Victorian Boys and Girls Engravings From The Harper's Young People Illustrations Book From 1889

I found when I was looking at all the illustrations from the Harper's Young People Illustrations Book published in 1889 that I was really drawn to the illustrations that were engraved.  I found the engraving process intriguing and, of course, had to find out more.

According to Wikipedia:  Engraving is the practice of incising a design onto a hard, usually flat surface by cutting grooves into it with a burin. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an intaglio printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing images on paper as prints or illustrations; these images are also called "engravings". Engraving is one of the oldest and most important techniques in printmaking.

After learning how they create these beautiful illustrations I was even more in awe of the the amazing detail with each.  I was especially in awe of the unbelievable facial expressions they were able to achieve.

I hope after looking at all the amazing illustrations below and the blown-up sections of the facial features you would agree.

The illustration above was in the December 8, 1888 weekly in the Harper's Young People Illustrated Book on page 58.  It was entitled "At Your Service!" and was from the painting by J.G. Brown, N.A.

Just look at the details on the little boys eyes and the tears in his clothing.

Victorian Valentine's Day And Romance Illustrations From The Harper's Young People Illustrations Book From 1889

Nothing speaks Valentine's Day more than Cupid.  And, what Cupid is more charming than the one in the illustration above that appeared in the March 16, 1889 weekly in the Harper's Young People Illustrated book on page 273.  The illustration above was entitled " Love's Valentine" and was drawn by Jessie Shepherd (Jessie Curtis Shepherd).

As a child I can remember getting little paper Valentines on Valentine's Day - can't you?  I can also remember my mother telling me that I could participate but I would need to give a Valentine to every student in the class.  When I asked her why I had to give one to everyone she simply smiled and said: "So no one is left out."  Given I was in the first grade back then I didn't understand the significance of that.  I certainly do now.

The illustration above was in the March 16, 1889 weekly of the Harper's Young People Illustrated book on page 285 and was entitled "Where Cupid Took His Valentine."  It wasn't signed so I don't know who drew it but I find it totally charming and hope you do too.

There are three little illustrations contained within this picture as well as a totally charming poem to go along with the drawings.

"I'm getting sick of Valentines" 

Said Cupid to his brother.

"And do you know I almost think

 I'll never send another.

I carried one a year ago,

 To little Rosebud May,

And found that twenty more or less, 

Had come for her that day.

Now when you send a Valentine 

"Said Cupid," what's the fun.

Of knowing that it simply counts

As "number twenty-one."

I know a child," his brother said

"A little friend of mine,

Who never yet in all her life

Has had a Valentine."

"I'll take her one," cried Cupid,

Springing lightly to his feet,

"Tell me the number of her house,

And kindly name the street."

And only waiting to be told

The best and shortest way

He spread his shining silver wings, 

And flew without delay.

He found the little girl and stood

Before her in surprise

For shabby gowns and ragged cloaks

Were strange to Cupid's eyes.

This lassie had a sweet round face

A dimple in her chin,

But ah, alas! her shoes were worn,

Her dress was old and thin.

One moment Cupid stood amazed

Then with a bow as fine

As any ever seen at court

He gave the Valentine.

"For me!" the little maiden cried

Her eye alight with joy.

"I never had one in my life

Oh, thank you little boy!"

"The thanks are mine," said Cupid,

Still bowing very low

I'll always be your Valentine

If you will have it so."

"Oh dear, how nice!" then with a blush,

"I'm very poor you know."

"Oh that's no matter," Cupid cried,

And smiling turned to go.

Now every year that little lass,

Whose dress is poor and old

Receives the prettiest Valentine

That can be bought for gold.

And Cupid tells his brother,

When e'er they chance to meet,

That rich or poor it matter not

When a little girl is sweet.

Can't you just picture the little maiden above crying: "For me!" I certainly can and love the expression on her face as well as the poem.

Sometimes  you can just feel the love even from a simple illustration, like the one above which appeared in a story about a sea captain in the May 11, 1889 weekly of the Harper's Young People Illustrated book on page 404.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone.

