Donated in 1888, this was the first doll acquired by the museum. Its clothes were made by orphan girls at the Diakenie Orphanage in Amsterdam.

The doll was displayed at the Exhibition of Women's Industries in Sydney in 1888 in order to demonstrate the fine needlework skills of the Dutch orphan girls. According to a contemporary report, the doll's clothes exemplified 'the most approved methods of sewing, darning and knitting, as carried on in Holland' ('Report of the Minister of Public Instruction for the Year 1892').

The organiser of this section of the Exhibition of Women's Industries, Mrs Gurney of Macquarie Street, donated the doll to the museum along with other examples of needlework by the children and nuns from Rotterdam.

The doll is dressed in a similar style to the clothes worn by the orphans. She has thick striped cotton drawers, a chemise and a petticoat. The doll also originally had a black wool petticoat on top, a plain black wool dress, a white cotton apron and a hat.

She is made of wax over composition. (Composition is a mixture of materials, usually including pulped paper, which is pressed into a mould.) The manufacturing process involved applying a thin layer of wax over composition heads and limbs, to give the surface a smoother and more natural appearance. Such dolls were cheaper than those made of poured wax.

Although it bears no brand or maker's mark, the doll was probably manufactured by the German doll makers Cuno and Otto Dressel of Sonneberg, whose family ran the oldest doll firm for which continuous records have been discovered. Although Dressel dolls are now highly collectable, this one was acquired for its clothes rather than for the doll itself.

Possibly made by German doll manufacturers, Cuno & Otto Dressel of Sonneberg.

The doll was dressed by orphans at the Diakenie Orphanage in Amsterdam to show the sewing skills of the girls. It is dressed in a replica of their clothing at the Orphanage.

The exhibition was held in 1888 and the doll would have been dressed at some time in the previous years.

The doll was exhibited at the 1888 Exhibition of Women's Industries in Sydney.
The organiser of this section of the 1888 Women's Industries Exhibition, Mrs Gurney of Macquarie Street, Sydney, donated the doll and other examples of needlework by the children and nuns from Rotterdam to the museum.

Doll and assorted clothing, wax / composition / glass / muslin / cotton / mohair / wool / wire, [Cuno & Otto Dressel], Germany/Netherlands, 1880-1888

(-1) Doll featuring German reinforced wax head and shoulder plate with sawdust filled muslin body and composition lower arms and legs. Legs are painted with red garter, cream stockings and black shoes with a small heel. Open crown. Blonde mohair wig glued to head. Blue glass eyes with painted eyebrows and eyelashes. Closed mouth painted red. Squeaker inoperative.

Doll has complete set of clothes made by orphans at the Protestant 'Diakenie' Orphanage in Amsterdam. The sewing methods used demonstrate the most approved methods of sewing, darning and knitting as carried on in Holland. The costume is that worn by the orphans and consists of:

(-2:4) coarse blue and white striped cotton chemise, bloomers and petticoat; chemise has round neck and long sleeves; bloomers aree gathered into waist band which ties at each side and with gathered legs tied at ankle; petticoat is gathered into band of cream cotton and ties at back;

(-5) full length white cotton chemise with ribbon tie at neck and short sleeves;

(-6) black wool petticoat is gathered into white band at waist and ties at centre back;

(-7) black grosgrain woollen dress with fitted bodice opening at centre front with metal hooks and eyes; long sleeves with white cotton cuff stitched inside hem (one is missing) and simple white cotton detatched collar, skirt is gathered into waist band and has a deep hem with corded binding around base. 'SO' embroidered on right sleeve;

(-8) cream cotton apron is gathered at waist with string tie;

(-9) fine white cotton bonnet with wide brim supported by fine blue wire. Base and edge of bonnet trimmed with lace. Bonnet has two ribbon ties. One is embroidered in red with initials :'SO'

Maker: Cuno & Otto Dressel; Sonneberg, Germany; 1880 - 1888

Maker: Cuno & Otto Dressel; Amsterdam, The Netherlands; 1880 - 1888

see parts

H12

1880 - 1888