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 name by combining the titles of two poems, “The Raggedy Man” and “Little Orphan Annie.” written by a family friend, the poet James Whitcomb Riley. A little over one hundred years later, the beloved rag doll celebrated her centennial. A favorite of many generations, I have stitched together her evolution to remember 100 years of memories.

1918 Gruelle Family Hand-Crafted	The very first Raggedy Ann was made by Johnny Gruelle’s mother for his sister. Different accounts vary, but one version of the legend goes that after his own daughter, Marcella, was born in 1902. Johnny retrieved that original doll from his mother’s attic. He gave it to Marcella and it became her favorite toy. The first 200 or so dolls to be sold commercially where handmade by members of the Gruelle family. Body has loosely jointed limbs; stuffed with white cotton; long face with hand-painted features; brown yarn hair; candy heart in body; homespun calico dress and white apron; typically marked with rubber-stamped date on tummy/back or unmarked; very rare.
1918-1919 “Cottage” Raggedy Ann P.F. Volland, Non-Breakable Doll & Toy Co.	Johnny Gruelle entertained Marcella by inventing stories about Raggedy Ann, and in 1918, published a book containing some of those stories. publisher, P.F. Volland, licensed the Non-Breakable Doll & Toy Company to mass-produce dolls which were sold along with each copy of the book. It was one of the first ever merchandise/media marketing tie-ins. 15″, 18″; muslin bodies stuffed with cotton batting; wigs of medium-weight brown wool yarn; hand-applied faces (a painted-on line smile, a narrow, red triangular nose thinly outlined in black, eyebrows and lower lashes, sewn-on black shoe button eyes); painted-on Mary Jane style shoes (red/white striped leg fabric is visible); blue floral print challis dress (striking match for the dress fabric Gruelle had depicted on the cover of Raggedy Ann Stories); white cotton pinafores and pantaloons; small, dense cardboard heart set between cotton stuffing and chest fabric. Later “Cottage” dolls had sewn-on black or brown fabric feet; challis dresses of earth-tone prints; some dolls posses blue/white striped legs.
1920-1926 “Patent” Raggedy Ann P.F. Volland, Muskegon Toy & Garment Works	The primary distinguishing feature of the “Patent” Raggedy Ann doll was that she had the words “Patented Sept. 7, 1915″ stamped on her belly. 15″, 16”; machine-applied faces; fuller triangular nose outlined in black; black-line smile; blushed cheeks; eyebrows that curve downward at the outside; red/white striped legs; cardboard hearts; black sewn-on feet; removable cotton or challis dresses (usually a paisley or floral print); white cotton pinafores and pantaloons; wigs are of heavier brown yarn that usually incorporate looped-yard bangs and topknot. Later “Patent” Raggedy Ann’s changed slightly: heads grew rounder and fuller; printed facial features became darker; wigs became lusher.
1920-1927 “Crescent Smile” Raggedy Andy P.F. Volland, Beer-Keeler-Bowman	Raggedy Ann’s brother, Raggedy Andy, made his appearance in 1920. Legend holds that a friend of Johnny’s sister visited him and brought him Raggedy Andy and told him this doll had been made by her mother at the same time Johnny’s mother made Raggedy Ann. The two friends played with their brother-and-sister dolls constantly. 16″; substantial heads; disproportional large hands and thumbs; crescent shaped smiles with red rectangular centers; muslin bodies; machine-printed faces with shoe button eyes; red and white striped legs; and sewn-on fabric feet cut lower than Ann’s; stitched-down “joints” on their legs/arms; no black nose outline; sewn-on clothing (plaid shirt attached to blue cotton pants); mother-of-pearl shirt buttons at waist and each trouser leg; wigged in various shades of reddish brown yarn; crescent-shaped blue and white cap; 1925 heads were scaled down; slightly modified faces.
1920-1928 “Oversized” Raggedy Andy P.F. Volland, Beer-Keeler-Bowman	While most of the dolls produced under license from Volland were 16″ to 18″ tall, a few such as these were almost twice as big. These were 30″ to 36″ tall, but otherwise the same as the more common version. Both have red-orange noses (Raggedy Ann’s is outlined in black); large, black bead eyes; sewn-on boot-like fabric feet; large hands and thumbs that seemed to be a Beers hallmark.