Old Man Winter Illustrations From The Harper's Young People Illustrations Book From 1889

For someone who doesn't like winter and snow I don't mind making snowmen or looking at Victorian winter illustrations like the illustration above which was in the December 8, 1888 weekly in the Harper's Young People Illustrated Book on page 61.  It was entitled "Such a Heavy Load."

The illustration above was in the November 2, 1889 weekly in the Harper's Young People Illustrated Book on page 814.  It was entitled "Our Champion Climbers."

I just love the look on the little girl and little boy's face.  She looks like she's say, "This is not fun!" He looks like he's saying, "See, I told you we could do this."

The illustration above was in the December 1, 1888 weekly in the Harper's Young People Illustrated Book on page 41. It was drawn by E.J. Meeker.

I just love the old man winter image in the sky and the saying:

King winter rules o'er hill and plain,

And shrill the north wind whistles.

While snow-flakes white, a fairy train,

Fall soft as floating thistles.

For look, a painter grey and old,

Above the storm abiding,

With stars and spheres and crystals cold,

The bare brown earth is hiding.

I hope you enjoyed seeing the Victorian old man winter illustrations.

Victorian Girls and Dolls Pictures From The Harper's Young People Illustrations Book From 1889

I love dolls.  I love making dolls and I always loved playing with my dolls.  I also love the Victorian Era, history, and books.  So, it should come as no surprise that I would love illustrations from the Harper's Young People Illustrations Book From 1889 that I found recently.

As you might recall from a previous Linda's Blog post Some of the mixed media projects this summer I created some mixed media items that required quite a bit of old book papers for collage purposes.  So much so I ran out of the book pages.

Well, in looking around the house I found an old Harper's Young People Illustrations Book from 1889 that was in poor condition and with some of the pages already missing.

I don't know where this book came from and who it belonged to.  Most of the old books I have belonged to my great Aunt Flossie but I didn't think this was one of hers.  The time-frame was right but the book wasn't signed with her name - which she always did on the inside of the front cover.

Victorian Christmas Illustrations From The Harper's Young People Illustrations Book From 1889

I decided that one of my all time favorite illustrations that I saw in the Harper's Young People Illustrated Books was the one that appeared on page 97 of the December 29, 1888 weekly.

I love it for three reasons: 1) The most adorable Santa figure I've seen;

Victorian Illustrations of Real Life From The Harper's Young People Illustrations Book From 1889

Not all the illustrations in the Harper's Young People weekly's were of joy or celebration.  Some were of the grim reality of life and the event of the day.

Such was the case with the illustration above appeared in the December 15, 1888 weekly in the Harper's Young People Illustrated Book on page 76.  It was entitled " The doctor drew the man's left hand to him and felt his pulse" and was part of a story entitled "Uncle Peter's Trust" written by George B. Perry about a dying man.

You can just feel the sorrow and compassion in the room for this man as he lay dying.

The illustration above appeared in the December 1, 1888 weekly in the Harper's Young People Illustrated Book on page 40.  It was entitled "Frank was contented to lie still while she chattered to him."  It was drawn for the story entitled "Floride's Patient. A True Story of the War." written by Bertha Watson.

You can just feel the compassion the young girl has for the young man in the hospital bed and her desire to cheer him up.

The illustration above appeared in the March 30, 1889 weekly in the Harper's Young People Illustrated Book on page 312.  It was entitled "The boy murmured softly to his mute playmate and toyed with his ears."

There is no doubt the mother above is concerned for her sick child and her need to comfort him.  Even the family dog tries to do what he can.

I hope you enjoyed the Victorian illustrations of real life shown above.

Victorian Mother's and Children Illustrations From The Harper's Young People Illustrations Book From 1889

There's nothing quite like looking at the different expressions of family members within gatherings - especially the expressions of mother's and children.

You cannot help but feel the despair in the face of the mother from the illustration above that appeared in the July 27, 1889 weekly in the Harper's Young People Illustrated Book on page 580. It was entitled "Homeless" and was drawn for the poem "Homeless" written by Dora Read Goodale.

