portrait with doll

Group portrait of girls with dolls, Kumasi, Ghana, ca.1910

Creator unknown.

Click on image for enlargment.

I am happy to report that this is my first post from my office at Saudade.

Continuing my series of Portrait with Doll, I had to especially highlight this one amazing photograph that I found here. This picture was taken during a Methodist mission in Ghana, Africa and is from the early twentieth century. After studying it closely I noticed that the dolls are caucasian in nature, as well as the women and children´s clothing. Also, their hair styles were intended to straighten the kinkiness of their natural hair. Even the way they are carrying the dolls is not usual. For me this (and this may sound dramatic), is an incredible historical documentation of a part of our humanity.

portrait with doll :: doll portrait

Dutch Children.

Ellis Island, c.1905.

New York Public Library.

The Studio Photographs of Malik Sidibé.

197-.

Portrait of a little girl in a check dress holding her doll and a basket of flowers.

1860´s.

Unknown photographer.

The National Gallery of Australia.

Little Portuguese Girl with doll and bouquet of flowers.

Private collection of Luís Pereira.

early XX century.

Another interest that is slowly growing for me is photographs and artwork which contain portraits of children or adults with dolls or images of dolls themselves. Above are some I have found in my research online. I also leave you with a link to two images of children´s illustrations of a child with a japanese doll found at the wonderful archives of the University of Florida´s Baldwin Library of Children´s Literature.