American Girl Doll

Ohio History

Addy the American Girl

This doll from the American Girl collection filled a complete display case with her accessories. Named Addy Walker, based on the African name Aduke, she was released in 1993. She was the company's very first African American doll. This is remarkable since American Girl had been producing dolls since 1986 and had already released Native American and Mexican characters. Addy was the fifth historical character of the American Girls and represents the Civil War era. She is based on the American Girl book series by her name, in which Addy and her mother escape from slavery to Pennsylvania. The books explore economic and social issues through Addy's life in Philadelphia. The scene below is from the second American Girl book, Addy Learns a Lesson.

Addy at the Schoolhouse

More Dolls

Ohio History

Changing Dolls

Now we see the doll types divide into two branches. One produces baby dolls to amuse young children. The other explores the world of collectible dolls for show. Such dolls fill the upper left hand area of the display case above, as well as the exhibit below. By comparing the two, you can see the ornate clothing and hairstyles multiplying with time. Did you notice the glittering princess doll on the left side of the photo below? On the other hand, the baby dolls for children's hands have also experienced change. Many are now made in part or whole from plastic, with realistic faces and hands. Their clothing is commercially made and could pass for baby clothes. My sister and I especially admired the twins at the top right in white and blue. I even still remember their names - Nathan and Natalie!

Ethnic Dolls

Ohio History

Rainbow of Dolls

Moving through time, here is the next generation of dolls. Many still look handmade, though probably sewn on a machine from store-bought cloth. Aren't the Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy just adorable? You might have noticed the extreme range of skin colors of the dolls, from beige and bronze to mahogany and olive brown. In fact, a number of dolls preserved from this time period have overly exaggerated features and skin colors. This no doubt came from the strong prejudice against African Americans at the time. Thankfully, realistic dolls were also made during this time. Despite the skin color, I just had to include a close-up of the Grandma dolly doing her sewing in her little rocking chair.

Grandma Dolly

First Dolls

Ohio History

Afro American Dolls

Besides its permanent historical exhibit, the National Afro American Museum also features specially-themed rotating exhibits that center on African American culture. On our first visit to the museum, we had the pleasure of viewing an exhibit of over 100 dolls spanning 200 years of history. Our journey began with the case above, showing the very earliest African American dolls of the collection. I can just imagine a small child sitting on the doorstep of a plantation shanty, cuddling the wooden doll on the far left in a blanket scrap. The likeness of the center front doll to a cotton-picking slave is remarkable. And I wouldn't be surprised if the right-hand doll were made of corn husks. It is amazing to see the ingenuity used to create such life-like playthings for the young generation.

Car & Cameras

Ohio History

Orange Car

This car was also on display in the Fifties exhibit. It reminds me of the ones you see in those really old TV shows. Quite classy, I must say, though orange wouldn't be my top choice. But interestingly enough, I just saw an orange car at the Ohio History Center's Fifties exhibit nearly identical to this one!

Old Cameras

There were also plenty of smaller artifacts on display. These cameras were especially interesting. Of course, they were a great improvement over the large black boxes with hoods on those big stands, where taking one photograph was a long production. But compared to today's cameras, these are still big and cumbersome. And check out the flash bulb apparatus on the left hand device. Now we have devices an eighth the size that not only take pictures, but also access the Internet, make phone calls, and so much more. What a difference 75 years makes.

Kitchen

Ohio History

Afro-American Kitchen

Just across from the living room was a Fifties-style kitchen. Despite the fact that it contained basically the same elements as today's kitchen, the distinct mid-twentieth century look was obvious. White aluminum, clean rounded edges, and silver accessories characterize appliances from this time. Not to mention the sea green floor. Of course, there are a couple vitally important things missing, such as the microwave, dishwasher, toaster, and coffee maker. I don't know how they ever got along back then! In any case, this family was definitely well-to-do with such a modernly furnished kitchen. In fact, many African Americans who had been involved in World War II were very well off during the Fifties.

Living Room

Ohio History

Fifties House

The Fifties exhibit at the National Afro American Museum featured a partial life-sized house with historical furniture. The living room did not look much different from our own, except for the bright colors and patterns. I can't get over the orange couch! Black panther figurines like the one on the coffee table were common during the time. Many were symbolic of the Black Panther Party, which positioned itself as an African American nationalist organization. This was just one group under the term "Black Power" advocates, which sought racial freedom using more aggressive methods.

Living Room

A nearby display discussed the high importance of family to the typical African American of the Fifties. Distance was not a factor when coming together to celebrate family events (weddings, reunions, funerals, etc.). Most households included not only two-parent families, but also grandparents, cousins, and unmarried adult children. So I can imagine a house like the one above could have been quite crowded.

National Afro American Museum

Ohio History

Signing of the Civil Rights Act

And now it is time to pay a visit to another Ohio historical site. The National Afro American Museum and Cultural Center in Wilberforce offers a unique combination of arts, culture, and history for a diverse visitor experience. The museum's main display focuses on the Afro-American experience in the US during the Fifties (1945 - 1965). This era was characterized by demographic and social changes in the Afro-American community. These events are chronicled throughout the museum through wall-size photographs, such as the one above, a historically-furnished house, and many period artifacts such as the poster below. This sign from the Freedom Movement stresses the fact that racial freedom is economic as well as political.

Civil Rights Sign

 

Jewelry Set

Do-It-Yourself Decorating

Bracelet Revisited

Finally, the jewelry set was ready to put in the mail for my pen friend's Christmas gift. I couldn't resist one more picture of the bracelet before seeing how the set fit together. I thought it looked just beautiful! I was sorry to have to part with the set. The funny thing is, I did not even know at the time that teal was my pen friend's favorite color. She sent me a knitted scarf the same Christmas, and it was just the same teal color as the jewelry. I was so tickled that I chosen her favorite color without knowing it!

Teal Set

 

Teal Necklace

Do-It-Yourself Decorating

Necklace Close-Up

Of course, a bracelet is not complete without a matching necklace. I used the same teal beads and silver fillers to make a medium-length necklace. In addition to the little clear diamond beads, I also added some multi-faceted rectangular  clear beads. I love the little silver "LOVE" bead I added on - it adds both personality and interest to an otherwise symmetrical necklace. I'm sorry, I know the background is a little weird; it turned out to be unexpectedly hard to photograph these sparkling beads.

Necklace

In this full-length shot, you can see how I graduated the bead size from front to back. I found smaller blue-green beads that almost matched the large teal ones, and mixed them with smaller clear beads. Stringing those tiny translucent beads was not easy, to say the least. It took a lot of patience and a steady hand!

Teal Bracelet

Do-It-Yourself Decorating

Bracelet Gift

This lovely little bracelet was a labor of love for my pen friend in Maryland. As soon as I found these sparkling teal beads at the store, I knew I would be taking them home. Ornate silver bead separators and clear crystal-like diamond beads made an elegant combination. I combined silver stand-alone separators and tapered ones to frame the teal centerpiece beads. I also used a silver clasp on the ends, although it is difficult to see. The length of the bracelet was a little tricky since I had never met my pen friend. Usually I take measurements and figure it as I explain in this post. However, I made a guess as to a standard length and added a little extra to make sure.