An Important Study Collection Concerning 1950s Italian Fashion Doll "Christina"

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19" (48 cm.) The collection includes six dolls of which two are wearing original costumes; each doll has socket head and five piece slender elongated body of older child, with jointing at shoulders, elbows, hips and knees, and with glass sleep and flirty eyes, real lashes, and artistically painted features. Various hair style are featured, and there are three different faces (wide smile with teeth, solemn, and slight smile) each with closed mouth. Condition: generally excellent, with few minor paint rubs, one with slight wear to lashes. Marks: Christina Brevettate (original paper label on back torso of each). Comments: "Christina" was designed by Italian Countess Mariuccia De Lord Rinaldi of Italy in the late 1940s, and prototype models were made under her direction at this time. From Italian magazine articles of the time, it appears that the doll was introduced in the European market, although the extent of the sales is not known. In 1950, the Countess began a campaign to present the doll to the American market, and the laborious efforts to that goal are detailed with the voluminous documents that are included with these dolls. Of particular interest are the typed notes sent to the Countess from various American retailers including Marshall Fields, Lord & Taylor and Neimann-Marcus, as well as the Brooklyn Museum and Toy Associates of America, all included with this study collection. Also included is an inventory of the dolls, costumes, furnishings and accessories which were proposed with the line, as well as brochures about the dolls, original studio photographs, and snapshots of the real Christina (the Countess' daughter) playing with Christina dolls. Working as an American agent for the Countess was Helen Mitchell Rogers who had carefully preserved the dolls and all the correspondence, photographs and documents. The collection is being sold by the family of Helen Rogers, and offers an extraordinary glimpse inside the world of doll design, production, and marketing in post-WWII America.