Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-29
OLD-T|ME DOLLS
HOLD TEA PARTY
Many Diminutive Toy Pets oil
Nineteenth Century in
Collection Here.
BY GRETCHEN SMITH.

A strange tea party was held recentl!
IN the home of one of Georgetown
distinguished residents. 1t was giver
in honor of some ladies of the last cen
tury, who, despite their hundred year.
or so, do not seem to grow old. Tina
is the advantage of being a doll. NJ
matter how many gay seasons a dol
may have seen, she never loses her pinl
and white complexion or the innocent
expression of her wide blue eyes.
Thirty-five or more dolls assembled
IN the drawing room of the Georgetown
hostess. All of them were of English
or early American stock. Most of then
were attired in costumes of the very
earliest years of the nineteenth century
with long, full skirts. beneath which, ir
some cases, tiny ruffled pantieS coulo
be seen peeping. There were rag dolls
wooden dolls, china dolls and wax
dolls. In distant corner, as though
ashamed OF her appearance, shrank
tiny doll made of corn huSks, with
tresses of corn silk showing beneath her
bonnet.
"That doll" remarked the hostess
''is a typical and genuine early nine
tenth century American doll. They
were made by American pioneers, who
had no other dolls to give their little
girls.
All more Ihan lUU.
every doll here" continued the
Georgetown hostess, lis well over hun
bred years old Many of them picked
up in New England. Many others !
found in old London shops"
An interesting costume history of the
times was revealed by the garments
worn at the dolls party. No doll was
excluded from the gathering, even
though she were poor and had to at
tend without a party dress. Therefore,
many dresses of calico, gingham and
muslin were glimpsed among the more
elaborate costumes of stiff silks and
nets. And such needlework as was APP
parent on the little frocks is rarely, If
ever, seen in these days. Rows upon
rows of tucks and seams so fine they
must have required magnifying glasses
in the making.
No doll or group of dolls attracted
more attention than a half dozen
diminutive ones found by the collector
years ago in England. One, not more
than q half inch in size, had tiny
jointed limbs and a painted wooden
face the size of pin head 1t will ever
remain a mystery in this age as to how
these dolls we're dressed in their gay
little garments cut in the height of
nineteenth century style.
Although the Georgetown doll party
was given particularly for the large
group of lady dolls gathered by their
hostess from various parts of the
country, a few unusual character dolls
were present.
Found on Battlefield.
A story has ii that an Indian war
rior doll, one of the few gentlemen pres
ent at the party, although not so
ancient as the others, had had most
interesting career. In 1890, after the
Battle of Wounded Knee, one of the last
fought between the American Cavalry
and the Sioux Indians, the doll was
found by an Army officer, lying upon
the battlefield Apparently he had
been dropped by small Sioux papoose,
accompanying her mother. as she sought
for her dead brave upon the battle
field. The officer picked up the doll,
which later was presented to the
Georgetown resident by relative.
Looking upon her quaint little guests,
in gowns and bonnets of long ago, the
hostess breathed sigh.
''Oh,' she remarked. 'if only they
could talk-what stories they might tell
OF the little mothers who dressed them
125 years agol"