The Strong
Play Partners:
National Museum of Play Online Collections
Baby Dolls | Barbie | Celebrity Dolls | Cloth and Rag Dolls | Collector Dolls | Doll Accessories | Dolls from the Early Twentieth Century | Dolls from the Fifties and Sixties | Dolls from the Nineteenth Century | Dolls from the Nineties to Now | Dolls from the Seventies and Eighties | Dolls from the Thirties and Forties | Fashion Dolls | Paper Dolls | Talking and Walking Dolls | More Dolls
Pollyanna
doll
ca. 1960
Pollyanna first appeared in the juvenile book written by Eleanor H. Porter in 1913. The book relates the life of Pollyanna Whittier, an orphan sent to live with her wealthy but cold aunt in Beldingsville, Vermont. Pollyanna responds to her trials and tribulations by playing The Glad Game, searching for the things to be glad about in any situation. Pollyanna's optimism, her sunny desposition, and her kindnesses to others influence the town folk to find the good in their own lives. Eventually, Pollyanna's influence converts the town's crankiest inhabitants into friendly neighbors. The heroine's gladness, however, is sorely tested when Pollyanna is struck by a car and loses the use of her legs. The brave girl determines that she is lucky to still have her legs, and the book ends as Pollyanna heads to a hospital where she learns to walk again. Porter's story of Pollyanna became a best seller, and the author wrote a few sequels; others wrote sequels too--the most recent was published in 1997. In 1960, Disney released a movie of Pollyanna, staring Haley Mills. The Uneeda Doll Company produced the Pollyanna doll at the time of the movie's release.
| Manufacturer | Uneeda Doll Co. |
|---|---|
| Material | vinyl | fabric | synthetic hair |
| Origin | USA |
| Object ID | 110.9556 |
| Credit Line | Gift of Ann Lindner in memory of Kenny Lindner |
All artifact images, interpretive information, and website text
© The Strong.
Online Collections by The Strong is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.