bl*****75
Highest Bidder
$28,000
Sold
sold
Click image to enlarge
- Estimate
- $12,000 / $16,000
Gold Horse ListingDescription
14" (36 cm.) Bisque head with flanged neck, large blue glass side-glancing googly eyes with dark blue iris rims, black eyeliner, dark painted curly lashes angled windblown to the side, lightly feathered tiny brows, tiny button-shaped nose, tiny closed mouth with heart-shaped pursed lips, brunette human hair bobbed wig, original muslin body with jointing at shoulders and hips, antique mariner style costume and sailor cap with gilt lettering "Atlantic". Marks: 1409 26 Virginia Short for Ginny 368379 copr. by Oscar Hitt Germany. Condition: generally excellent. Comments: designed by American illustrator, Oscar Hitt, under license from George Borgfeldt in 1927, and made in Germany. The Oscar Hitt trademark was listed by Borgfeldt in their 1927 catalog along with the doll's name "Virginia, Ginny for Short", offered with variations of hair (painted or wigged), and as a slender child or as a chubby toddler. Value Points: exceptionally rare, likely made for only one year, the most appealing doll has a distinctive expression, original body, superb bisque, and luxury quality painting with unique lashes. The doll is shown in the book, The Rose Unfolds, by Rosalie Whyel and Susan Hedrick, page 232.
Stuart's Take
Without a doubt, the rarest Googly out there is the Oscar Hitt. I believe we have only had three (including this one) come through our auctions in the past. Indeed, for the Googly connoisseur it is the ultimate find. However, it's not just rare. The characterization, eyes, mouth, etc almost give this doll a sort of movement of personality. It's like it could speak. Perhaps one of the most artistically rendered googlies you will find. Why is it so rare? Why would such a marvelous doll not have reached a pinnacle of success in the market? The obvious answer is in the period it was released, right before the market crash of 1929 and the subsequent Great Depression.