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Izanna Walker and her rag doll

November 3, 2021

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September 2021 marks 204 years since the birth of Izannah Walker. Surely the master could not even imagine that in 160 years, somewhere in distant Russia, they would love, appreciate and try to repeat her dolls. It is unlikely that she thought that her heroines would live such a long life, go through the centuries and be desired and in demand. I think she could not even imagine that in a century and a half, the cost of her dolls will rise to 10-40 thousand dollars.

In 2008, a 15-inch Ella doll with original outfit was auctioned for 41000$, in May 2021 at Theriauit's for 42500$.

It is not known for certain at what price Izanna herself sold her works. But information was found that Jane's sister, who also created dolls, was selling for 10$.

Rag doll. Made by Izannah Walker 1860. Original photograph 1985 Helen Nolan. Postcard from my collection

It is difficult to give an exact date when Isannah came up with her dolls. Her great-niece Janet Johl, in her 1952 book Your Dolls and Mine, says: "Always inventive, she created her knitted dolls back in 1848 when my mother was a small child. She spent a long time perfecting her work and struggled with one problem: how to get a stable surface for the knitted head, arms, legs without peeling or cracking. One night she woke up, the voice in her head saying "use paste".

Early stereograph entitled 'May morning'. What appears to be a cloth Izannah Walker doll sits at the feet of two charming Victorian children. Postcard from my collection

In 1873, Isanna Walker registered a patent for the manufacture of her dolls, but the composition of the paste with which the fabric was impregnated during the manufacture of the head was not indicated in the patent. The master noted: “My doll is inexpensive, easy to keep clean, and is not capable of injuring a small child who might fall on it. It will retain its appearance for a long time as it has a double cover and is painted with oil paints. " The appendix to the patent also describes the process of creating a doll.

Patent page 1873

The doll was not difficult to make. Layers of inexpensive fabric, with the help of a paste, were pressed against a metal mold. The doll is painted with oil paints. Various types of packing were used. There are dolls stuffed with horsehair, cotton, dry seaweed, depending on the place of residence of the master. A block of wood has been found in some of the dolls (perhaps to balance and save padding). All dolls have a double cover. The upper ("second skin") is made of cotton or linen of a natural color, sometimes blue. It is usually attached to the legs and shoulders with glue or thread. On the arms, the second cover hides the elbow joint and is attached to the body. On the legs, most often, there are painted boots, but sometimes toes were stitched on the legs. One of Izanna's finds is a separately sewn thumb on her hand. The ears are of particular interest. They are rolled up from knitted fabric crowded into a tube and glued to the already fully formed head. The result is a neatly made doll.

Group of fabric doll. circa 1873. Postcard from my collection.

Izanna Walker's dolls competed successfully with German and English dolls made of papier-mâché.

And again from her niece's book: “Aunt Izanna always regretted not being a man. Nevertheless, she created dolls, made furniture for them. I also tried to make real furniture, was engaged in real estate. Male contemporaries watched with admiration as she handled the carpenter's tool. She was an outstanding woman, which may be why she was never married. "

On February 15, 1888, Isanna Walker died of consumption and is buried in Swan Point Cemetery in Providence, RI. Izanna Walker is considered to be the first woman to create an artel. Almost all relatives, one way or another, took part in the production. The artel made a variety of things: aprons, mops, brooches, soda bottles, candy, stationery, belts, knitting machines. Even a metal mold for making a doll head was helped by a relative employed in metallurgy. Dolls, created by her family for 40 years, are full of secrets and mysteries.

The dolls have not been labeled, it can be difficult to determine the year of manufacture. Sometimes it is impossible to identify the author of a particular doll, because in the censuses of the population in different years, and Izanne's sister Jane Walker, her aunt Jane Hintz and her friend Emeline Whipple (Emeline Whipple) are listed as "the maker of the dolls." It is not known for certain (no records have been preserved) whether the dolls of each of the women were made independently or the processes of painting, sewing and printing were delegated.

My Isanna

I learned about Izannah Walker dolls in 2011. I was advised to pay attention to them Irina Sakharova, who was then teaching at the School of Puppet Design the course "Play doll made of papier-mâché." At that time I was making rag dolls in the Raggedy Ann style and came to her for a course. She suggested that this American rag doll would be of interest to me.

Reproduction Izannah Walker dolls by Inna Razuvaeva. Photo by Tatiana Donskaya

At that time, it was difficult to find information about these dolls, especially in Russian. After surfing the Internet, I still found pictures of the dolls. Frankly, at first glance, I did not like them. But, apparently something "hooked". I came back to them again and again. A year later, she grew bolder and tried to make her first Izanna.

It turned out that for all the visual simplicity, today we call Izanne "3D primitive", it is very difficult to make a similar one. More and more often I come to the conclusion that making an author's doll is much easier than making a replica.

In the course of work, it turned out that it was not enough to know the manufacturing technology. In order for the replica to be similar to the original, you must adhere to all inherent in this doll, hell. Size, shape of the head, line of eyes, lips, hair color, hairstyle. Even the fabric from which the dolls' clothes are made is of great importance. That is why, for my Izannes, I order replicas of 1850-1865 fabrics, using antique and vintage fabrics.

Reproduction Izannah Walker dolls by Inna Razuvaeva. Photo by Tatiana Donskaya

Today, there are no original Izanna Walker dolls in Russia, at least in the public domain. There is nowhere to spy on, and independently figure out how they are made. All information has to be searched for on the Internet and focus only on pictures.

I was lucky enough to be able to learn from Paula Walton, a former museum director and curator, who has been recognised over 40 times as one of the best traditional craftsmen in America. She is the finest maker of reproductions of Izannah Walker dolls. Reproduces clothes, 18 - ^th и 19 - ^th centuries for women. Collector, author of articles for Early American Life, Antique Doll Collector, Prims.

Today, I continue to learn, as each new doll that comes up at auction adds to the piggy-bank of master reproducers of Isannes.

I have been fascinated by Izannah Walker dolls for 10 years. A lot has been done over the years. Dolls live not only in different countries, but also on different continents. Izanna would be surprised!

I have not been to America, Australia, England, Latin America, but thanks to these dolls I found many friends with whom we are "on the same wavelength." We are concerned with the same issues, we have similar interests. Sometimes they ask me: "What attracted you to Izanna's dolls?" I think they are unimaginably warm, you can play with them, they are nice to press to your chest, hug. It is not scary to give a doll to a child; it will not break or break.

Doll Art 2019

This is probably why Izannah Walker dolls are now so fond of adult women, it is they who most often acquire them "for themselves". Additional outfits are sewn for them, antique furniture and accessories are bought, holidays are arranged, sometimes whole rooms are allocated for these dolls. This is such a game that passes through the centuries and is passed down from generation to generation ...