My dolly’s head & face
If you happen to recognize just ‘who’ my doll is, I’d really love to know. Feel free to email me: pegrowe 62 @ gmail . com (no spaces)
This doll is a 19″ hard plastic doll, with a soft plastic head.
She has no identifying marks that I can find.
I am the original and only owner.
12/4/2016– Today with the encouragement from a new friend who works with old dolls, I took off my old dolly’s dress, slip, and undies and put them into bath of dish soap and borax. We are on bath number two now. Can you imagine what 50 years worth of dirt looks like! The water looked almost like chocolate milk! Almost! She was a gift from my grandmother Rowe, when I was born. I am 55 years old now. I don’t know when I started playing with her, but I’ve carried her with me from Newark, CA to Ohio, back to Newark, then to Cloverdale in Sonoma County, and on up here to Oregon. She is jointed, even in her ankles. I used to point her feet down and pretend she was a ballerina. Her crochet thread dress was made to sweep with movements, and I did everything I could to get that dress to swirl. The doll lady assures me that 409 won’t hurt my doll’s face. She is also encouraging me to clean up her face. I took a blue ink pen to her face when I was little to put on ‘make up’. She’s got blue eye shadow and blue lipstick. With lot’s of dirt in the crevices of her nose and mouth. When her dress is clean (and I’m amazed already)–and her face is clean, I’ll take a photo of her. After I figure out how to get her hair nice, that is. Maybe someone can identify her for me. I can’t find her anywhere, and I find no identifying marks on her. She’s just an old plastic doll–but she’s an old plastic doll that was and is very much loved. I’m going to have to sew the dress back together in a couple of spots. The doll lady suggests I put her ‘history’ (my history with her) into a note and pin the note to the doll. So that if something happens to me, the doll’s history (her story) moves forward 
with her. She gives everyone that advice. I think it’s great advice.
The dolly’s right foot. The only one she still has.
The outside of her right arm. Blue is blue ink from a pen that I used to put ‘make up’ on her face with.
Outside of left arm. The nail polish is from the factory.
Feet together, except one is missing. I carried around that foot forever. I may still have it. But, if I do, I do not know where at the moment.
Now, she is sleeping. Just showing off her sleeping eyes.
The inside of her right hand.
Inside of the left hand.
Her naked hips. Her left leg really shows a lot of stress. She is in the process of breaking I guess.
Her naked hip joints. I suppose I should take a pic of her butt. Oh no!!!!
Here she shows her ‘lazy’ eye.
Bottom of her foot
12/5/2016 – My doll minus her clothes (Photos above). This is just after a cleaning that would be considered a ‘wipe down’. I’ve since got her good and clean. The first shows her face and hair. You can see the blue around her mouth from the blue ink ‘lipstick’ The picture of her hand, is just where I am partly hung up in identifying her. She’s got less joints than a ‘Dollikin’ and her hands are not shaped just the same. The other photos are a photo of her ankle joint. Where most of my fun came from. Her hair is a wig that was glued on, It is coming off, and I am seriously considering looking for a new wig for her. I have noticed that she’s developed a ‘lazy’ eye. LOL. Her clothes have gone through three soaks with borax/dish soap, and four rinses with clear water before the throw off water was clear. Her clothes are hanging in the hall way in front of the heater. Hope to have her back together by this time tomorrow. But we will see. Going to put these pics on my blog (and more) so that I can get help identifying what kind of doll she is.
What I think she might be is a: 14R Fashion Doll Face 19″ (at least her face)
Photo of a similar doll face is at DollReference.com (Scroll down about 3/4 of the page)
What is says about this doll if this is she:
1957-1960s 14R Fashion Dolls, all vinyl 19-20″ tall, sleep eyes, jointed bodies, rooted hair, many have pierced earrings and high heel feet, marked on neck: 14R, Miss Revlon like, various manufacturers; Belle, Deluxe Reading, Eegee, Manco Company, Natural Doll Company, Rite Lee, Royal and Sayco.
Links that might be helpful to doll restoration:
- How to clean and restore doll hair
- Cleaning hair on vinyl dolls
- Adventures in Stringing: A Tutorial
- Tips on Repairing and Restoring Dollikins
- Doll Reference
- Kemper Doll Supply
- All About Dolls
- Vintage Doll Collector
