This is an old vintage photo of a Large Lenci lady boudoir doll that is very rare and much wanted by collectors. This particular doll is one of the largest sizes made by Lenci and first appeared in the Lenci Catalog of 1926. This doll came posed in her own chair and was named Mimi. Some collectors call her Marlene Dietrich possibly because the pose reminds us of the movie The Blue Angel (1930). However this doll was on the market in 1926 well before the Blue Angel was made and before Marlene Dietrich was well known outside of Germany so this Mimi doll probably represents a singer or character from the stage from the early 1920’s and from before 1926 when this doll came on the market.
source Archivio storico del Comune di Torino
Seen above is the cover of the 1936 Lenci catalog and some pages showing the dolls of that year, the new surface washable baby dolls were featured, one model is called “Pupo”. These were the depression years and by 1936 the Lenci company had been bought out by the Garella brothers who kept Madame Lenci on as artistic director until she retired,after which she helped her daughter Anili launch her own felt doll manufacturing company.
I found this old photo marked with the name Jane Naugle of a woman with three Lenci dolls, she is looking at a 109 series Lenci doll that dates to 1924 at the earliest, the other 3 Lenci dolls also appear to be from the 1924 Lenci Ars Novita catalog.These dolls were quite expensive at the time, so she is probably an actress or celebrity.
Great for adding to your holiday display or for gifts. These timeless stories were the favorites of an earlier generation of children, here they are reprinted and the magic is still there for todays kids and for the young at heart as well.
This is my favorite of the vinyl Edith dolls for under $35 dollars and it includes the little bear – right now there is a very low price for it at Amazon, the lowest I have seen anywhere but the numbers are limited so be quick if you want it. Update Nov 4: the price has gone up above $35 now but still at a reasonable price while stocks last 40th Anniversary Box Set Edith with Little Bear & Mini Color Book
Dare Wright Media has just republished two of Dare’s most beloved books. Edith And Midnight and Edith And The Duckling. These are two charming stories which were beautifully photographed on location, Midnight in the first book is a real pony that Edith befriends, and the Duckling in the second book is a real duckling. And you get another opportunity to appreciate Dare Wrights creativity in making over her beloved 109 series Lenci doll. The photographs in the new books were restored from Dare Wright’s original negatives negatives. So even if you have the original books you may be interested in these for the quality of the pictures. The Edith doll is a solid body 109 Series 20″ Lenci doll from 1925. If you have a shabby Lenci doll missing the outfit you can draw inspiration from the books of Dare Wright and dress her up as Edith the lonely doll.
Inspired by Edith’s* hat in the book ‘Edith and the Duckling’ by Dare Wright, I dressed a shabby old lenci doll in a similar outfit that Edith wears in the book. I cut up an old sweater to make Edith’s sweater and I knitted a hat like the one Edith wears in the book – see it in the final pages of the story. You can download the pattern for the Knitted Hat which fits a 22 inch Lenci Doll – its an easy-to-knit hat can be made in a couple of hours. In Plain knit embellished with bands of Seed Stitch, and finished with a tassel, it is a delight to make. The doll on the b/w picture above is the actual doll I made over wearing the outfit I made and she is holding an original stuffed toy identical to the one Edith has in the Lonely doll books, which I found on eBay.
The pattern pdf features a re-dressed 22″ 109 series doll of 1925 wearing the knitted hat I made.
Download your pattern now:
You can also find small vinyl dolls dressed as Edith. One from Madame Alexander used the standard Madame Alexander face mold, the one I prefer is harder to find is the 10″ Edith doll from Kids at Heart which has a face more like the Lenci doll and had a range of separate outfits -it can be found on eBay from time to time. Best of all is the redressed Lenci doll which always finds a place on display in my home for the holiday season together with a vintage Schuco Bear just like Mr Bear and small Steiff bear like little bear.
The Doll Collection of Alexandra and Sidney Sheldon
The Auction of The Doll Collection of Alexandra and Sidney Sheldon will take place in Los Angeles on 24 Jun 2013
This auction at Bonhams promises to be of interest to collectors of early Lenci dolls from the 1920s and 1930s. With fine examples of Lenci Boudoir Lady dolls, character dolls and child dolls.
A note of caution to serious collectors: I just noticed lot 5025 titled “A Lenci felt boy doll” is actually not a Lenci doll. It looks like a French Raynal doll also I see he is wearing an added genuine Lenci doll coat over his original outfit. The book Lenci Dolls: Dorothy Coleman also mistakenly identified this same model doll as a Lenci. Additionally, the Skiier doll (lot 5355) to the right of the picture above is another French made felt doll that is also misidentified as a Lenci.
Nov 2012, a Italian Felt Miniature Boy with Hobby Horse by Lenci, Series XX 800/1300 fetched $16,000 at auction
Notice the bent knees which are different from the straight legs of the less rare Lenci Mascottes.
Item Description:
8″ (20 cm.) Felt swivel head with pressed and painted facial features, large round downcast blue eyes, painted long curly lashes, high arched brows, accented nostrils, closed “O”-shaped mouth, blonde mohair short curly wig, jointing at shoulders and hips. Condition: generally excellent, light surface dust. Marks: Lenci (blue-edged cloth tag). Comments: Lenci, the model first appeared in a 21″ size in the mid-1920s named “Carluccio”, and was later released, circa 1931, in this miniature size. Value Points: rare and delightful child wearing his original, felt costume including felt apron with pocket embroidered “Tom”, and with his original paper cap and wooden hobby horse. – Link to auction listing at proxibid
Nothing to do with Lenci dolls but, I came across Jose Trujillo Original Landscape Paintings on eBay today and thought they would make a nice gift for someone. I don’t know the artist personally but here is his intro from his eBay page:
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
This doll came posed in her own chair and was named Mimi. Some collectors call her Marlene Dietrich possibly because the pose reminds us of the movie The Blue Angel (1930). However this doll was on the market in 1926 well before the Blue Angel was made and before Marlene Dietrich was well known outside of Germany so this Mimi doll probably represents a singer or character from the stage from the early 1920’s and from before 1926 when this doll came on the market.
