Effanbee Composition Dolls
Ideal was making great business strides with its licensing of the Shirley Temple name for its signature doll. Effanbee, not to be
outdone licensed the rights to the name of the actress Ann Shirley star of the movie Ann of Green Gables. Lead time for a new
doll was significant, so Hugo Baum used dolls he already had--the Patsy doll line appeared in the signature red, or sometimes
blonde, pigtails and rolled hat. Patricia Schoonmaker dubbed these dolls the "movie" Ann Shirleys to distinguish them from the
later use of the name Ann Shirley on the bodies designed by Dewees Cochran for the American Children line and the later Little
Lady dolls.
The first Ann Shirleys were Anne of Green Gables on the 15 inch Patricia doll and appeared in 1935. The first doll was the 15
inch Patricia but Effanbee made similar modifications to the 9 inch Patsyette, 11 inch Patricia-kins, 19 inch Patsy Anns and a 16
inch with a Mary Lee head on a Patsy Joan body.
In 1936 Baum contracted with Dewees Cochran to make composition teen dolls with four of the six heads she had designed as
representative of American children. These heads appeared on the Ann Shirley body in 1937. The dolls were named by size,
style of eyes and style of mouth. 15" dolls were Joans, 17" dolls were Ann and 21' dolls were Lou. Closed mouth and painted
eye dolls were Peggy, closed mouth and sleep eyed dolls were Gloria and open mouth sleep eyed dolls were Barbara. Hence a
21' closed mouth painted eye doll was Peggy Lou, a 17" closed mouth painted eye doll was Peggy Ann and a 15" closed mouth
painted eye doll was a Peggy Joan. At the same time the 21" closed mouth sleep eyed doll was a Gloria Lou, 17" closed mouth
sleep eye doll was Gloria Ann and the 15" closed mouth sleep eye doll was a Gloria Joan. The 21" open mouth sleep eye doll
was Barbara Lou, the 17" open mouth sleep eye doll was Barbara Ann and hte 15" open mouth sleep eye doll was Barbara
Joan. They were identified as Ann Shirleys but without the connection to Ann of Green Gables. By 1939, the contract between
F&B, the actress and the artist ended. Consequently the reference to Ann Shirley was dropped and the mold marking was
changed. Now the Ann Shirley body was found on dolls labeled Little Lady.
outdone licensed the rights to the name of the actress Ann Shirley star of the movie Ann of Green Gables. Lead time for a new
doll was significant, so Hugo Baum used dolls he already had--the Patsy doll line appeared in the signature red, or sometimes
blonde, pigtails and rolled hat. Patricia Schoonmaker dubbed these dolls the "movie" Ann Shirleys to distinguish them from the
later use of the name Ann Shirley on the bodies designed by Dewees Cochran for the American Children line and the later Little
Lady dolls.
The first Ann Shirleys were Anne of Green Gables on the 15 inch Patricia doll and appeared in 1935. The first doll was the 15
inch Patricia but Effanbee made similar modifications to the 9 inch Patsyette, 11 inch Patricia-kins, 19 inch Patsy Anns and a 16
inch with a Mary Lee head on a Patsy Joan body.
In 1936 Baum contracted with Dewees Cochran to make composition teen dolls with four of the six heads she had designed as
representative of American children. These heads appeared on the Ann Shirley body in 1937. The dolls were named by size,
style of eyes and style of mouth. 15" dolls were Joans, 17" dolls were Ann and 21' dolls were Lou. Closed mouth and painted
eye dolls were Peggy, closed mouth and sleep eyed dolls were Gloria and open mouth sleep eyed dolls were Barbara. Hence a
21' closed mouth painted eye doll was Peggy Lou, a 17" closed mouth painted eye doll was Peggy Ann and a 15" closed mouth
painted eye doll was a Peggy Joan. At the same time the 21" closed mouth sleep eyed doll was a Gloria Lou, 17" closed mouth
sleep eye doll was Gloria Ann and the 15" closed mouth sleep eye doll was a Gloria Joan. The 21" open mouth sleep eye doll
was Barbara Lou, the 17" open mouth sleep eye doll was Barbara Ann and hte 15" open mouth sleep eye doll was Barbara
Joan. They were identified as Ann Shirleys but without the connection to Ann of Green Gables. By 1939, the contract between
F&B, the actress and the artist ended. Consequently the reference to Ann Shirley was dropped and the mold marking was
changed. Now the Ann Shirley body was found on dolls labeled Little Lady.
