I was up on Ebay this morning and came across an outstanding example of the Liberty of London dolls produced from the 1930s to the 1960s. These hand-crafted cloth dolls, along with accessories, depict the history of Great Britain from the caveman through Queen Elizabeth II's coronation.
"The dolls consist of history-making men and women, including royalty, political reformers, military notables, innovators in the arts, and contributors to natural and physical sciences. These hand-painted soft sculptured dolls are costumed in authentic period clothing.
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The dolls were hand-sewn by two sisters, Ada and Kathleen Peat, from their Brighton, England home for the Liberty of London department store." I was surprised to see in my internet search that Liberty of London is still in business and serves upscale clients with a high fashion line of clothing and accessories.
This particular doll of Queen Elizabeth was apparently purchased in England and kept nearly pristine over the years by a loving collector. Even the deep vermilion of her dress has not lost its luxurious color over the years. I bid on her but she apparently has a hefty reserve.
The only Liberty of London dolls I presently have in my collection are King George and Queen Margaret both a bit faded I'm afraid.
8 comments:
hi, do you have any clue how much a liberty of london queen elizabeth II doll, in good condition, is worth nowadays?
Liberty of London dolls usually sell for between $85 - $125 on Ebay although the more rare characters can bring substantially more. Elizabeth II, however, is one of the more available dolls.
I am a collector of these dolls and just cannot find any literature on them apart from a few paragraphs here or there. Would love to know if anyone has ever heard of a catalogue of these wonderful dolls or at least some very substantial publication of their history.
Although I've seen catalogs for the Peggy Nisbet dolls I have never seen a brochure or catalog for any of the Liberty of London dolls. There was a marvelous exhibit of them in New Orleans a few years back but I wasn't able to go. Sorry.
Years ago (Maybe 4 or 5) The Eugene Field House and St. Louis Toy Museum (in St. Louis, MO) displayed their extensive collection of these dolls. At that time, there was a catalog available for purchase complete with history and some photos. You may try contatcting them to see if it's still available.
Years ago (Maybe 4 or 5) The Eugene Field House and St. Louis Toy Museum (in St. Louis, MO) displayed their extensive collection of these dolls. At that time, there was a catalog available for purchase complete with history and some photos. You may try contatcting them to see if it's still available.
I just acquired a liberty doll that I am looking for more info on. The doll is marked as Queen Victoria and is wearing a black gown with a black cane. She has a creme lace veil on. The doll is marked under the gown Liberty. Any info would be appreciated about the doll -- really trying to determine the age.
Liberty dolls were produced from the 1930s to the 1960s. I'm afraid I am not knowledgeable enough about them to pin the date down any closer than that. You could try contacting the St. Louis Toy Museum who had an exhibit of them back in the early 2000s and see if they have any of their exhibit catalogs left.
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