7010-86; Source: Elizabeth Gaylord Rathburn (left).
With the Fourth of July right around the corner, I thought it would be a good excuse to show you one of the patriotic dolls from the Nebraska History Museum’s collection. Decked out in Lady Liberty garb, this cloth doll is called “Miss America.” She was made by Georgene Novelties Inc. of New York, probably in the 1920s or 1930s. Georgene Novelties was owned by husband and wife Georgene and Paul Averill, who owned doll companies under several different names, including Averill Manufacturing Co. and Madame Georgene, Inc. They also used the name Madame Hendren. This doll was collected by Lincoln doll collector Elizabeth Gaylord Rathburn and was donated to the Nebraska State Historical Society in the 1940s.