Mid-Late 1920s “Single Eyelash” Raggedy Ann & Raggedy Andy P.F. Volland, Beer-Keeler-Bowman	There is quite a bit of variation among the “Single Eyelash” dolls. The appearance of the “Single Eyelash” dolls coincides with the period when the Beers Company had ceased its manufacture of the standard-size “Crescent Smile” Raggey Andy, and Volland was placing orders for both Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy dolls from C.B. Moore and Gerlach-Barlow. 14″, 16″; dolls appeared with single lower eyelashes instead of the customary multiple lashes (usually five for Ann and four for Andy). These distinctive markings vary, appearing as lines, dots, or inverted triangles or “commas”; no company markings or other identifiers; most “Single Eyelash” Raggedy Andy’s possess a linear mouth with a small red center.
Late 1920s-Early 1930s “Transitional” Raggedy Ann & Raggedy Andy P.F. Volland, C.B. Moore or Gerlach-Barklow	Again, these show a lot of variation due to being made by multiple manufacturers. The Volland Company took a serious financial blow in the stock market crash of 1929 and was scrambling to stay afloat. While they cut corners on some of their other products, they didn’t with Raggedy Ann and Andy because the dolls and related books were their biggest money-maker. 15″, 16″; unoutlined nose; heavily blushed cheeks; a low-set smile; five distinctive triangular lower lashes; similarly sized but very different looking Raggedy Andy, possessing a linear smile and a prominent (sometimes lopsided) unoutlined triangular nose.
1931-1933 “Finale” Raggedy Ann & Raggedy Andy P.F. Volland, C.B. Moore Co.	P.F. Volland Co. ultimately didn’t survive. It filed for bankruptcy in 1934 and sold the illustrations and publishing rights to M.A. Donohue. However, Johnny Gruelle retained the patent and copyright to the doll design. These “Finale” dolls, the last to be produced through Volland, were made and sold as a matched pair. 14″, 15″; heavy eyebrows that resemble bold-face commas.
1935-1936 “Finale” Raggedy Ann & Raggedy Andy Exposition Doll & Toy Co.	After the Volland bankruptcy, Johnny made an agreement with Exposition Doll & Toy Co. to manufacture Raggedy Ann & Andy. Exposition withdrew from its contract in 1936 because of the 1935 patent-infringement lawsuit Gruelle filed against Molly-e’s owner, Molly E. Goldman. 18″; painted eyes and facial features; more triangular nose; almost as rare as the original family-crafted version.
1935-1938 “Unlicensed” Raggedy Ann & Raggedy Andy Molly-e’s Doll Outfitters	Molly-e’s Doll Outfitters jumped into the void following the Volland bankruptcy and started making Raggedy Ann & Andy dolls. There was just one problem – they didn’t have permission to do so. Molly Goldman may have thought she had permission; she had been in talks with Gruelle before he made his agreement with Exposition. The dispute was finally settled in Johnny’s favor in 1937, just a few months before he died. 17″, 22″; heart printed on the chest; more structured, allowing them to sit; legs are usually a multicolored striped material; dark auburn yarn hair; facial features are painted with large black eyes; triangular nose, outlined in black; usually stamped on the chest “Raggedy Ann & Andy Dolls Manufactured by Molly-e’s Doll Outfitters”; also made was a 14″ Baby Ann and Andy, hair only along seam of head, back of head was fabric.
1938-1963 Raggedy Ann & Raggedy Andy Georgene Novelties	After Johnny Gruelle’s death, his widow, Myrtle, formed The Johnnuy Gruelle Co., bought back the rights to the books, and licensed Georgene Novelties (also known as Averill Mfg. Corp.) to produce the dolls. Georgene and Paul Averill’s company made many variations of the doll from 1930 through 1963. The dolls in this image are from around 1940. 15″-50″; most desirable have black-outlined noses; floppy cloth bodies stitched at the knees/elbows; usually have red/white striped legs (few original Georgenes made with legs of different materials); yarn used for the hair changed color several times, from strawberry blond to a deep orange, and all shades in between; tin or plastic button eyes were added; mouth more defined, most dolls have a curved or wavy line; various cloth labels sewn in to the side seam of the doll all include “Johnny Gruelle’s Own Raggedy Ann & Andy Dolls/and Georgene Novelties, Inc. New York City/Exclusive Licensed Manufacturer/Made in U.S.A.”.
1940-1946 “Awake Asleep” Raggedy Ann & Raggedy Andy Georgene Novelties	These “Awake Asleep” dolls were unique in that they were reversible and had two faces – one awake and one asleep. Turning the doll around was all that was needed to show the other face. They were made in the early 1940s. At the same time, home seamstresses started making their own Raggedy Ann & Andy dolls from a pattern published under license in 1940 by the McCall’s Pattern Company. 13″; noses were outlined until 1944.
1943-1946 “Wartime” Raggedy Ann & Raggedy Andy Georgene Novelties	The Second World War imposed economies on everyone, including Raggedy Ann & Andy. The war-era dolls used the same face for both Ann and Andy and varied print fabrics for Ann’s dress and Andy’s shirt. 19″, 23″, 31″; no outline on nose; different prints of fabrics used on feet.
