Storybook Dolls, Inc.
Individual doll pages:
Nancy Ann Abbott (real name Rowena Haskin) was born in 1901 in California and worked as an actress and dress designer in Hollywood before opening a book lending shop in San Francisco in 1935. In her shop, she also offered dolls for sale that she dressed herself in the evenings. Prior to this, dolls had been just a hobby, but when they proved popular, she was inspired to leave the bookshop to start her own doll company, Nancy Ann Dressed Dolls. In 1937, Les Rowland joined her firm as a partner, bringing to it his financial and selling skills, and they were off and running.
From the earliest days of the company, Miss Abbott made and dressed dolls in costumes from fairy tales and nursery rhymes, and by the mid-1940s, the company was called Nancy Ann Storybook Dolls. The diminutive bisque dolls in creative costumes were very popular.
In the late forties, they began making their Storybook dolls in hard plastic. In 1952, they branched out with the 18" hard plastic Style Show dolls, recognized by collectors today as some of the most beautiful dolls ever made. Muffie, an 8" competitor to Vogue's Ginny doll, was another profitable product for the company as they further expanded their offerings with more hard plastic and vinyl dolls. In the late fifties, Nancy Ann Storybook Dolls again successfully followed a trend with their vinyl glamour dolls, 10.5" Miss Nancy Ann and 8" Little Miss Nancy Ann.
Unfortunately, Miss Abbott became ill with cancer and the company struggled to keep up production. She died in 1964, and her partner, Mr. Rowland, who was also ill, was unable to keep the company afloat. Nancy Ann Storybook Dolls closed its doors in 1965.
Sources for this page include:
- "Nancy Ann Storybook Dolls" by Marjorie A. Miller
- "Dolls and Accessories of the 1950s" by Dian Zillner
- "Glamour Dolls of the 1950s & 1960s" by Polly and Pam Judd
Copyright 2004-7 by Zendelle Bouchard.
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