Posted 9 years ago
shesellstr…
(2 items)
These babies were my mothers as a child mid-late 1930s. No one was allowed to play with them. I still feel weird even opening the plastic all these years later lol! They are adorable but no markings wondering if anyone has babies like mine? They have molded hair, composite head only everything else is pink fabric (hands/ body/legs) organza dresses and bonnets. Cry when squeezed (but who wouldn't;) They are in the original pink blanket bunting with a ruffle and a large pink satin bow in front. Original box is a drab pink color with metal latch in front but that has no markings either. I have read Madame Alexander made Dionne babies and early ones cloth, some with squeekers but think these might not be hers since no marks. I can totally see how people can loose their minds doing internet research:0!
Thse are the Dionne Quints, born in CanadaThe Dionne Quintuplets (French pronunciation: ?[dj?n]; born May 28, 1934) are the first quintuplets known to have survived their infancy. The identical sisters were born in Canada, just outside Callander, Ontario, near the village of Corbeil. All five survived to adulthood.
The Dionne girls were born two months premature. After four months with their family, they were made Wards of the King for the next nine years under the Dionne Quintuplets' Guardianship Act, 1935. The government and those around them began to profit by making them a significant tourist attraction in Ontario.
Thanks PostCardCollector, it is a most tragic story of child exploitation, very sad and unbelievable, yet it happened for profit.
One comitted suicide .
its no wonder they were kept like zoo animals;(
Madame Alexander held the exclusive rights to make the Quint dolls . Other companies made unlicensed versions . From USA. Japan, Canada . These technically could be not called Dionne Quints on packaging so hard to tell what company made them . I have seen one other single doll like yours as it was recorded as unmarked . Company Unknown , As you will see your dolls will not have the quints names on their clothes as did Madame Alexander dolls who also had name tags they wore . Yours are wonderful . Care has to be taken because of composition face as you see they have crazing right now . They need to be kept in temperature controlled environment . Dampness and extreme changes in temperature will cause further damage. I suggest they not be in a plastic bag they should be stored in a box with no plastic .You can cover them with a cloth . What a wonderful treasure .
You can also cover them in acid free paper .Don't handle clothes with bare hands the oil from our hands can damage cloth dress's. We use white cotton gloves when handling old fabric
Thanks so much Manikin, knew about the white cotton gloves but not about the acid free paper.
Hope that helps them being preserved , the plastic bag likely caused some of the crazing in paint ,the fine lines .