The illustration above appeared in the February 9, 1889 weekly in the Harper's Young People Illustrated Book on page 670. It was entitled "Celestial Geography." The captions were: "Charlie (recently promoted to the study of geography, and much interested in the same.) "Mamma, do all the big countries have capitals?" Mamma. 'Yes, Dear."  Charlie. "Then what's the capital of heaven?"

For the above you can see the questioning look on the boy and the surprised look on the mother who is trying to decide how to answer that question.

Victorian Children and Animals Illustrations From The Harper's Young People Illustrations Book From 1889

One of the things that delighted me so much with the illustrations from the Harper's Young People weekly was the number of illustrations of Victorian children with animals, like the illustration above that appeared in the August 31, 1889 weekly in the Harper's Young People Illustrated Book on page 670. The illustration was entitled "Getting ready for a walk."

When I was a young girl I can remember times when we found bird's nests with baby birds in them that seemed to be abandoned by their mothers.  We always tried to help the little babies and would take them home and with the help of our Dad try to feed them.  I can remember using a little eye dropper to feed them water and digging up worms to feed them.  Unfortunately we weren't successful in our endeavors.

Victorian Children At Play Illustrations From The Harper's Young People Illustrations Book From 1889

There's nothing more delightful than watching young children play.  As a young child I have such fond memories of playing with my older brother or friends.  We were usually outside running around, playing a sport, riding our bikes, playing on the beach and looking for crabs, or getting into trouble with our antics.....lol

Seems times have drastically changed for children as I rarely see any children playing outside anymore.

So, of course I was drawn to the Victorian images of children playing like the illustration above which appeared in the December 8, 1888 weekly of the Harper's Young People Illustrations Book from 1889 on page 46.  It's entitled "The Only Boy In The Family."

In looking at the illustration you might think it was labelled wrong and that the child is a girl.  Well, it seems in the Victorian era boys and girls clothing was indistinguishable. There was a practical reason for why boys worn dresses and it has to do with diapers and potty training.  It would have taken way too much time for changing a little boy.  It was so much easier to just lift the dress. Unbuttoning Victorian trousers was way too time consuming for mothers and way too difficult for little boys to do.

I just love the illustration above entitled 'The Gossips."  It appeared in the July 6, 1889 weekly of the Harper's Young People Illustrations Book on page 540.  How adorable are these two? Wonder what they were talking about?

For the Love of Reading - Victorian Girls and Their Books Illustrations

If you've been a reader of my Linda's Blog for awhile you know that I've had a long term love affair with dolls, doll patterns, the Victorian era, floral design, genealogy, research, history and books. As far as I'm concerned you can never have enough dolls and you can never have enough books.

So, of course, I would be drawn to illustrations of Victorian girls and their books from the Harper's Young People Illustrations Book of 1889, like the illustration shown above.  It appeared in the May 18, 1889 weekly of the Harper's Young People Illustrations Book from 1889 on Page 420.

It was drawn by Rosina Emmet Sherwood and appeared in a story "The A.O.I.B.R" by Elizabeth Eggleston Seelye.  According to her Wikipedia page: "Her story "“The A.O.I.B.R." appeared in Harper's Bazaar in 1889 with an illustration of a child reading. The Rockwell Centre for American Visual Studies cites this as a surprisingly early illustration of a girl reading. The subject of girls reading in the illustration by Rosina Emmet Sherwood is thought rare (like the ones in Louisa Allcott's Little Women)."

The caption reads: "She retired to the society of books." This brings back wonderful memories for me as so many times when I was growing up you could find me like this.

My house is filled with books of all kinds. My love affair with books and reading began very early on. My Mother was an avid reader, my Father was an avid reader, my Grandmother and Great-Aunt were avid readers, and so it was passed down to my siblings and I.

