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Welcome to Land of Oz Dolls
Museum Quality Antique Reproduction Dolls by Connie Zink Land of Oz Dolls

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Who is Lettie Lane???

Good evening everyone, tonight I would like to tell you a little about "Lettie Lane". Today, I finished a Bleuette sized "Lettie Lane", I won't get to play with her for very long as she will be going to live with Melissa at "House of Missy Mouse". Melissa called me several months ago and wanted me to make her a "Lettie Lane" to be a companion to her 18" "Daisy".
Before I show you my two "Lettie Lane" dolls, let me see if I can explain a little bit to you as to who exactly is "Lettie Lane"?

Sheila Young was the original creator of the "Lettie Lane" paper doll series that ran in the "Ladies Home Journal" magazine. "Lettie Lane" was the fictional little girl that was introduced in paper doll form in the "Ladies Home Journal" magazine in October of 1908. Every month, there were new installments to the "Lettie Lane" series. The "Lettie Lane" series was published through December of 1912. In March of 1911 is when "Daisy" was introduced to "Ladies Home Journal". She was "Lettie Lane's" doll in the paper doll series. She was also produced as an actual 18" Kestner and the 18" Handwerck doll as we all know of them. 
At no time, was there ever a "Lettie Lane" doll that was produced, she was only a paper doll of the fictional little girl, so any doll can be interpretted as a "Lettie Lane" doll. It is left entirely, up to your imagination. The original "Lettie Lane" paper doll is shown with blonde hair. Melissa's 18" Kestner 174 that I made for her is taken from another paper doll page "Lettie Lane's Around-the-World Party In Which Her Married Sister Sends Her Pictures of a Little American Girl". She is the one with the brown hair.  I will be posting these pages of the paper doll series also. The Bleuette sized "Lettie" that I am just posting is also my interpretation of "Lettie". It was made from the Kestner 171 "Daisyette" mold. I also am planning on using a couple other German doll heads that will fit on the Bleuette JN wooden body that could also be used as a Bleuette sized "Lettie". My 18" "Lettie Lane's" will be made using the Kestner 174 mold and can have either Blonde or Light Brown hair. My next endeavor will be an 8" Kestner 174 that I will be using for one of "Lettie's Dolls". (See paper doll page shown below) "Lettie Lane" has a wealth of possibilities as there were many costumes shown in this paper doll series over the 4 years she was produced. Then to add to the excitemnet, "Lettie Lane" introduced her best friend "Betty Bonnet" in March of 1915. ( I will show her paper doll page in another post) "Betty Bonnet" ran successfully through 1918. So to sum it up, there wasn't an actual "Lettie Lane" doll only paper dolls of a fictional little girl who owned "Daisy" "The Doll That Came to Life".


Here is the original Miss Lettie Lane Paper Doll Page


11" Bleuette Sized Lettie Lane Using the Kestner 171 Mold









She will soon be going to live with Melissa

18" Kestner 174 that I made for Melissa from a "Little American Girl "






Melissa "House of Missy Mouse" made the under clothes for her doll and will soon be gracing her with many costumes from her paper doll wardrobe.

I would like to show you one last paper doll page and that is for one of "Lettie's" Dolls. I will be trying to re-create this doll using the 8" Kestner 174. I hope to have pictures of her posted in the next week or so. She will be the perfect size doll for the 18" "Lettie" doll.


So until next time "Happy Dolling" and have a "Dolly Good" week.


7 comments:

Loretta said...

I thought the Lettie doll was Daisy, the doll who came to life?
Isn't her name Daisy?
Or am I confused?

Unknown said...

Loretta, "Lettie Lane" is the fictional little girl in the "Ladies Home Journal" magazune who owned (introduced) the "Daisy" doll to the world. She was subject of the paper doll series from 1908 thru 1912. "Daisy" The Doll That Came To Life is "Lettie's doll.

Unknown said...

Oops mispelled magazine!!! Connie

Sandra said...

Your 18" Lettie Lane looks so authentic antique Connie, you did such a wonderful job on her. I love your rendition of the real little girl in the story. Thanks for the history lesson as well, enjoyed learning something new.

kiddincat said...

Thank you so much for this history!

Susie Csik said...

Thank you for sharing your dolls and history about them.

honeychild said...

Loved hearing about the Lettie Lane paper doll series and how you've brought Lettie Lane, the American girl and Daisy to life! Diane