1946-1950 “Postwar/Silsby” Raggedy Ann & Raggedy Andy Georgene Novelties	These looked exactly the same as the wartime dolls, the only difference was the word “Silsby” on the tag. Myrtle Gruelle remarried and Silsby was her new married name. The marriage, and consequently her use of the name Silsby, didn’t last very long. The “Silsby” dolls were only produced for about a year, then the name was removed from the tag. The late ’40s dolls were otherwise identical to the “Silsby” dolls. 15″, 19″, 23″, 31″; identical faces; what makes a doll a “Silsby” is only the tag.
1950s-1960s Raggedy Ann & Raggedy Andy Georgene Novelties	In the 1950s Georgene Novelties began making the dolls in a variety of larger sizes, up to 52″ tall. Except for the size, however, the dolls were identical. Undressed, there was no differemce between a Raggedy Ann and a Raggedy Andy. Georgene’s 25-year license agreement ended in early 1963. 15″, 19″, 23″, 31″, 48″, 50″, 52″; metal eyes, except for larger dolls who had plastic eyes; facial designs varied; wigs glued to head.
1963-1965 “Joy of the Toy” Raggedy Ann & Raggedy Andy Knickerbocker Toy Co.	In 1962, Knickerbocker, owned by Warner Bros.,made a bid to the Gruelle family for the soon-to-expire dolls license. Their bid was accepted, and they took over the manufacturing in 1963. Their company slogan was “Joy of the Toy”, and this phrase was included on the tag of every Raggedy Ann & Raggedy Andy doll. Unlike Georgene’s, Knickerbocker did not put the year of manufacture on the tags. 15″, 20″; New York tags; no rouge on cheeks; hair a rusty color like Georgenes; noses and mouths lose the curve; eye brows thicker; Raggedy Ann’s dress had different fabric variations; Raggedy Andy also had a few different variations on his shirt; made with a windup music box placed inside the doll.
1963-1982 “Knickerbocker” Raggedy Ann & Raggedy Andy Knickerbocker Toy Co.	Knickerbocker made many different variations of the dolls. There were “Flexies” with wire inside the arms and legs so they could be posed. There were dolls with wind-up music boxes inside. There was a special “US Bicentennial Edition” in 1976, They also produced dolls for many of the other characters from the Raggedy Ann story books. Knickerbocker introduced related tie-in merchandise, as well, including tote bags and bed linens.
1983-Present “Hasbro/Playskool” Raggedy Ann & Raggedy Andy Hasbro/Playskool, Master License	In 1983, Warner Bros.sold Knickerbocker and the Raggedy Ann license rights to Hasbro. Hasbro granted the license for doll production to Applause, but oversaw marketing campaigns that would see Raggedy Ann make her debut as a balloon in the 1984 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, as well as star in an animated TV series from 1988 to 1992.
1983-2011 “Applause Toy Co.” Raggedy Ann & Raggedy Andy Applause Toy Co./Russ Berrie	Applause Toy Co./Russ Berrie was granted the doll-production license after Hasbro bought Knickerbocker in 1983. Their version of the dolls was more uniform and brightly colored. It was during their tenure as license-holder that Raggedy Ann was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2002 and joined by her brother in 2007.
1994 “African-American” Raggedy Ann Applause Toy Co./Russ Berrie	Applause Toy Co./Russ Berrie created the first licensed version of an African-American Raggedy Ann in 1994, although home seamstresses had been making their own versions since the 1940s. P.F. Volland and Georgene Novelties produced dolls of “Beloved Belindy,” a stereotyped, no-longer-politically-correct African American character from the early books, in the ’30s and ’40s, as well. This version shown here, made by Applause and sold with a Playskool label.
2012-Present “Plush” Raggedy Ann & Raggedy Andy Aurora World Inc. (exclusive plush doll licensed)	Aurora World Inc. acquired the doll license under Hasbro in 2012. The Aurora dolls have returned to a more vintage look, closer to that of the early Georgene dolls. Raggedy Ann has lived through a lot of history and has herself become a part of our culture. She started the media/marketing merchandise concept in 1918 when her dolls and books were sold together. 8″, 12″, 16″, 25″; fine facial features in soft brown tones; yarn hair; traditional embroidered “I Love You” heart on Ann’s chest; larger dolls feature plastic button eyes; smaller sizes have embroidered eyes; Raggedy Ann is dressed in proprietary vintage-inspired fabrics; both Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy feature their own unique styling; comes with a 4 sided hang tag that highlight Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy’s origin and legacy.