I have such fond memories of sitting in my Grandmother's rocking chair (which I still have) and having her read me a story. Sometimes we would sit there while she was watching her soap opera's and she would rock with me in her lap.  Kind of like in the illustration above from the March 9, 1889 weekly of the  Harper's Young People Illustrations Book from 1889 on page 270.

Sometimes she would read me a story. I never minded just sitting there with her. I always knew there would be a story. And, I always felt safe in her arms.

Now, when I read I think about sitting with my Grandmother or listening to my Mom and Dad talk about their love of reading and it brings back warm and pleasant feelings for me.

Victorian Children At School Illustrations From The Harper's Young People Illustrations Book From 1889

I don't really think it matters what the time frame is when it comes to school being difficult at times for students.  The look on the face of the little girl in the illustration above could just as well be from 2019 as 1889.  All you have to see is the expression on her face to feel her distress.

The illustration above is from the December 1, 1888 weekly of the Harper's Young People Illustrated book on page 45.  It was entitled "Katy's First Recitation in Geography After Vacation." (Or something that sounds very much like it.)

While you can easily feel the young girls distress in the recitation illustration at the beginning of this post you certainly can feel the sorry for the little girl in the engraving above who is so distressed she's sobbing while a friend tries to comfort her.  She's in detention for whatever reason and is upset by this.  I think we've all had times at school where as young children we were brought to tears.  I just want to go over to her, put my arms around her and comfort her.  I doubt the school mistress did that.

The Dolls Christmas Dinner Illustration From The Harper's Young People Illustrations Book From 1889

Some of the mixed media projects I created this summer required quite a bit of old book papers for collage purposes.  So much so I ran out of the book pages.  Truth be told it wasn't the projects themselves that used up the paper it was the number of projects I was creating..... lol

Well, in looking around the house I found an old Harper's Young People Illustrations Book from 1889 that was in poor condition and with some of the pages already missing.

I don't know where this book came from and who it belonged to.  Most of the old books I have belonged to my great Aunt Flossie but I didn't think this was one of hers.  The time-frame was right but the book wasn't signed with her name - which she always did on the inside of the front cover.

I can remember as a young girl asking her why she signed all her books and she said; "so that anyone who borrows them will know who the books belong to."  Makes sense to me.  So, for my whole life every book I've ever bought I've signed the inside of the front cover, too.  Kind of a sweet tribute to my great Aunt.

I was pretty sure this book didn't belong to my great Aunt but had no idea where it came from or who gave it to me.  After all this time suffice to say I'll probably never know.

My First Victorian Doll I Named "Linda" - Of Course!

If you aren't a reader of my Linda's Blog you might not know that I'm a doll maker and doll pattern designer. I'm also a bit of a genealogy buff. So, I decided to combine my love of doll making and love of genealogy by naming my doll patterns after members of my family - past and present. I thought by doing so that it would be a nice way to honor my ancestors.

In any event, I thought that the first article in my "The Story Behind Each of My Doll Patterns" series should be the first doll and doll pattern that I designed. Her name is "Linda" and her picture is the one at the top of this article. And, "yes" she is named after me. What a surprise? Bet you could see that coming a mile away.

I gave a lot of thought to "Linda" as I wasn't quite sure where and how to begin. Besides being a lover of dolls and genealogy I also have a passion for the clothes of the Victorian Era. I wanted my first doll, my namesake, to be a Victorian. I also knew that I wanted my dolls to be able to stand up on their own.

I'd seen a lot of porcelain dolls which were all very beautiful but, wanted something different. I wanted to design a doll who had a "distinct" personality that was not determined by her face. What I wanted was to create a "faceless" doll. My feeling is that faces overwhelm the dolls personality and, therefore, have a greater impact on her personality. I wanted the clothing, hair, accessories, color scheme, etc. of the Victorian period to determine the personality of the doll.

So, I decided that the best way to accomplish this was to use a wooden ball for the head, a 1/4" dowel for the neck, a 1" dowel for the body, and a wood circle for the base. Her wooden head would be painted with a flesh colored paint. I added a little blush for color. Her arms were going to be wires covered with batting so they were bendable. Also, her hands were going to be made out of old lace, preferably old lace gloves (talk about hard to find).

