Brief description
A small but rare collection of World War One era dolls, puppets and photographs from the Narrogin Doll Factory, Narrogin, Western Australia.Full description
A small but rare collection of World War One era dolls, puppets and photographs from the Narrogin Doll Factory, Narrogin, Western Australia. Wartime shortage was a major cause of improvisation. During World War One, an enterprising woman in Narrogin, Western Australia, Grace Burkitt, together with her family, made papier-maché and compound dolls to replace foreign-made dolls which were hard to buy due to wartime import restrictions. They became so popular that their home became known as the 'Narrogin Doll Factory'. Eventually, eight to ten girls were employed and up to forty dolls were produced weekly. Unfortunately in the post War period, competition from cheaper imports led to the eventual demise of this enterprise. These dolls, although crude by modern standards, have great appeal and are much sought after by doll collectors. The modest collection includes two rare Narrogin Doll Factory dolls, a Punch and Judy glove puppet set, four finger puppet heads and five photographs of the Burkitts, factory staff and displays of dolls at the Perth Royal Show. All items are part of the ECU Museum of Childhood collection held by the WA Museum.Notes
These dolls were featured in the ECU Museum of Childhood national touring exhibition, Home-Made Treasures.Data time period: 1914 to 1929
Spatial Coverage And Location
text: Narrogin
text: Western Australia
text: Narrogin Doll Factory
Subjects
Grace Burkitt |
Import restrictions |
Narrogin |
Narrogin Doll Factory |
Photographs |
Photography |
Punch and Judy |
Resource distribution |
Toy industry |
Toys |
Wartime |
Wartime shortages |
Western Australia |
Western Australian Museum |
World War One |
dolls |
improvisation |
puppets |
wars |
world wars |
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Identifiers
- Local : WAM 24