|
|
|
||||||||
|
Poor Pitiful Pearl
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Special Dolls with a Sweet Story from the 1950s, 60s and 70s
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Welcome! I hope you will enjoy the pictures and information on this site. Pearl has become a great collectible as mentioned in a 2000 Wall Street Journal article about nostalgic baby boomers purchasing Poor Pitiful Pearl dolls and other vintage toys... paying dearly in many cases! Prices have fluctuated since then. Scroll down for information on where to get a Pearl for yourself or for someone missing a Pearl from their past.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
What she needs is a chance to admire herself.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Pearls were manufactured in various sizes and materials under 4 different company names.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Dolls like the Horsman Pearl (right and below) were sold beginning in 1963. The patched dresses were multi-colored with a solid red patch and scarf. The party dress was pink nylon and is pictured below. Later, the Horsman/Tristar Pearl was sold with a white party dress.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
50s Brookglad taller "teen" version, with original party dress above.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The 17" soft vinyl Pearl from the 1950s (above left) is marked Gladtoy, and predates the Brookglad-marked Pearls. Brookglad Co. used both marks. Drip dry was a new concept! Her blue nylon "party" dress was trimmed with lace and a black velvet ribbon like the teen version also pictured. 1970s Poor Pitiful Pearl by Tristar is pictured below right.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
________________________________________________________
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Poor, Pitiful Pearl's Story
Pearl was based upon a cartoon character created by William Steig. She came dressed in her "pitiful" outfit... a patched dress, scarf, black stockings and black shoes. In the package was a "pretty" outfit which consisted of a party dress, white anklets and white shoes. The idea was to change her from poor and pitiful to pretty. The booklet that accompanied her has charming drawings depicting Pearl's transformation, as well as instructions for 6 "hair-dos". A portion of it reads, "What she needs is...a chance to admire herself." Pearl allowed us to be her fairy godmothers. She was, and is, so different from other dolls. What fun to share her story!
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
A book about Princess Grace of Monaco (by S. Englund) says that daughter Caroline had a Pearl and, "...when Caroline met Sir Winston Churchill on an airplane flight...the young girl liked the British Prime Minister so much that she bestowed him with the honor of holding her favorite doll, Poor Pitiful Pearl, for the rest of the flight." Picture that!!
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
_______________________________________________________________________
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Where to buy Pearl? The best source I know of is eBay.com. There is usually a selection of at least 10-20 dolls. Be sure to check the seller's feedback and ask questions before you bid. A good one is, "Are there ANY problems with this doll?" Also, be sure to check for haircuts and eyes that are cloudy or don't work properly. If little problems are OK with you, you can get a great deal! And, by looking at completed auctions, you can determine a fair purchase price. Good Luck!
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
FAO Schwarz ad, 1957.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
______________________________________________________________________
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Replacement outfits for Pearl can sometimes be found on eBay.com. Considering the work involved, there are some real bargains. Or, sew your own! Modern doll shoes, stockings and socks can be used for Pearl. I encourage you to allow Pearl to be held and gently played with. Replacement clothing makes that a reasonable option.
To clean the dolls that I have purchased, I have used a brush and mild shampoo to bathe the dolls I have purchased. Place your pearl on a towel to clean. Don't submerge her in the water. As dolls go, she is still a toughie!
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Site News and Updates
July 19, 2007: I think my counter must have started over. Hope you're enjoying the information. Anyway, please let me know if there are objectionable guest book entries. I keep forgetting to monitor it. lynnelb@aol.com.
January 8, 2006: Hello friends!! I continue to be amazed by the number of Pearl lovers. You are a great bunch of people!! Thanks for stopping by and have a great year! Lynn
October 2003: Pearl's creator, artist and writer William Steig has died at the age of 95. He was a well-known cartoonist for New Yorker magazine and wrote children's books. There is a draft for an unpublished book about Pearl in his archives. He was also the creator of Shrek. Lynn
April 2002: This site has received 2,000 visitors since its creation in September 2000. Popular Pearl! A guestbook has been added. Please share your Pearl stories! Your entry may not show up immediately, so check back. Also, please let me know of any objectionable or inappropriate entries so that I can remove them. Thanks fellow Pearl lovers! Lynn
P.S. I am a grandmother of 3 and a semi-retired nurse working in health informatics at a Colorado hospital. My childhood Pearl was a 17 inch soft vinyl Gladtoy that disappeared but has now been replaced (and then some!). I preferred her in her pitiful dress.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 View My Guestbook Sign My Guestbook |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| page created with Easy Designer |