Batting was wrapped around the wood dowel for padding for the body. If I wanted her to be a little chunkier (what's wrong with chunky?) then I would just add more padding. A fitted slip was added to the lower part of her body and glued to the sides of the fitted circle so she was self-enclosed.

The fun part was that "Linda's" personality started to develop as I went along. Now this might sound a little crazy, but the doll kind of spoke to me as she was being created. If that sounds crazy to you that's okay. I know all my doll making and crafting friends will understand this.

"Linda" wanted to be a prim and proper Victorian so she decided that an 1850 Street Costume would be appropriate for herself. She wanted a lined 2-tier jacket with a 3-tiered lined shawl. She also wanted a lined bonnet, lace trimmed parasol, lace trimmed dress with long lace trimmed and gathered sleeves, lace gloves, lace trimmed slip and long curly blonde hair.

I tried to talk her out of being "blonde" with all the connotations that come with that. She didn't care. It was 1850 after all and they didn't have "dumb blondes" back then. Who came up with that term anyway? I told her that I, her namesake, had straight, fine hair. It didn't matter to her whether or not she looked like me. It was going to be long, curly blond hair or nothing. So, "Linda" had her way. Of course, my Mother would tell you that she was just like me in that regard.

So, "Linda" got her 1850 Street Costume and long, curly, blonde hair. She was well suited to be a prim and proper Victorian "Lady" if I didn't say so myself. Plus, as she tells me, she doesn't look anything like her namesake which she is thankful for. I don't know if I should be insulted or not. What do you think?

Sometimes You Have A Favorite - Josephine Is One Of Them! - Victorian Lady Doll

Sometimes even designers have to admit they have favorite creations. They don't like to because they like to think that all of their creations are their favorites. It's kind of like mothers who when asked: "Mom, am I your favorite child?" reply with, "I love you all the same."

So, while I do love all my creations I do have to admit that some more than others just appeal to me. Just don't tell the "dollies" I said that. There will be sibling rivalry like unbelievable in our house if they find out.

In any event, Josephine is one such creation. I don't know whether it's her red hair or her green outfit with all the filly lace or both. There's just something beautifully appealing about her.

Josephine is a free-standing Victorian lady doll who can hardly wait for spring to show off her new toilette. When she saw it in the Godey Fashion Magazine she knew she had to have it. It was in her favorite color, after all. And, not too many outfits that season were in green. But, she knew that it would look wonderful on her and really highlight her beautiful red hair. So she ordered it and asked that it be sent as soon as possible.

Josephine is a 13" Victorian wood and cloth doll. Her arms are wire-shaped and covered. She also has a painted wood head and covered round wood base. Her inner body is made from a dowel covered with fabric and eyelet lace which is also covered by a gathered and lace trimmed slip.

Josephine is wearing a coordinated green outfit which consists of a lined jacket with large puffy sleeves, lined & fitted vest, large lace trimmed ruffled blouse with bow, and a multi-tiered lace trimmed and gathered skirt with floral decorations. Her beautiful red hair is fastened in a bun and is highlighted by a ribbon & floral trimmed lined hat with a large bow on the back. She is carrying a multi-tiered lace trimmed parasol.

Josephine thinks she looks quite fetching in her beautiful green outfit and hopes you agree. She doesn't mind being one of Linda's favorites. Just don't tell the other "dollies."

Designer - Linda Walsh of Linda Walsh Originals

My Victorian Lady Doll LouArlene - Victorian Lady Doll

LouArlene is a free-standing doll all ready for her afternoon stroll and tea with the ladies.

She has been anxiously awaiting her afternoon tea today so she can show of her new hat from Paris, France. It's the latest in Paris fashion and she's been waiting months to show all her friends. It's a perfect compliment to her new tea gown.

