Among the entries at Australia's first international exhibition was this doll dressed by Miss M Goddard. Probably of English manufacture, the doll wears a home-made dress, chemise, petticoat and drawers. It comes with a certificate on green paper with a floral border, bearing the words 'Sydney Juvenile Industrial Exhibition, 1879, First Prize, Miss M Goddard'. Dressing dolls was a popular form of competition at agricultural shows and, later, at colonial and international exhibitions. Young girls were encouraged to make complete sets of clothes for their dolls as part of their training to be wives and mothers. Tiny stitches and fine embroidery were particularly prized. Although little is known of Miss Goddard this doll is a rare surviving example of such competition pieces and is all the more interesting as the original certificate survives as well.

In 1879 Sydney held Australia's first international exhibition, a showcase of invention and industry from around the world. An imposing Garden Palace was built in the Domain to house the exhibition. Visitors totalled 1,117,563, a remarkable achievement in a colony with only 650,000 inhabitants. After the Exhibition closed the Garden Palace was dedicated to the 'recreation of the people' (SMH, 23 September 1882), and a Technological, Industrial and Sanitary Museum set up in the south-west corner. Objects were sought from exhibitors and the Museum was only weeks away from opening when the Garden Palace burnt to the ground in one of Sydney's more spectacular fires. Undaunted the curator started again and on 15 December 1883 the Museum opened in the former Agricultural Hall in the Domain. This Museum later moved to Ultimo and today is the Powerhouse Museum.

The Sydney International Exhibition of 1879 included an extensive display of children's handiwork. This Juvenile Industrial Exhibition was organised by the Council of Education, with the schools of the colony contributing numerous exhibits, principally of crayon drawings, maps, illuminations and needlework. In all, the some six hundred awards, were given out 'bearing testimony to the general merit of their handiwork' (from 'Official Record of the Sydney International Exhibition', 1881).

There are no markings on this doll but according to Barbara Spadaccini of the Musee des Arts Decoratifs at the Louvre, it is probably of English manufacture.

The doll was dressed by Miss M. Goddard for her entry in the Sydney Juvenile Industrial Exhibition that formed part of the Sydney International Exhibition of 1879.

Doll, female, wax / composition / cotton / glass, dressed by Miss M Goddard and certificate, paper, from Sydney Juvenile Industrial Exhibition, Sydney International Exhibition, England / Australia, 1879

A female doll with wax head and shoulder plate, blue glass eyes and painted facial features, inset blonde [human] hair. The torso, upper arms and legs are of cloth, with composition lower arms and legs. The doll is dressed in a white fine cotton pin tucked calf length dress with lace and pin tucked front, fitted at the waist and buttoned at the back; beneath is a full length fine pin tucked cotton chemise with lace trim; light brown full length [wool] petticoat with decorative stitching; plain cotton chemise; cotton drawers pin tucked at the knee with a lace trim. The feet are broken off but featured painted black boots with a purple velvet top line. The certificate is on green paper with a printed floral border with printed and handwritten text.

Maker: unknown; Sydney, New South Wales; 1870 - 1879

Maker: unknown; England; 1870 - 1879


Owner: unknown; Paddington, New South Wales; 1879

Text on the certificate reads 'Sydney Juvenile Industrial Exhibition, 1879, First Prize Dressed Doll, Miss M. Goddard'.

A5938

1870 - 1879