The picture above is the only known photograph to have survived of these dolls. It was taken on February 12, 1959 and the quality is not what I would have wished for. The photo at right is only a blow-up from the photo at left, thus the same poor qualilty of the details. Much thanks goes to Leroy Pearl for all the work he put in improving the quality of this one photograph that we do have. |
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Have You Seen
These |
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My grandparents, Otto and Bessie
Brashear, resided in Winfield, Kansas, for many years and it was there that
they celebrated their golden wedding anniversary on February 12, 1959. Using
a copy of their wedding picture for a model, Mrs. Lydia Hill, of Winfield,
made two porcelain dolls, each approximately one foot tall, that bore great
resemblance to my grandparents as they appeared in their wedding
picture. Mrs. Hill made them in great detail, right down to the style
of my grandfather's glasses and the locket my grandmother had pinned to her
dress in that wedding photo. Mrs. Hill presented the dolls to my
grandparents as a present for that golden wedding anniversary.
Although I do not know for certain, I would guess that Jessie would have
recognized the value of those dolls and at least not have destroyed
them. It is also my guess that she probably sold them to a doll
collector and they might well turn up at a doll show, or in an antique shop
somewhere. We would love to get a chance to try to return these dolls
to Otto and Bessie's family. The family would appreciate any assistance
that anyone might be able to provide to that end. |
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Otto and Bessie Brashear |
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Otto and Jessie Brashear |