African American Dolls - Expressions of Color

Today I found the  great website  called "Expressions of Color".  Expressions of color designs and sells dolls, not regular dolls, dolls of color, African American Dolls. The collaboration of the husband and wife team ( Jean and Henry)  have make this labor of love a concept that expresses the couple's talents and abilities. I hope you will enjoy your visit to Expressions of Color. 

 

Jean and Henry did their first show together in November 1997. Not only did people but they dolls, they bought the furniture for the dolls. It was than that Expressions of Color was born. Since that time the couple have exhibited the numerous shows annually including New York International Fair, Doll and Teddy Bear Expo and the Philadelphia Black Doll Convention. 

 

Click HERE to visit the website Expressions of Color.  

 

They don't have any YouTube video, but I want to show you very colorful and bright video, called Expressions of Color. 

 

 

Enjoy! 

Van's Doll Treasure

Today, browsing the Google, I found the great doll lover and collector. Her name is Vanessa Morrison and she lives in Lilburn, GA. In her collection you can found a very beautiful and nice African American Dolls. In 1996 she started to create porcelain dolls, and they are amazing.

I absolutely loved it. After my 2 nd class, I bought a kiln and set up my own little studio. Of course, I was still very much into Barbies and Gene dolls. I became an avid collector. How else does an adult justify having so many dolls? 

No matter what job or business I venture into, I keep gravitating back to dolls. My passion for dolls is still guiding me to this day. 

If you click HERE  you can find her own website, called Van's Doll Treasure

And nice collection of her African American Porcelain Dolls. Let's watch them on YouTube!!!

 

Enjoy! 

 

African American Dolls of 60's

Some European companies preceded American companies in manufacturing black dolls. Black dolls were extremely populars. Tammy was a popular black doll in her day, in the 60's. She was competition for Barbie, had extensive wardrobe and big family. Her slogan was: "The doll you love to dress". Today I found very interesting article by John Medeiros about African american dolls of the 60's. 

One of the first black fashion dolls to be released in the 60s was a black version of Ideal's Tammy doll. Two types of black Tammys have been found. One used the earlier "baby" Tammy face body and the second variation was a "Grown Up Tammy" with the later, more teenaged looking face.

Click HERE to read full article.

And don't forget to watch very fascinating  video about Tommy Doll

Thank you!. 

New Style Bratz Dolls

New Bratz dolls reappeared on store shelves. They cute as always, but looked less sexy and more shy. Sasha - the African American Doll looks great in her new outfit. 

Good article from LATimes.

"They're really cool and they're really fun to play with," the Culver City fourth-grader said. "With Barbie, it's more for like younger kids, but for Bratz, they're more for like kids my age. I'm more skinny jeans and skirts and stuff — and with Barbie, it's more like dresses and pink.

Click HERE if you want to read the full article.

And as additional the You Tube Video - as always.

Talking Bratz Dolls

Philadelphia Doll Museum

Absolutely unique Doll Museum in Philadelphia. There are 300 African American Dolls in their collection. Some of them beautiful, some of them rare, and some of them passed through history. In this great collection you can find African, American Folk Art Dolls, European and the amazing collection of Roberta Bell Dolls.

The I. Roberta Bell exhibit presents all 26 dolls offered to the public in the series of famous blacks created by Bell (1904-1992). In 1970 she became the first black person elected to the National Institute of American Doll Artists.Whiteman explains that the first doll Bell designed was scientist and educator Dr. George Washington Carver and the last Harold Washington, mayor of Chicago. The clothes and accessories for her dolls were made by Ruby Brewster, Whiteman notes.

Click HERE if you want to read full article.

Amazing You Tube video about Philadelphia Doll Museum Experience.

Enjoy! 

 

Bratz Dolls

Everyone knows Bratz Fashion Dolls -   Cloe, Jade, Sasha ( African American Doll ) and Yasmin - big heads, skinny bodies, glossy lips and almond-shaped eyes. Check out  this article  by Denise Van Patten about Bratz. 

Bratz Dolls are made of vinyl ---  hard vinyl for the head and body with softer, bendable vinyl for arms and legs. Bratz dolls also have unique feature --- when you change their shoes - you actually change  their feet --  the shoes and feet pop off as one. 

Bratz Doll - Read here the full article

And nice YouTube Video as always

Enjoy! 

Ella Smith Doll Company

Good article about Ella Smith and her Doll Company in Alabama. Antique Dolls from early 1900's.: Alabama Baby, Alabama Indestructible Doll, Roanoke Doll and Ella Smith Doll. Ella Smith produced ten thousand of her dolls each year, included African American Dolls too. 

Smith was the first dollmaker in the South to manufacture black dolls, which made up approximately 10 percent of her production. With a hymn-singing parrot on her shoulder, she worked in a locked room on the second floor of a doll factory which her husband had built for her.

The full Story about Ella Smith Doll Company you can read  HERE

Don't forget to watch and enjoy the beauty of an antique dolls. 

Enjoy! 

Collectible African American Dolls Book

Very interesting book about African American Dolls by  Yvonne H Ellis.  A lot of information, descriptions and market value. Every collector should read this book.

History comes alive in this beautifully illustrated book of legendary African-American dolls. This book showcases hundreds of African-American dolls, beginning with the early 1800s through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Collectible African American Dolls

Don't forget to watch the video about Collectible Ethnic Dolls. 

Enjoy! 

African American Dolls

Nice article by James about African American Dolls, and how  important they are in African American kids  life. 

It is important for African American children to have African American dolls. Child psychologists say that doll play is valuable for many reasons, including self-esteem and ideals of beauty.

African American Dolls

Check it out this video. You will find wonderful collection of African American Baby Dolls. View beautiful reborning designs of Vernita Andrews. 

Thank you!

Rose Splendor Barbie Doll from Avon

News for Barbie Collectors! The new African American Barbie Doll is available from Avon's catalogs from October 2010.

"The doll looks very beautiful from the picture that Avon has come out with. I think she will be well liked among collectors," says Donna G. in West Nashville."

Special preview: new Rose Splendor Barbie Doll by Robert Best available from Avon and Mattel

African American Dolls Cabinet Card

Today I was searching  Flickr. This is an absolutely amazing place where people share their photos, videos, stories. Sometimes you can find there some brilliant pics. Look at this, this very interesting picture of African American Dolls comes with an even more interesting story. 

It was only when I got home from my day's excursion that I examined my find. It had the dolls and it had African-American, but now that I looked closer I saw "I.T." Indian Territory. Bingo. A collecting trifecta 

Of course, it's a wonderful photo and I wouldn't sell it, but getting all three of those on the same card was still a wonderful coup. 

Here the full story: African American Dolls Cabinet Card

Enjoy!

--
M.

My Barbie, your Barbie, our Barbie

Mattel's newest line, So-In-Style, features six African American Dolls Barbie Dolls that highlight the importance of mentor ship, with three older sisters and three younger sisters. Nice article from Michel Martin about Barbie Ethnic Dolls Collection. 

Barbie is introducing a new line of dolls, specifically to better represent African American girls (as it was explained to me, Mattel has made African American dolls for quite some time ... since the "Julia" doll in the 1960's and there have been black Barbies, but no dolls made to look ethnic other than in skin color).

 Here you can read th full article ( from National Public Radio) 

Meet the So - In - Style BFF's from the YouTube. 

Thanks for watching!