1954 Gerber Baby

On our recent driving trip I found this

Sun Rubber Co. Gerber Baby Doll

She is 17" tall.

Doll Haul Driving Trip

This is the original Gerber Baby sketch.

There was a contest held by Gerber Baby foods

to find the perfect baby for their advertising.

In the summer of 1928 the Fremont Canning Company

(later to become Gerber Products Company)

held a contest to find the baby face that would

be used on all their baby products.

Artist Dorothy Hope Smith entered a charcoal

sketch of her neighbor Ann Turner Cook, who

was about 5 months old.

This sketch became the trademarked image

for Gerber Baby products in 1931.

Here is my Gerber Baby Doll.

She is very dirty, poor baby!

She is very grimy and has some pencil marks

on her.

She is marked above her squeaker hole:

MFG By

Sun Rubber Co.

Berberton, Ohio, U.S.A.

Below her squeaker hole is her Patent Number.

This puts her manufacturing dates

between 1952 - 1956.

(And, yes, her squeaker still works!)

So grimy!!

Dirt and more dirt!

Poor baby! She needs a bath!

First her PJs.

This is the wash water just before the first rinse.

Here is a better picture of just how dirty her

PJs were! This is as I poured the water 

down the sink!

She got a bath with dish soap 

and a magic eraser. The magic

eraser did the best job of

getting rid of all that grime!

I used a toothebrush on her toes, fingers 

and in her ears.

Fresh clean baby!!

I repainted her lips and tongue.

Then I touched up her cheeks.

Refreshing Hair and Face Paint

Here she is! All fresh and clean.

A close-up of her new lip and cheek color.

I always add a touch of color on the nose

tip and around the forehead.

While her PJs are soaking I looked for

some outfits that she could model.

Gingham PJs.

She borrowed this dress from Sally Ann.

Pretty cute!

Lastly she tried on this vintage baby robe

Look at that embroidered kitty!

I love this little robe.

And here she is in the PJs she came in.

Pretty Cute! 

Before and AFTER Photos!

BEFORE         and        AFTER

And So MUCH cleaner!

BEFORE         and        AFTER

BEFORE         and        AFTER

Madame Alexander 16" Baby Doll

On our recent driving trip to Seattle, we stopped

 in a little town called Sedro Wooley.

At the local Goodwill I found a  Madame Alexander

15 inch Pussycat doll from 1965.

She looked a little sad, but I knew I

could make her beautiful again!

She is marked "Alexander" and 1965.

Her hair was not too bad.  I knew I could

fix it.

Here is the back, it looks worse than it is.

She had a tear under her arm.

And a tear in her inseam.

Back at our hotel I washed her 

hair and her arms and legs.

I picked up these little clothing pieces

at the thrift store.  I couldn't stand the thought 

of her being naked all the way home!

She looks a little happier.

Once we were home I fray-checked the tears

in her body. The fray-check stops the fabric 

from fraying so the fix is more stable.

Under her arm repaired and...

Along her inseam.

I found this little crochet doll dress a couple

of months ago! Little did I know that a little

girl would soon arrive that it fit perfectly.

I will be adding the pink

ribbons and buttons on the back.

Isn't this button card adorable?!?

Buttons attached!

Next I started some little pink booties.

I started with a chain of 6, then started going 

round and round, slowly increasing with single 

crochet stitches. When it fits her foot I 

started decreasing until it was snug.

WANT TO SEE HER NOW?

HERE




SHE




IS!!!

The pink velvet ribbon adds a bit of interest.

Here are her new booties.

And she has a name bracelet.

BUT, she has another dress!!

This dress has been in the doll closet

for a while.

When it first arrived Charlotte

modeled it, but I could see it was

meant for a baby doll.

And I was right!

Here are the Before and After photos.

Yellow crochet dress.

White christening dress.

I am SO happy with how her hair turned out!

Welcome home Ruby!