Doll thumbnail 1
Doll thumbnail 2
Not currently on display at the V&A

Doll

1955-1965 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This doll has been dressed in the image of her owner, a young Eleanor Lloyd. Eleanor, along with her sister who were in the Brownies and Guides respectively, hand sewed outfits for their dolls to look like them in their uniforms. This outfit has a great attention to detail, with hand embroidered skill badges including the hostess, the pony rider and the first aid badge that Eleanor herself had attained. The doll called Amelia-Ann also 'belongs' to the same pack that Eleanor attended and is similarly one of The Gnomes, identifiable from the badge on her left arm.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 10 parts.
(Some alternative part names are also shown below)
  • Doll
  • Doll's Clothing
  • Dress
  • Doll's Clothing
  • Belt
  • Doll's Clothing
  • Accessory
  • Doll's Clothing
  • Hat
  • Doll's Clothing
  • Doll's Clothing
  • Sock
  • Doll's Clothing
  • Sock
  • Doll's Clothing
  • Doll's Clothing
Materials and techniques
composition and moulded and hand stitched.
Brief description
composition doll dressed in a hand made Brownie outfit.probably English, 1960s.
Physical description
Composition doll of a young girl with blonde hair. The hair has been cut in to a stubby fringe and shoulder length waves. The doll has red painted finger nails She has a jointed neck upper arm and leg sockets. She has red lips and a closed mouth brown eyes and very thinly painted brows. The doll is a walking talking model and the head moves from side to side as the leg joints are moved to mimic walking. she also the the rmains of a 'voice' box in her stomach, now broken with a plaster covering it.
The doll is dressed in a handmade Brownie uniform including dress, belt, neck tie, shoes, sockets and a brown beret. The face of the doll and to a lesser extent the body have discoloured to a yellow colour.
Dimensions
  • Height: 52cm
Credit line
Given by Eleanor Lloyd (Dhiraprabha)
Object history
This doll was owned and the clothes hand made by Eleanor Lloyd when she was a young girl in the 1960s and 1970s. Her and her sister were active members of the Brownies and the Guides and both hand stitched these outfits mirrors on their own respective Brownie and Guide uniforms. The shoes were particularly designed by Eleanor and her sister to have an elasticated back so they could be slipped on and off the doll with ease.
The Brownie outfit she has made for her doll corresponds with the same one she had-the doll belongs to the same pack, the 1st Welwyn Garden City Brownies; has achieved the same skills badges, tea making, first aid and pony rider; and is part of the Gnomes like Eleanor was herself.
Summary
This doll has been dressed in the image of her owner, a young Eleanor Lloyd. Eleanor, along with her sister who were in the Brownies and Guides respectively, hand sewed outfits for their dolls to look like them in their uniforms. This outfit has a great attention to detail, with hand embroidered skill badges including the hostess, the pony rider and the first aid badge that Eleanor herself had attained. The doll called Amelia-Ann also 'belongs' to the same pack that Eleanor attended and is similarly one of The Gnomes, identifiable from the badge on her left arm.
Collection
Accession number
B.12:1 to 5-2010

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Record createdAugust 3, 2010
Record URL
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