Cora's Doll
By Deanna Dahlsad
Recently, a friend of my mother's shared with me a special kind of a genealogy project she was working on. The dedication involved in creating a family tree is impressive enough, but this project was a book containing not only the names, dates, and photographs of generations of family members but letters, diary pages, and stories told by the ancestors themselves. One of the stories was about her grandmother, Cora, and it illustrates the power of dolls.
In the late 1880's, when Cora was a little girl, she and her family lived in a log house in the south-central Wisconsin countryside. It was during the pioneering-phase of that area, and they lived a very rural life. On day, Cora's father announced his plans to go into the city -- not just into town, but into The Big City where there were not only bigger shops but more of them too. Cora's grandpa had asked to come along on the trip and to bring little Cora along as well. For Cora's grandpa, a French immigrant to the United States of America, had just received some money which had been sent to him from "the old country" and he wanted to buy Cora a gift. A very special gift, the gift of a doll!
(You might, as Cora's siblings and cousins all did, say that Cora was more than a tad spoiled. For Cora was, at this time, not only just an adorable six year-old, but the youngest of all the grandchildren and doted upon by her grandfather. He not only fussed over her but spent time with her, whittling toys for her out of wood. However, one could also argue that Cora, being the youngest, would also have been the loneliest too. She didn't even have any younger brothers or sisters, or even cousins, to help raise. Wouldn't this make a doll, a friend to take care of and dote on, all the more important and special to a young girl? I sure think so!)
While Cora's dad thought it foolish for Cora to come along on the trip to the city, he agreed anyway. Cora couldn't believe it! She could go to the city -- and Grandpa would get her a doll!
The night before the trip into the city, Cora sat on her grandfather's lap and snuggled with him as he promised to buy her "the most beautiful doll in the city." Cora was so thrilled she thought she would never fall asleep that night! But eventually she did. And when morning came, she bounced out of bed and didn't stop bouncing with excitement until her mother reminded her to hush and warned her not to annoy her father -- or he might change his mind about taking her along!
Cora didn't want to risk that! After all, this would be her first trip to the city and the furthest she'd ever have been from home. Not to mention, there was a doll at stake here!
So Cora behaved all through breakfast, let her mother dress her in her best dress, and quietly (though impatiently) waited for the menfolk to get moving on the trip to the big city. After what seemed an impossibly long amount of time, the horses had been hitched up to the lumber wagon and they were on their way.
After several hours of riding in the wagon, they'd finally arrived in the city. Cora was so excited that before her father had even finished tying up the horses, she had dragged her grandpa out of the wagon and into the first store she saw.
Because Grandpa spoke French, Cora was the one who marched up to the man behind the counter and asked for a doll. Unfortunately, this store was a harness shop and there were no dolls to be found there. Undeterred, Cora tugged her grandfather out the door and into the next shop.
Again Cora asked for a doll. And again Cora was told there were no dolls there. For this was a millinery shop, which only sold hats. At this point, Cora's face crumpled as she explained, in French, to her grandfather that there were no dolls there. Suddenly it occurred to Cora that perhaps there were no dolls to be found in the city at all! She began to cry and sob so hard that the lady working in the millinery shop tried to help. She tried to tell Cora's grandfather where dolls could be found -- but, of course, the man did not understand her English. So the store clerk took Cora by the hand, led her to the door (grandfather in tow), and pointed to a store where dolls could be found.
Cora, hope renewed, was all smiles now as she skipped ahead to the store the woman had pointed to, turning back now and then to be sure Grandpa was right behind her. When they entered this store, Cora immediately spotted the selection of pretty new dolls. When her grandfather caught up to her, he found his dear granddaughter with tears in her eyes once again. This time they were tears of delight as she stood looking the dolls over.
There were about a dozen or so different dolls, so the story goes, yet Cora quickly selected a doll with blue eyes and black hair which Grandpa happily paid for. Legend has it, that on the way back home, Cora cradled the doll with as much tender loving care as Grandpa cradled the sleeping Cora.
Sadly, no one knows what happened to that doll. No one knows what kind of doll it was, what it was made of, or who had made it. Even the doll's name has been lost to history. But the story of Cora and her beloved doll has managed to live on!
For over 100 years, the story of how Cora came to get her doll has survived to be shared with the generations. The story is not only about the love between generations, between grandchild and grandparent, but about what each generation has in common -- for each child hears the story and can related to such a magical day and such a special gift.
This story is also another amazing example of the powerful love of dolls. For hundreds of years, dolls have been beloved -- even before advertising campaigns or television commercials told little girls not only to want a doll, but exactly which doll to want. Little Cora wanted a doll, a beautiful friend, and happily she found her all those years ago.
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What Kind Of Doll Might Cora Have Had?
By Deanna Dahlsad
Sadly, no one around today has even seen Cora's doll. But what kind of doll might it have been? Cora's doll was purchased in the late 1800's -- which was a wonderful time for dolls! Prior to this time, there were simple handmade dolls made of wood and cloth; but in the 1800s, advances in doll manufacturing were made. The primary advances in doll making came from the materials used to make them. For once it was discovered that materials such as wax, papier mâché, parian, bisque, china, celluloid, composition, and even metal could be placed and pressed into moulds, doll making went from the slow, handmade, one-by-one creation process to one of mass-production. At least the heads were made that way anyway... For it is important to note here that the dolls are named for the materials used to make their heads. Not because doll faces are (arguably) the most enchanting part of dolls, but because the majority of doll limbs and bodies continued to be made of wood and/or stuffed cloth -- no matter what material the heads were made from. Wood, cloth, and/or leather bodies are more resilient, and they keep the dolls lighter in weight as well. Such practicalities meant that it was rather uncommon to have dolls made entirely of these new materials. . Of course, wooden dolls and ragdolls were still around in Cora's day. (They are still around today!) But stores in "the big city" Cora went to when she was just six years-old probably were selling the latest in "the most beautiful" manufactured dolls. And, since Cora's grandfather was known to have whittled wooden toys for Cora, we can probably assume that the store-bought doll was not such a simple doll but rather was made of one of these "new" materials. If only we could see her and know for sure... Heck, it would be nice just to see Cora's doll in an old photograph. For even if we couldn't quite tell what she was made of, it sure would be nice just to meet Cora's doll somehow.
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