She is wearing a fancy gathered ribbon & lace trimmed dress with gathered and two-tiered lace trimmed long sleeves adorned with large gold buttons, and a V-shaped lace bodice on the front of her dress trimmed with gathered ribbon & lace trim. Lace adorns her waistband and accentuates her tiny waist.

She also has a painted wood head and covered round wood base. Her inner body is made from a dowel covered with fabric and eyelet lace. Her arms are wire-shaped and covered.

Underneath her tea gown she is wearing a lace trimmed slip and around her shoulders is a fancy lace shawl that belongs to her Mother. Hanging from her neck is a pearl necklace that she borrowed from her Mother, as well.

Her long blonde hair is tied in a bun with a braid framing her face. Sitting atop her beautiful braided head of hair is her new fancy lace & floral trimmed and lined bonnet, with ribbons & bows.

LouArlene knows that her new bonnet is just beautiful and that all her friends will want to order one for themselves. As far as LouArlene is concerned it's okay if all her friends order one for themselves. She will always be the first to have it and wear it.

Designer - Linda Walsh of Linda Walsh Originals

Elizabeth Just Loves Visiting Her Cousins! - Victorian Lady Doll

Elizabeth just loves visiting her cousins and having afternoon tea.  She only gets a chance to do this once a week so she is really looking forward to her visit this afternoon.

Elizabeth comes from a large family and has many, many cousins.  They all made a pact several years ago that despite all their busy schedules they would always try to meet at least once a week for tea.

Elizabeth just loves going because she catches up on all the comings and goings of her cousins.  Some are more actively involved in the different societal events so they have more to tell.  Some are more artistically inclined so she gets to hear about their new creations.  And, some love to travel so she gets to hear all about their adventures.

 Elizabeth is a 13" free-standing cloth and wood Victorian doll. Her arms are wire-shaped and covered. She also has a painted wood head and covered round wood base. Her inner body is made from a dowel covered with fabric and eyelet lace.  Her lace trimmed slip is gathered at the waist.

She is wearing a coordinated outfit with a two-tiered laced trimmed ruffled dress with ruffled and gathered overlapping front and back over-skirt.  Her outfit also has a lined jacket with gathered and puffed sleeves and jacket waistband.  A lace & floral trimmed lined hat sits atop her mass of long curly brown hair and she is carrying a matching lace trimmed parasol.

Teas with her cousins are never boring and Elizabeth is looking forward to this afternoon's tea.

Designer - Linda Walsh of Linda Walsh Originals

Kimberly Is As Proud As She Can Be With A New Outfit - Victorian Lady Doll

Kimberly is as proud as she can be today.  She's wearing a beautiful new outfit and can hardly wait to stroll down the boulevard and show it off.  It's a beautiful day out for a stroll and she knows that she looks stunning in her new outfit.  The colors are a wonderful compliment for her and she's sure she'll be catching many gentleman's eyes.

Of course, she's hoping that one special gentleman will be strolling down the boulevard today as well.  She's got her fingers crossed.

Kimberly is a 13" free-standing doll cloth and wood doll wearing an 1876 Promenade Costume.  She has a painted wood head and covered round wood base. Her inner body is made from a dowel covered with fabric and eyelet lace.  Her lace trimmed slip is gathered at the waist.

She has a fancy multiple lace trimmed and gathered dress with lace trimmed long gathered sleeves.  Her dress has a fancy laced trimmed over-skirt in the front and back that is decorated with wired ribbon bows. Silk ribbons adorn both the dress and sleeves.

Her beautiful and full long curly brown hair is tied with ribbons and a floral and lace trimmed lined feathered hat adorns her head.  She also has a frilly fringed shawl wrapped around her shoulders and she is holding a  fancy multiple lace trimmed and decorated parasol.

Kimberly is really trying to look her best today to catch the eye of a very special gentleman.  She's got her fingers crossed and just hopes it doesn't rain.

Designer - Linda Walsh of Linda Walsh Originals

My “Marie Antoinette” Victorian Faceless "Lady" Art Doll

“Marie Antoinette”, 13” Doll - Victorian Faceless "Lady" Art Doll E-Pattern - Victorian Lady Series - 1897 Paris Reception Gown - Pattern Category - Skill Level - Intermediate  - 20 Pages

Marie Antoinette is a free-standing doll ready for court.

