When I began this blog on January 1 of this year, I intended it to be a mix of historical information on Izannah Walker and sometimes a place to highlight modern dollmaker's works which are inspired by Izannah Walker. But it has become clear that this blog needs to be about Izannah Walker herself, and so I have created a separate blog to highlight Izannah Walker reproduction dolls made by modern dollmakers. Please visit that blog today to see a wonderful creation by Clothnclay.
Do you have information about original Izannah Walker dolls?
Who Is Izannah Walker?
Izannah Frankford Walker is a dollmaker who lived in the nineteenth century.
She first patented her dollmaking process in 1873, but she may have been making dolls as early as 1840. Her dolls have the look of primitive folk portraits from the mid 1800s.
Born September 25th of 1817, orphaned at seven years old, Izannah and her sisters were raised by relatives in Somerset, Massachusetts, not far from her birthplace of Bristol, Rhode Island.
There is not much information about Izannah until later in life, when she is listed as a dollmaker living in Central Falls, Rhode Island as of 1865. In 1873 she applied for a patent for her particular process of making an unbreakable doll. Izannah lived in a way that not many women did in the nineteenth century, if oral tradition about her is accurate. Linda Edward states in Cloth Dolls Ancient to Modern that Izannah "became a skilled carpenter, was active in real estate, raised canaries, designed her own parlor heater, and liked to tinker with household gadgets. Fortunately for us, she also made dolls."
Born September 25th of 1817, orphaned at seven years old, Izannah and her sisters were raised by relatives in Somerset, Massachusetts, not far from her birthplace of Bristol, Rhode Island.
There is not much information about Izannah until later in life, when she is listed as a dollmaker living in Central Falls, Rhode Island as of 1865. In 1873 she applied for a patent for her particular process of making an unbreakable doll. Izannah lived in a way that not many women did in the nineteenth century, if oral tradition about her is accurate. Linda Edward states in Cloth Dolls Ancient to Modern that Izannah "became a skilled carpenter, was active in real estate, raised canaries, designed her own parlor heater, and liked to tinker with household gadgets. Fortunately for us, she also made dolls."
Copyright Information
In Izannah's Own Hand
Izannah Walker Dolls Group
Dixie Redmond, Writer of This Blog
Pictures of Original Izannah Walker Dolls Taken by Dixie Redmond
Click on the thumbnails to be taken to the album with more pictures of each doll. You are free to right-click and save copies for your personal use as inspiration in creating Izannah inspired dolls but please don't use the pictures themselves for commercial purposes.
Special thanks goes to
Lucy’s Doll House
of Camden, Maine for allowing me to take pictures of these original Izannah Walker dolls before they were sold. Their generosity has been such an encouragement to me as a learner and a dollmaker. It's a great shop - every doll lover and doll maker should visit!
Special thanks goes to
Lucy’s Doll House
of Camden, Maine for allowing me to take pictures of these original Izannah Walker dolls before they were sold. Their generosity has been such an encouragement to me as a learner and a dollmaker. It's a great shop - every doll lover and doll maker should visit!
Pictures of Izannah Dolls in Museums
Pictures of a Well Loved Izannah Doll
Two Izannahs with Alabama Baby
Disclaimer
Original Izannah Walker Dolls at Museums and Shops (Call to ensure dolls are on display)
- Little Compton Historical Society
- Princeton Doll and Toy Museum - Hopewell, New Jersey
- Rosalie Whyel Museum of Doll Art
- South County Museum - Naragansett, Rhode Island
- Strong National Museum of Play - Rochester, New York - has 8!
- The Doll Museum at The Old Rectory - Worthington, Ohio
- The Morris Museum - Morristown, New Jersey
- The Rhode Island Historical Society - Providence, Rhode Island
- The Shelburne Museum - Shelburne, Vermont - has 4
- The Wenham Museum - Wenham, Massachusetts
- Toy & Miniature Museum of Kansas City - have the famous Miss Mary
- Wisconsin History Museum
Izannah Walker in Books and Magazines
Links to Other Izannah Sites
- Dolls of Yore Picturetrail
- Izannah Walker Doll Pictures
- Izannah Walker Patent Application Diagram
- Izzy purchased for $20 in depression, now $20,000
- List of Female Inventors and Izannah is here
- Lolly Yocum's Article about Izannah Walker Dolls
- Mothers and Daughters of Invention
- Paula Walton - Izannah Walker Journal
- Picture of Izannah Doll in Wisconsin
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antique Izannah doll
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Carmel Doll Shop
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dollmaking
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Free Izannah Walker Doll Pattern
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Izannah Frankford Walker
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Izannah Walker buried
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Izannah Walker Doll
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Izannah Walker Doll Pattern
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Izannah Walker Doll Repairs
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Izannah Walker Dolls
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Izannah Walker dress
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Izannah Walker Museum
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Izannah Walker Patent
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Izannah Walker replica
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Izannah Walker Reproduction Dolls
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Izannah Walker's signature
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Jane Hintz Walker
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Let the Little Lambs Play
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Lucy's Doll House Camden Maine
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Maggie Bessie Doll Pattern.
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oll pictures
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Original Izannah Walker Doll
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private doll collections
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Shelburne Museum
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The Search for Izannah Walker
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The Story of My Dolls
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Theriault's Doll Auction
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Tilly
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Wisconsin Historical Society
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Withington's Auction
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