Norah Wellings Dolls

Norah Wellings Dolls: An Introduction:

Norah Wellings was from Shropshire, England. She was the main doll designer at Chad Valley Dolls from 1919 to 1926, when she left to form her own doll company with her brother Leonard. The resulting company was the Victoria Toy Works, located in Wellington, United Kingdom. All the dolls produced here were from various types of cloth. Norah's dolls were sold worldwide, and many were made for various tourist industries, most notably the cruise ship industry, for which Norah's sailor dolls were made for various cruise ships as souvenirs.

Materials Used To Make Norah Wellings Dolls:

All Norah Wellings dolls are made out of cloth. They have stitched joints and various tyes of molded faces. They usually have painted features, including eyes, but rarer models have glass eyes.

Years of Production of Norah Wellings Dolls:

Norah started producing dolls through her own company in 1926, and the dolls were produced until the factory was closed in 1959 (although the dolls were available into the early 1960s). The vast majority of the production of the Victoria Toy Works factory was in the 1930s and 1940s.

Sizes of Norah Wellings Dolls:

The smallest dolls, small child or souvenir dolls, were only 7 inches to 9 inches tall. More deluxe dolls could be as large as 24 to 29 inches or more, but I think the vast majority of Norah Wellings dolls are under 18 inches, with many smaller.

Companies That Have Produced Norah Wellings Dolls:

Norah Wellings dolls have only been produced by The Victoria Toy Works; however, dolls designed by Norah Wellings (not with specific credit) were made by Chad Valley.

Market Report for Norah Wellings Dolls:

The vast majority of Norah Wellings Dolls can be found for under $200 each; many can be found for under $100. Larger, rarer models, as always, will sell for much more.

Marks on Norah Wellings Dolls:

The dolls themselves are not marked except with a paper tag on the foot or wrist; however, the dolls have a distinctive look and can easily be identified without the tag present.

For More Information:

Gillian Trotter, the author of the now out of print "Norah Wellings Cloth Dolls and Soft Toys," has a wonderful blog about Norah Wellings Dolls and Soft Toys. If you can find a copy of "Norah Wellings Cloth Dolls and Soft Toys," it is an excellent reference, although used copies start at about $50.

Norah Wellings Ship Souvenirs:

Some collectors of both dolls and cruise ship memorabilia collect Norah Wellings Sailor dolls, with particular attention paid to the ship which is indicated on the rim of the sailor hat. An example of one such doll is shown; for another example from a collector of Queen Mary memorabilia, with an excellent photo of the original Norah Wellings Production tag, see theS.S.Maritime web site -

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LENCI DOLLS

          

Lenci di E. Scavini Dolls 1919-2001 Italy

Lenci = Ludus Est Nobis Constanter Industria

To Play Is Our Constant Work

Elena Scavini (Madame Lenci) and her brother Bubine König first created a dimensional pressed felt face doll in 1919 in Turin, Italy.  Early marked Lenci dolls have a tiny silver metal button attached to the clothing.  A little later the button was enlarged and has the name Lenci on it, over the years Lenci also used cardboard tags that can include a model name or number and/or cotton ribbons, always with the Lenci name on them and the bottom of the dolls foot is sometimes stamped in black or purple ink Lenci.  Lenci dolls range in size from a tiny 5" to 48" tall.

Lenci doll series and types include;  300 series children with hollow torsos, 1500 pouty series, 165 ladies or gentlemen and 700 girls.  Lenci made; Adult, Teenage and Children dolls, Bambino bent limb babies, Mascotte dolls 9", Miniature dolls with surprised faces 9 1/2", Hard Faced; mask or flocked hard plastic.  Lenci special character dolls; Amor black cupid, Amelia Earhardt, a Googly glass eyed doll, Tom Mix, Mozart, Mendel and Bach, Oriental dolls, Rudolph Valentino and others, as well as accessories made of felt.

Other Lenci Type dolls were made by;

Alma, Farnell's Alpha Toys, Alexander, American Stuffed Novelty, Amfelt, Anili, Averill, Chad Valley, Celia, Davis,

Dean's Rag Book, Eros, Fiori, Giotti, La Rosa, Magis, Messina-Vat, Perotti, Pori, Raynal, Sacati of Torino, Italy and Norah Wellings.

INFORMATION TAKEN FROM: http://www.dollreference.com/Cloth/lenci_dolls.html

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CLOTH DOLLS

Cloth Dolls, Makers & amp; Marks 1860+

The history of fabric or cloth dolls goes back as far as mankind has been making textiles and extends into the present day. The earliest existing cloth dolls were found preserved in wealthy patrons of ancient Egyptian tombs. 

During the 1880s painted faces or printed lithographed fabric Rag dolls, Folk Art primitive rag dolls were popular in the New England states of the USA.  Cloth dolls with printed photographic faces first appeared in 1906.  Cloth dolls remain collectable and are still made by doll makers and artists today.

