Doll, Nancy Ann Storybook, Little Joan #111, Plaid Dress, Original Box, USA, Vintage 1943–47

A bisque doll in taffeta plaid, named for the gentle little rhyme printed on her tag: "Here am I, little Joan. When nobody's with me I'm alone."

• Series: Nancy Ann Storybook (No. 111, standalone release)
• Maker: Nancy Ann Storybook Dolls
• Materials: Bisque, fabric, cardboard (box)
• Dimensions: Approx. 5.5" L; box 6" x 4.25" x 2"
• Origin: USA
• Era: Vintage, 1943–47
• Condition: Very good, never played with. Fabric wrinkled at back; small chip on the sole of one painted shoe; original wrist tag and box present, with light yellowing and wear but no tears. Please review photos closely before purchasing, as all sales are final.

This is Little Joan #111 from the Nancy Ann Storybook line. She's bisque with painted eyes and shoes, stiff legs, and jointed arms — her plaid taffeta dress and muslin pantaloons held in place with the original safety pin. She comes in her original pink polka-dot box, with the wrist tag included though detached.

A charming find for the vintage doll collector or anyone drawn to mid-century American dollmaking.

Nancy Ann Abbott began making dolls out of her San Francisco apartment in 1936 with just $125 in capital, working 16 to 18 hour days; her company was formally incorporated as Nancy Ann Dressed Dolls in February 1937. Bisque Storybook dolls like this one were produced from 1936 to 1947, hand-painted in California using clay imported from England, before the company transitioned to plastic in the late 1940s.

Browse our shop for more vintage Nancy Ann Storybook Dolls to round out your collection.