Raggedy History Archives - Raggedys by Diane

17JanJanuary 17, 2020

Raggedy Ann & Andy Chronology

There are not many toys that have been around for 100 years or more. There is the teddy bear, jigsaw puzzles, Crayola crayons, and Raggedy Ann & Andy. The brainchild of Johnny Gruelle, the initial patent for Raggedy Ann granted for an "all-cloth doll will show button eyes, a painted face, brown yarn hair, a dress, pantaloons, a pinafore, striped legs, and black cloth shoes" in 1915. Why was she called Raggedy Ann? Johnny and Marcella came up with the...

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History of Raggedy Ann & Andy

She began as a family rag doll; an old toy, faded and worn, tossed into an attic. And there, the legend goes, a little girl named Marcella found her one wet and rainy day. Her father Johnny Gruelle, saw infinite possibilities in that old plaything, so he repaired her and gave her a name. Raggedy Ann - Myths and Legends The exact details of the origins of the Raggedy Ann doll and related stories, which were created by Johnny Gruelle, are not...

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History of Johnny Gruelle

Johnny Gruelle is best known for creating the world famous rag doll characters, Raggedy Ann and Andy. While the Raggedys were the indisputable centerpiece of Gruelle's career, in his heart of hearts, Johnny was a dyed-in-the-wool freelance artist, who felt most at home at his drawing board, crafting illustrations and features for newspapers and magazines. It was his illustrating work that led him to create a distinctive, whimsical design for a doll named "Raggedy Ann", which he patented and trademarked in...

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