Doll-A-Day 2017 #44:Terri Lee Reproduction

  Today's doll is this reproduction Terri Lee.

She's 16" tall.

She has short stumpy legs.

Terri is known for her dimples.The original dolls had lumpy faces and looked like they had the mumps.I prefer this reproduction.

Terri Lee was first introduced in 1946.

I had some trouble keeping the hair out of her face.

She was around until 1962.Wait.That's the year I was born. Do you think she was trying to avoid me?!

Hair-in-the-face problem solved!

Reproduction dolls were made starting in 1997.Terri Lee partnered with Knickerbocker in 1999 to produce a  limited edition of 5000 dolls, made from the original molds, for the 50th anniversary of Terri Lee.Knickerbocker produced Terri Lee dolls from 1999 to 2001,when Terri Lee Associates began  making the dolls themselves.My reproduction doll was made in 2005.

I got her second hand though,and she was naked.This is a vintage dress, but not a Terri Lee dress.

The original dolls were created by Violet Lee Gradwohl and sculpted by her cousin  Maxine Stevens,and were based on Maxine's toddler daughter Drienne.But they were named after Violet's daughter,Harriet Wilma Gradwohl (Schrepel),whose nick name was Terri Lee.(Are you following me here? I think we need a scorecard.)Harriet,born in 1927,passed away in 1998.

This doll is all vinyl.The originals are composition, but after 1948 they were changed to plastic.
Eventually Terri was given a brother named Jerri Lee.(Jerri Lee did not play the piano or marry his cousin.)  Jerri Lee was Terri's adopted brother, and was made from the same mold as Terri.He just had a shorter wig.

Solving that hair-in-the-face problem.This reproduction doll has silky hair that combs and brushes nicely.

The Terri Lee line was one of the first to offer ethnically diverse dolls, as far back as the 1940's.Other characters were made in a couple of shades of brown skin tone,as well as the Caucasian Terri Lee.

At the height of Terri Lee's popularity there were hundreds of outfits and accessories made for her.

I hope some of them were barrettes...

In 1961 the company began selling their molds to other companies.They sold the molds until 1965, when they decided they didn't like other companies making their product, and went to court to (successfully) get their molds back. Maybe it's just me, but that seems not only stupid, but unfair to the people they sold the molds to.

You can visit the Terri Lee site HERE. But I'm not sure it's stillin use. The last thing seems to be from 2010.

We're still having internet trouble,so come back tomorrow and see if I've managed to get a doll posted!