handmade dolls from this era are plentiful but are of lesser quality many times. Most will have button eyes, calico clothing and astrakhan pile for hair. The latter was imported from Russia and had many different uses including trim for clothing and doll hair.
Church Dolls
Throughout the years, the primary function of these dolls were as playthings for children. However, there are a few dolls, smaller than the average of 18 inches, that had a specific, if not holy, function. Nicknamed "church dolls" by more recent collectors, these smaller handmade African-American rag dolls were more portable and could keep small hands busy without distracting family members or the congregation.
Abolition and Decline
During the abolitionist activities of the 1840s and 50s women would come together to hand sew and then sell these handmade African-American rag dolls. Proceeds were then used to fund publication of "The Liberator" as well as many other of the group's activities. The dolls were also often given to young slave children along the Underground Railroad as a comfort during their trials. Rag dolls of this type remained popular until shortly after World War I, when mass production techniques offered more appealing children's dolls.