She has a very fancy two-tiered ruffled dress with a fancy lace covered and lined front panel and long gathered sleeves, shawl, fancy lace & floral lined and feathered hat, lace parasol, lace trimmed slip and long white curly hair tied with ribbons.

Her arms are wire-shaped and covered. She also has a painted wood head and covered round wood base. Her inner body is made from a dowel covered with fabric and eyelet lace. The waistband of her dress is adorned with pearls and lace.

Designer - Linda Walsh Originals

My Victorian Lady Doll Augusta - Victorian Lady Doll

Augusta has been to the ball many, many times and this time she's wearing her favorite red lace ball gown. But, she isn't excited because she's wearing her favorite dress. It's because some of her younger friends Augusta Lilac, Augusta Black, and Augusta Blue are debutantes and attending their 1st debutante ball. They'd been dreaming of this for years and talking about the dress they wanted to wear. So, of course, they all had to have dresses just like Augusta.

Augusta's three younger friends are very much alike in their taste in clothing and usually buy the same clothes - albeit in different colors. All three wanted a beautiful dress with a long train. Well, maybe not so long that they couldn't dance, but long enough. They wanted lace and decorations and floral accents in their hair. And, most of all, they wanted their dresses to be alike, but not so alike that everyone would be able to guess. That was their private secret. But, different enough to reflect their own personalities. Just like Augusta.

"Augusta" is a 13" free-standing Victorian doll who wants to be the belle of the ball. She is wearing an 1850 Ball Gown.

She has very fancy 2-layer lace covered and lace trimmed dress with long puffed, gathered & ruffled coordinated sleeves and a fancy 2-layer lace covered and lace trimmed lined train. A lace covered and lined coordinated shawl is wrapped around her shoulders.

She has a painted wood head and covered round wood base. Her inner body is made from a dowel covered with fabric and eyelet lace. Her arms are wire-shaped and covered.

She has a coordinated sash around her waist which is tied in a large bow in the back and floral lace and pearl accents on her chest and sleeves.

Augusta is so proud of her younger friends and thinks they look absolutely stunning in their ball gowns. Not beautiful enough however to be the belle of the ball. That honor belongs to Augusta and no one else.

Designer - Linda Walsh of Linda Walsh Originals

Dee In Her 1870 Prairie Dress - Victorian Lady Doll

When I was designing my Victorian Ladies collection I wanted to make a simple Victorian Lady yet somewhat country doll in nature.  Someone who you'd see strolling in a garden or park.  Elegant but simple at the same time.  With this in mind my "Dee" Victorian Lady doll design was born.

Dee is a free-standing doll all ready for her Sunday picnic. She just loves to stroll amongst the flowers just enjoying the country air. Without a care in the world. Searching out the perfect spot to place her blanket for her country picnic.

Dee is a 16" Old Lady" Victorian, yet country doll. She is a cloth and wood doll with a painted wood head and covered round wood base. Her arms are wire-shaped and covered. Her inner body is made from a dowel covered with fabric and eyelet lace. A lace trimmed slip frames her inner body and is gathered around her waist.

She is wearing a 3-tiered gathered lace trimmed dress with lace trimmed long sleeves and has a ribbon tied sash wrapped around her waist. Her shawl is crocheted and wrapped beautifully around her shoulders. Her blonde hair is tied in a bun in the back and her bonnet is decorated with ribbons and silk floral. She is carrying a basket of flowers.

Dee is the third Victorian doll I designed and is named after my Grandmother.

Most of the time Dee she likes to be near the lake. But, today, she prefers a spot next to the flower gardens. It's a lovely day and the flowers are all in full bloom. What could be better than tea and biscuits next to the flower garden on a beautiful day? Just a perfect day for a picnic. Wouldn't you agree?

Designer - Linda Walsh of Linda Walsh Originals