A Charlie Chaplin Gifted Doll, Circa 1920s....

Description

A Charlie Chaplin Gifted Doll, Circa 1920s. The face made of composite, handpainted facial features, black yarn hair (likely replaced later); body made of wood with articulation at the neck, elbows, knees, and ankles; upper back area has label reading "Schoenhut Doll / Pat. Jan. 17th 1911 / U.S.A.;" doll dressed in handmade clothing including white cotton long johns, a beige cotton shirt, ribbon suspenders, a red and black plaid cotton vest, a black shoestring necktie, a black wool jacket, black tweed wool pants, brown cotton socks, black leather shoes with tiny shoelaces, a straw bowler hat (heavily cracked due to age), and a cane. (Please note there is paint loss, chipping, and cracks on the face and most of the clothing was restored or entirely re-made later.)
Height: 18"

PROVENANCE:
According to William Morris, Jr., in the 1920s, this doll was gifted to his father, William Morris (of the agency fame) by his client, Charlie Chaplin, to sell at a charity bazaar that benefited the Saranac Lake Day Nursery [in the Adirondacks in upstate New York]. Mrs. William Morris (Emma) attended the bazaar and ended up buying the Chaplin doll herself for $500 which would have been an exorbitant amount of money 90+ years ago when this event took place. Decades later in the 1970s, Morris, Jr. donated this doll to yet another charity event at Saranac Lake where the current owner bought it. Included is William Morris, Jr.'s typed provenance outlining the story of this doll which seems believable as the Morris family knew Chaplin well and they were known philanthropic donors to the Saranac Lake community.

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