Antique Wizard Of Oz Dorothy Doll Handmade

Description

Antique Wizard Of Oz Dorothy Doll Handmade.
This beautiful doll was obtained from an estate in Bedford, Ohio. The doll is handmade and well crafted and we believe it was made for Dorothy Dandridge.
According to the estate this doll was made in Cleveland, Ohio at the request of Cyril Dandridge. Cyril Dandridge was the Father of reknown Actress Dorothy Dandridge and Vivian Dandridge. Their mother Ruby Dandridge was also an entertainer. Cyril and Ruby divorced when the children were infants and Ruby entered into a relationship with a woman named Geneva Williams. According to the estate, Geneva Williams was controlling and dominated the family unit. She would not allow Cyril to see the girls, who, at a young age, became successful entertainers. Williams eventually moved the family unit to the west coast. Cyril remained in Cleveland and continued to attempt to see the girls. He saw them briefly after a performance and some years later, Cyril, who was a minister and cabinet maker, after seeing the "Wizard Of Oz," had this doll handmade by a professional seamstress and costume maker in Cleveland. He had intended to give this doll to his daughter. It is unclear to which daughter he had intended to give it. We assume the doll was for Dorothy in honor of the namesake of the character. The girls, who by this point were teenagers, were quite popular, but still under the control of Geneva Williams. She refused to allow Cyril to see the children. He never gave the doll to either girl. Dorothy went on to have an extremely successful acting career but it was laden with misfortune and died at a young age while Vivian became a recluse and disappeared from public life. Cyril gave this doll to a close friend of his upon the birth of that friend's daughter (the estate). She kept it in a display cabinet until her death.
This doll is certainly old and handcrafted. The narrative surrounding this doll is certainly credible despite the difficulty in corroborating the story as the main players have passed. However, our research has determined that this family did indeed begin in the Cleveland area and lived there for a short time. The family was indeed a family of entertainers and stars. Dorothy Dandridge, who surpassed all others in her family, must have been dear to Cyril's heart as the Dorothy character in the Wizard Of Oz was to millions of movie goers. It makes sense that he would have had this doll made for her. In addition, Cyril Dandridge did indeed remain in the Cleveland area, passed away there, and is buried in a suburb of Cleveland (Bedford).