The Intriguing History of the Holly Hobbie Doll

 

Holly Hobbie ad, 1970s

One of the most successful commercial lines of rag dolls is Holly Hobbie. Born in 1944, Denise Holly Ulinskas, is an American writer and illustrator who married Douglas Hobbie in 1964. She also sometimes goes by the name of the character she created-- Holly Hobbie. According to Wikipedia, in the late 1960s, Hobbie sold her signature artwork of a little girl wearing a blue rag dress, usually clutching a cat and dressed in a giant bonnet, to American Greetings. The adorable little ragamuffin in blue immediately caught on and was soon known as "Blue Girl," She would later be named Holly Hobbie. But this is not where the little sunbonnet girl got her start.

Under the Window by Kate Greenaway, (1879)

Kate Greenaway made illustrations with sun bonnet girls and other children at the turn of the century. Her art in books and magazines in the late 1800s made quaint figures of young girls in bonnets popular around the country. 

Sunbonnet Babies

However, the more distinctive Sunbonnet Babies with faces completely hidden by bonnets were created by Bertha Corbett Melcher, who began drawing them in 1897. She published her first book, The Sun-Bonnet Babies in 1900. Melcher later illustrated "The Sunbonnet Babies" books written by Eulalie Osgood Grover, featuring Sunbonnet Sue, Fisherman Fred and Suspender Sam.

 Sun Bonnet Sue

Quilters say that quilt blocks of little girls in large sun bonnets began showing up as early as the 1800s. According to Wikipedia, the Sunbonnet Babies quilting pattern appeared in textile art 1910's in the Ladies Home Journal 1911–1912 in a quilt stitched by Marie Webster. The pattern was popular during the Great Depression and was dubbed "Sun Bonnet Sue."

The charming sun bonnet girls remained popular in quilts, homespun crafts and art off an on, but came into their own in recent history when Holly Hobbie joined forces with American Greetings. This launched the sun bonnet girl theme into mass merchandise and even adorable rag dolls in 1975. Stay tuned for more Holly Hobbie!

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