Posted 8 years ago
katherines…
(247 items)
So this little doll was a souvenir from Expo 58, which according to Wikipedia, was the first expo held in twenty years, after WWII. The doll is surprisingly intact for its age, in the original celluloid package, with original cord handle. The front reads Bruxelles Expo 58 Tchecoslovaquie. This souvenir may have been part of the Czechoslovakian pavilion, which was awarded Best Pavilion of the Expo. Interesting that the doll is in native costume, and that the wording is in French, as the country itself at that time was firmly entrenched within the USSR. Appears to be a celluloid head and painted features with a hard chest piece covered with cloth, the body, arms, and legs feel as if they are made of cloth. Faux fur cap skewed to one side is glued on. Not able to remove outfit so can't see if there are markings. I looked for others to compare and seems there aren't any dolls from Expo 58, actually very few souvenirs that I could find. Even though this souvenir may be rare, doubtful the value is high. I hope you liked seeing this doll, and thanks for looking.
I don't imagine very many of these have survived. This is the only other doll from the '58 Expo that I found online:
https://nl.pinterest.com/pin/393502086167750099/
I love these tourist dolls in their celluloid tubes. I often see them but being Australia they are usually from Fiji or Vanuatu or a guard from Buck Palace.
Lovely, in the original case even better, katherinescollections you rock....;-D
Regards
Alan
Thanks for the love, fortapache, NevadaBlades, antiquerose, mikelv85, Efesgirl, brunswick, racer4four, nutsabotas6, Alan2310, and sklo42. :)
Bonnie, when I looked online that doll that you linked to was the only other I found, but no information attached, and she is out of her packaging so hard to say if she's authentic. There is so little in the way of souvenirs from that Expo besides paper items, and even those are scarce. From what I've read, Expo 58 was well attended, surprising there isn't more merchandise around on the secondary market.
Karen, without the tube, this doll would have probably been chucked into the doll bin of the local thrift shop, so really quite lucky to have her in the box. Yes, I love tourist souvenir dolls, too! :)
Thanks, Ken, I was pleased to find her. :)
Thanks, Alan, sometimes I do rock, lol! ;))
Very nice shape:)
Thanks for the love, vetraio50, and Trey. :)
Thank you, Trey, for the nice compliment. :)
This reminds me of dolls I had in my childhood in 1980s! Arent they pretty? I always liked the colourful ribbons. In rural parts of Czechoslovakia old women wore still wore similar outfits to church etc. back then.
P.S. Czechoslovakia was never within USSR. We were behind Iron Curtain though, as one of Warsaw pact satellite states - but never a part of USSR.