Doll, boxed, fabric, 'Itsy Bitsy Beans', made by Burbank Toys, England, 1970s

A small soft fabric doll wrapped inside its box. The box is green with a clear front so that the doll inside can be seen. The box has a piece which goes across the front in the shape of a heart and coloured pink which has the title of the doll on it and the manufacturer. The rest of the box has illustrations of the doll and other versions on the side as well as text, printed in black. The doll is wearing a pink romper suit which closes in her feet and goes round her head like a hood. It has a frilly white edge and two white bobbles as well as a pink ribbon around the neck. The doll has blonde curly hair and blue eyes painted onto its plastic face. The body is made from fabric.

Norah Chambers Kensey bequest

The 'Itsy Bitsy Beans' dolls were first produced by Mattel in 1970. The dolls have small vinyl hands and heads and their bodies are filled with 'beans', making them soft and able to pose in a variety of positions. They were advertised as "Lots of floppy, ploppy, posing fun, snuggly and soft". Later, the dolls hands were made from cloth so they appeared more like mittens, as can be seen on this doll. The earliest dolls were simple babies and came in a variety of colours, where later, themes began to emerge including dolls with babies and nursery rhymes.

B.649-2010