I am making a new outfit for a very old doll, the doll we are calling Florence is about 140 years old. Her first owner was Gertrude Florence, my grandmother's youngest sister. Gertrude Florence Skinner known in the family as Flo, was born 9th February 1881 in Christchurch and was possibly about 4 or 5 when she got her doll.
This is the only photo we have of her as a child. Flo never married and passed her doll on to her niece (my mother) another Florence.
Florence Mabel Haworth was born 12 December 1908 and when she was about 4 the doll was given to her, we know it was about this time that the first china head was replaced. The stamp on the back of the head dates the head as between 1912-1915 and was made in Japan, This photo of Florence Mabel with her mother was taken in 1912.
The doll’s story now moves to 1945 when new clothes were being made ready for the doll to be given to the next generation and to my sister Joan. Joan’s memory of what the doll was wearing at this time helped date when she received the doll as she remembers the doll came with a knitted singlet made by Mrs Dunic who was in the Bluff Maternity Home with Mum when our brother was born December 15th 1945. The doll was wearing a smocked dress a pale green jacket and a green bonnet.
This photo taken in 1946 is of Joan age 6 with mother (Florence Mabel) and Joan was wearing one of the many smocked dresses mother made. Her doll's dress was probably like this one, a dress made for another doll one of several smocked doll dresses mother made that have survived. The insert photo of Joan suggests the two dresses Joan's and this dolls dress were made of the same fabric.
In the 1970's I was asked to dress Florence as a bride when she was being passed down to the next generation, Joan giving the doll to her daughter Vicki, this dress was made I think with fabric scraps from Joan's wedding dress and had an apron front embroidered with my signature Bullion stitch roses, a bustle back and lace trim. Now 50years late Florence is here with me have a new dress made, and I will continue to share her story over the next few weeks.