See below for many Cloth dolls & amp; doll makers identified

Doll Makers by Country  American USA | Doll Glossary | Doll Makers World | English UK | French FR | German DE | Modern

Dolls by Material  Bisque | Celluloid | China | Cloth | Composition | Hard Plastic | Metal | Papier Mache | Rubber | Wax | Wood

Antique to Vintage Cloth Dolls, Makers, Identifying Doll Marks 1860+

Ella Smith - Alabama Indestructible Dolls 1904-1925 USA, 11-24" tall, all cloth, molded face with oil painted facial features, applied ears, wigged or painted hair, tabbed joint sturdy cloth body, some have stockings and shoes painted on.  Created by the Ella G. Smith Doll Company. Dolls were made in both black or white, as babies or children, often marked: Pat. Nov. 9, 1912, No.1, Ella Smith Doll Co or Mrs. S.S. Smith Manufacturer and dealer to The Alabama Indestructible Doll Roanoke, Ala. Patented Sept. 6, 1905.

ca. 1904 Alabama Indestructible doll, 24"

Alma Doll Company 1920-1930s Torino, Italy, Lenci look a like felt dolls, have elastic strung molded felt with painted facial features head and folded felt ears, mohair wigs, Alma dolls are usually unmarked or had a wrist tag

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Anili Doll Company 1948-1986, Italy, daughter of Elena Scavini (Lenci) made Lenci face sculpted, cloth dolls from 1953-1956, also made celluloid dolls.  Dolls are marked with a tag within a circle Anili,on a heart symbol, Italy.

1953 Anili Lucia girl cloth doll 12"

Maggie Bessie dolls ca. 1910+ Salem, NC USA, dolls of various sizes, all cloth doll with painted facial features, made by sisters Margaret Gertrude Pfohl (1877-1965) and Caroline Elizabeth Pfohl (1870-1959), both of whom remained unmarried.

Bradley dolls, Glamour Doll, Big Eyed Girl Dolls ca. 1970s USA, 12-13" tall, foam with beige nylon over wire body, came in many different long gowns and other accessories and were on a wood stand.  Made by the Bradley Company, which may be a division of Milton Bradley and sold to Hasbro in 1984. 

These dolls may have been sold thru catalog type companies like Sears Roebuck or Montgomery Ward from the 1960s to 1980s. Doll shown is marked © Bradley, Made in Korea 1977.  Another later doll found with tag that says - Hasbro © Bradley, Made in China 1985 and other similar big eyed cloth wired dolls are by Holiday Faire Inc. Co. 1960s-?, made in Japan.

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Cabbage Patch Dolls 1977+ (USA),

1978 Cabbage Patch doll
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Chad Valley Company dolls 1897-1978 England, cloth doll 16" tall.  Chad Valley began producing cloth dolls around 1917.  Earliest dolls have stockinette faces, later they hand painted felt faces with a velvet or velveteen body.  In 1938 Chad was granted the Royal Warrant of Appointment "Toymakers to her Majesty the Queen".  Palitoy acquired Chad Valley in 1978 then Woolworth in 1988.  Dolls usually marked Hygienic Toys Made in England by Chad Valley Co. Ltd., Chad Valley Hygienic Toys Made in England Seal of Purity, the hangtag; Chad Valley Hygienic Fabric Toys, the celluloid button; Chad Valley British Hygienic Toys or Royals; HRH . . . British mad Doll By Permission of Her Majesty The Queen Sole Makers The Chad Valley Co Ltd. Harbonne England.

  

1920s Chad Doll, 12"
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Martha Chase Doll Company 1880-1970 USA, shown is a pre-1920s Martha Chase cloth stockinette doll with jointed elbows and knees, hand painted facial features, stuffed with cotton.

Pre-1920s Martha Chase Doll, 23"

ca. 1920s Martha Chase Cloth Doll USA, 16" tall, cloth stockinette doll stuffed with cotton, with hand painted facial features and a bobbed hair style (popular during this era).  Dolls made in the 1930s are characterized by painted hair with a side part. Some Martha Chase doll names;  1921 Alice In Wonderland doll.
Martha Chase, 16" doll, bobbed hair
ca. 1930s Martha Chase Hospital Doll USA, 25" tall, these later dolls do not have the jointed elbows or knees.  The stamp will now read "Chase Hospital Doll".  See above shown Stockinette label.ca. 1920s Martha Chase Hospital Doll, 25"_________________________________________________________________________________
Dean's Rag Book Girl Doll 15"

Dolls are marked Hygienic Al Toys (symbol of two dogs with a book) Made in England Dean's Rag Book Co. Ltd. London.

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Käthe Kruse Dolls 1910+, German, 16" Boy doll, cloth doll with jointed limb

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Lenci dolls 1919-2001 Italy, Elena Scavini Dolls, pressed felt face cloth dolls.  

1936 Lenci

Miniature doll 9 1/2"

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Norah Wellings dolls, Victoria Toy Works Co 1926-1960 England - manufactured children, adults, character and ethnic cloth dolls from 6 - 36" tall, made of mask face, velvet, velveteen, plush and felt, dolls are marked with a cloth tag on bottom of foot.

Norah Wellings

Island Girls dolls, 16"

INFORMATION TAKEN FROM: http://www.dollreference.com/

                                                                                                         

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