But is that the function?”īlack dolls were mass-produced in the 20th century, as American manufacturers started creating the first commercial rag, stuffed and black plastic dolls. “Was it to hide one doll or another? If you’re a child and you’re playing with a doll and your slave master came in, the idea is you would flip the doll, whether you’re meant to be playing with one doll or another. There’s some controversy there,” said Evans. Some doll collectors speculate they were meant for black children who wanted a “forbidden” white doll, or that the black doll represented the “mammy” to white children.
On one side, there was a white doll, on the other, a black doll. The museum is also showing Topsy-Turvy dolls, two-headed dolls popular during the time of enslavement. “I view these dolls as the Barbies of their time period, dolls designed to wear the fashions and hairstyles of the era.” “Fewer were made and few survived their original intent, whether it was for child’s play or mini mannequin use,” said Debbie Behan Garrett, a doll expert who wrote The Definitive Guide to Collecting Black Dolls. One rare doll is a “Frozen Charlotte”, a porcelain doll popular from 1850 to 1920 –black versions are very rare. The dolls showcased are on loan from 25 collectors alongside the museum’s own collection, showing the evolution from African dolls to American dolls from the 19th and 20th century to the present day.Īn African teen doll. The chronological exhibition starts with a photo of a wooden paddle doll from ancient Egypt, which dates back to 2000 BC, and a Milliner’s model doll, from 1850.
“Having so many dolls in one place, and for those growing up who couldn’t have a black doll, is very powerful.” “The purpose really is to show how dolls empowered African Americans throughout history as a way to see yourself, to empower yourself,” said Jennifer Evans, the assistant curator at the Wright Museum.
Alongside the 16 Leo Moss dolls are 138 others, including antiques, black Barbie and even some celebrity dolls – created in the image of Serena Williams and the Obamas – which are on view until 25 June. I See Me: Reflections in Black Dolls traces the history of black dolls, from porcelain to collectibles and plastic toys. Now, the largest collection of rare Leo Moss dolls is in an exhibition at the Charles H Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit.
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