Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1915-12-03
FAMOUS MIDDLEBURY DOLLS.

MIDDLEBURY DOLLS.
The Smithsonian Institution is send
ing to the press information about a
remarkable collection of dolls belonging
formerly to Miss Ella Slade of Middle
bury and presented to the National
Museum by Mrs. Anna Slade Thompson
of New York and Mrs. Cushing Hill of
M%iddlebury through the fundamentally
of DR.. c. Ford Langworthy. The notice
sent out by the Smithsonian Institution
is as follows:-
Pertaining to the dress of mar and
woman-kind, there is in the older
building of the U. S. National Museum,
a small collection of dolls and dolls
accessories so complete as to bring Joy
to the hearts of even the most fastidious
of children of the present day. Although
these dolls were used between 1855 and
1864, they are in remarkably fine con-
dition, and their belongings are as COM
plete and fresh as the trousseau of an
up-to-da ate bride. Naturally they are
not modern styles, since they were
designed and made before the war, but
upon examining the clothes carefully
they are found to be true to the times
represented, and fashioned with the ut
most care and labor. Even the assidu-
Gus curators and students of historical
dresses, known as period costumes,
cannot find a detail missing in these
miniature reproductions of the then
prevalent mode, although all of them
are homemade.
1.-TWO of these dolls have china heads,
and homemade bodies of cloth. One is
dressed is blue brocade silk the other in
brown calico striped in white, and figured
in purple and green. No garment is
missing and according to the times they
are amply provided with underskirts
and underwear, stockings and bottles.
Then, as now, white stockings seem to
have been popular. The one dressed in
silk wears a neck-piece and muff of
white cloth to represent elmine, and
also a bracelet and lingering.
Besides the dresses thus displayed,
these two dolls have garments of all
descriptions both for summer and winter
wear, as well as many household
utensils and pieces of furniture, includ-
ing a complete bed, with feather tick
and pillows, sheets, pillow slips, etc.
There are seven dresses arranged on
forms to properly show them off, and
some coats, waists, aprons, bonnets,
boots, stockings, and other articles OF
wear, as well as scarfs, strings OF
beads, watches, and other jewellery.
Several pieces of china ware are also in
cluded in this old collection of dolls &C
c~essories. Perhaps some of the most
interesting things are six pieces Of
dolls clothes patterns cut from news
papers, and used in the construction OF
certain of the wearing apparel made
over so years ago.
There is also a set of homemade
paper dolls with changeable clothes,
which compare favorably with paper
dolls of recent make, although they are
less elaborate.
1.-The collection origionally belonged
to Miss Ella Slade of Middlebury, Yer.
mont, granddaughter of William Slade
governor of Vermont from 1844-46, ant
for twelve years a member of Congress
from that State; and great-grand
daughter of William Slade, a soldier il
the Revolutionary war, who suffered OF
a British prison-ship of infamous mem.
DRY in New York harbor, and after tn,
war went as a pioneer from New
Canaan, Conn, to Cornwall, Vt.
Through the courtesy of DR.. Charles
F. Langworthy of this city, the
National Museum came into possession
of the dolls and their costumes, as
gift from Mrs. Burton Thompson, MRS.
Anna Slade Thompson) of New York
and Mrs. c. Hill, MRS. Katherine Slad'
Hid of Middlebury, Vermont, neices o
Miss Ella Slade, the Original owner
""The articles were discovered re,
Gently, having been carefully packed
away since the childhood days of Miss
Ella Slade, in a state of excellen
preservation, which has enabled tn
curator of history to exhibit them jus
as they were found"