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 specifically known, although numerous myths and legends about the doll’s origins have been widely repeated. Gruelle biographer and Raggedy Ann historian Patricia Hall notes that the dolls have “found themselves at the center of several legend cycles – groups of stories that, while containing kernels of truth, are more myth than they are history. What makes this even more intriguing is that fact that Johnny Gruelle, either unwittingly or with the great sense of humor he was known for, initiated many of these legends, a number of which are continuously repeated as the factual history of Raggedy Ann and Andy.”

Finding the Old Rag Doll

Hall further explains that according to an often-repeated myth, Gruelle’s daughter, Marcella, brought from her grandmother’s attic a faceless cloth doll on which the artist drew a face, and that Gruelle suggested that Marcella’s grandmother sew a shoe button for a missing eye. Hall says the date of this supposed occurrence is given as early as 1900 and as late as 1914. More likely, as Gruelle’s wife, Myrtle, reported, it was her husband who retrieved a long-forgotten, homemade rag doll from the attic of his parents’ home sometime around the turn of the twentieth century before the couple’s daughter was born. Although the incident is unconfirmed, Myrtle Gruelle recalled, “There was something he wanted from the attic. While he was rummaging around for it, he found an old rag doll his mother had made for his sister. He said then that the doll would make a good story.” Myrtle Gruelle also indicated that her husband “kept the doll in his mind until we had Marcella. He remembered it when he saw her play with dolls … He wrote the stories around some of the things she did. He used to get ideas from watching her.”

The Patent & Marcella’s Death

Additionally, Gruelle did not create Raggedy Ann as a tribute to his daughter following her death at 13 from an infected vaccination; Hall notes Gruelle’s May 28, 1915, U.S. Patent D 47,789 application for the design of the prototype that became the Raggedy Ann doll was already in progress around the time that Marcella fell ill, and the artist received final approval by the U.S. Patent office on September 7, 1915, the same month as Marcella’s death. Nonetheless, the anti-vaccination movement adopted Raggedy Ann as a symbol, though Marcella died from an infected vaccination, not from the side effects of the vaccination itself.

Naming Raggedy Ann

On June 17, 1915, shortly after submitting his patent application for the doll’s design, Johnny Gruelle applied for a registered trademark for the Raggedy Ann name, which he created by combining words from two of James Whitcomb Riley poems, “The Raggedy Man” and “Little Orphant Annie“. (Riley was a well-known Hoosier poet and a Gruelle family friend and neighbor from the years when they resided in Indianapolis. The U.S. Patent Office registered Gruelle’s trademark application (107328) for the Raggedy Ann name on November 23, 1915.

Raggedy Andy

Gruelle soon gave Raggedy Ann a brother named Raggedy Andy, and through the years the two floppy rag dolls acquired many other wonderful storybook friends. All inhabitants of a very special world, where dolls come alive and enjoy magical adventures when no mortals are present or in Gruelle’s familiar words, “the real-for-sure people were gone or fast asleep.”

 

Details Make the Difference. Great attention to detail has been given to create each one of these delightful dolls. The hand painted facial features and black button eyes are just a couple of the many special touches that capture the character of those charming Raggedys from days gone by. The wig, complete with top knot, is quality yarn which has been hand sewn to the head. And no Raggedy Ann is complete without the famous “I Love You” heart hand painted on her chest.

“ Hard work and love has perfected the quality of the craftsmanship that can be seen in the heirloom quality dolls being made and sold today. ”

Each doll is a one-of-a-kind creation sure to be a unique addition to your collection. Details make the difference.