Effanbee Baby Grumpy doll owned by members of the Ellis family

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

An Effanbee Baby Grumpy doll with a painted head wearing an embroidered shift with a button collar. The neck features the molded number [174] on it. A baby doll with a painted ceramic head and hands, a fabric and fiber stuffed body. The doll has a composition head and hands that are painted. The hair and facial features are molded. The eyes gaze up and to the proper right. The mouth is frowning and the brow holds a distressed look. The body and feet are made from a dark canvas fabric stuffed with batting. The doll wears five (5) layers of clothing: 1) thin muslin fabric underpants; 2) Thin muslin fabric machine-stitched body suit that covers the torso and legs and is closed at each shoulder with one small brass safety pin on each side; 3) Thin white hand sewn cotton fabric pants with elastic around the waist that is closed with a small brass safety pin. The pants have hand embroidered red, green, and yellow zigzag patterns around the waist and each leg cuff. The legs have a tiny red rosette with green leaves in the center of the zigzag pattern on the front of each leg; 4) Thick hand and machine sewn muslin fabric pants that are closed at the feet and have a hand sewn thread drawstring; 5) Thick machine sewn muslin dress that has two buttons and two small brass safety pins closing the front. The front is embroidered with a floral pattern with leafy vines in pinks, yellows, and browns. There are two large side pockets that are embroidered in a similar pattern.

Catalog date

1913-1939

Recorded places

Orange County, Virginia, United States, North and Central America

Recorded subjects

African American; Amusements; Black interiors; Children; Domestic life; Families

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