Does anyone remember these dolls?

gardenandcats · Nov 26, 2007

When I was a child many many years ago,my grandmother bought me a doll .I want to find one for my grand daughter.These dolls had big skirts..dresses and you could flip the dress up over the dolls face and it would turn into another doll. like a reversable doll new head and dress underneath. I have no idea what they call these dolls . So I have had no luck googling them online.Doe anyone remember these kind of dolls and what they where called?
I still have mine! And I want to find one for this xmas...

Moz · Nov 26, 2007

Are they like these? http://www.luvupumkin.com/Snow-White-p/fa-rff-sw.htm

EnzoLeya · Nov 26, 2007

I have one of those!!!!! It's at my mom's house in a tub of old toys I had. My doll was pretty racist though.....One side was a beautiful white girl, fancy dress, the other side was a black maid

jupeycat · Nov 26, 2007

I had a cloth doll like that, I just called her my 'topsy turvey doll'. I wonder what happened to her?

lnbandcats · Nov 26, 2007

I think that they ARE called topsy turvey dolls - and I still have my Little Red Riding Hood - you flipped her over and on one side the doll was Grandma - then when you pulled her bonnet off, that face was the big bad wolf!

green bunny · Nov 26, 2007

Originally Posted by EnzoLeya

I have one of those!!!!! It's at my mom's house in a tub of old toys I had. My doll was pretty racist though.....One side was a beautiful white girl, fancy dress, the other side was a black maid

Oh, I have one of those! I got it New Orleans several years ago. Now they just sell them as novelties. Apparently, the doll is supposed to show the, um, friendship between the black "servants" and their white "employers". I think they were given to the the daughters of these "employers" to signify the love of their biological mother, and the love of the "servant" who actually took care of the children.

Still, it's a cool-looking doll, and it's interesting for the history behind it.

Tricia

green bunny · Nov 26, 2007

Here's a link to a bunch of Topsy Turvy dolls.

http://www.cookiepots.com/Topsy Turvy Doll.htm

Tricia

gardenandcats · Nov 26, 2007

Thanks for the links I found the one I wanted. Little Red Ridding Hood. Mine is Goldilocks...And is showing her age! She was a Xmas present in 1960 and was well played and slept with..Now shes taking a well deserved rest in my Cedar Chest..

lunasmom · Nov 26, 2007

Originally Posted by lnbandcats

I think that they ARE called topsy turvey dolls - and I still have my Little Red Riding Hood - you flipped her over and on one side the doll was Grandma - then when you pulled her bonnet off, that face was the big bad wolf!

OMG! I Had that one too!!!

MoochNNoodles · Nov 26, 2007

Oh those are great! I'll have to keep them in mind for my niece for next year!

margecat · Nov 26, 2007

Topsy-turvy dolls; they (made of cloth) date back at least pre-Civil War. Oftentimes, the one doll was white; the other, African-American.

EnzoLeya · Nov 26, 2007

Mine looked similar to this doll. It was my mom's doll before it was mine and her sister's doll before it was hers and who knows before it was my aunt's. I would say it's a good 50 years old.

I read up a little more about it. A website actually said the doll was made so the black children could play with a white doll. Slaves aparently were not allowed to play with white dolls and this was one way to get away with it. It sounds like a good explaination.

PS....I'm not black so now I feel bad for owning a doll like this

As far as I know we didn't have any slave owners in our family, we were always from IA.

karebearcasey · Nov 26, 2007

Originally Posted by lnbandcats

I think that they ARE called topsy turvey dolls - and I still have my Little Red Riding Hood - you flipped her over and on one side the doll was Grandma - then when you pulled her bonnet off, that face was the big bad wolf!

i had that one!! i always thought they we weird and it felt weird knowing there was a face under the dress!

green bunny · Nov 26, 2007

Originally Posted by EnzoLeya

I read up a little more about it. A website actually said the doll was made so the black children could play with a white doll. Slaves aparently were not allowed to play with white dolls and this was one way to get away with it. It sounds like a good explaination.

PS....I'm not black so now I feel bad for owning a doll like this

As far as I know we didn't have any slave owners in our family, we were always from IA.

I wouldn't feel bad. They are interesting dolls. I got mine for the history; it was never a plaything. But yours was a plaything, and I bet both sides were loved. You learned something through it about racism, right? It can both be loved and a teaching tool.

I'm not sure of the true history. In my above post I was trying to remember what the tag on mine says, but it's at my Mom's house. When I was on the internet I came across a site which said it was white children not being able to play with a black doll. Obviously, the reverse sounds truer, however, we must remember that in some cases the white children and the black slave children did play and socialize together until a certain age.

Oh, and that doll in the picture looks a whole lot less offensive than some others I saw on the internet today.

Tricia

badninjakitties · Nov 26, 2007

Originally Posted by lnbandcats

I think that they ARE called topsy turvey dolls - and I still have my Little Red Riding Hood - you flipped her over and on one side the doll was Grandma - then when you pulled her bonnet off, that face was the big bad wolf!

I still have mine like that!!

EnzoLeya · Nov 27, 2007

Originally Posted by Green Bunny

I wouldn't feel bad. They are interesting dolls. I got mine for the history; it was never a plaything. But yours was a plaything, and I bet both sides were loved. You learned something through it about racism, right? It can both be loved and a teaching tool.

I'm not sure of the true history. In my above post I was trying to remember what the tag on mine says, but it's at my Mom's house. When I was on the internet I came across a site which said it was white children not being able to play with a black doll. Obviously, the reverse sounds truer, however, we must remember that in some cases the white children and the black slave children did play and socialize together until a certain age.

Oh, and that doll in the picture looks a whole lot less offensive than some others I saw on the internet today.

Tricia

You know, it is funny how when your a child you could care less if the doll was black or white. I remember playing with both sides and not as a maid, but as friends mom/daughter I think!

KittenKrazy · Nov 27, 2007

Originally Posted by lnbandcats

I think that they ARE called topsy turvey dolls - and I still have my Little Red Riding Hood - you flipped her over and on one side the doll was Grandma - then when you pulled her bonnet off, that face was the big bad wolf!

I had one of those.....I think my mom still has it....somewhere lol!!

starryeyedtiger · Nov 27, 2007

I used to have one kind of like that!!! Aww i wonder where it is

It was little red riding hood one one side and then you flip her skirt over and the big bad wolf is on the other side. I used to LOVE bedtime when my mom would tell me that story with the doll

I will have to get one of those someday if i have kids!

Does anyone remember these dolls?

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