Doll and Wardrobe, Sanitary Fair
Decorative Arts and Design
Dolls were highly popular as toys and collectibles in the nineteenth century, and this rare example, with its extensive wardrobe and exquisitely detailed accessories, was outfitted by a local dressmaker named Eliza Lefferts and sold at the Brooklyn and Long Island Sanitary Fair of 1864. The style and quality of its clothing are representative of an urban, upper-middle-class girl’s wardrobe. Among the many unique objects in the doll’s ensemble is an elaborate toiletries set that was likely a gesture to educate the public about personal hygiene.
DATES
1864
DIMENSIONS
Doll (approximate height): 12 in. (30.5 cm)
Trunk (approximately): 9 x 16 x 9 1/2 in. (22.9 x 40.6 x 24.1 cm)
(show scale)
ACCESSION NUMBER
24.311mn
CREDIT LINE
Gift of Mrs. Ira B. Downs
MUSEUM LOCATION
This item is not on view
CAPTION
Doll and Wardrobe, Sanitary Fair, 1864., Doll (approximate height): 12 in. (30.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mrs. Ira B. Downs, 24.311mn. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: , 24.311_PS1.jpg)
IMAGE
group, 24.311_PS1.jpg.
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RIGHTS STATEMENT
Creative Commons-BY
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