If you liked my new peg wooden dolls Comfort and Joy, you will love this spotlight on the peg woodens owned by Queen Victoria. This post includes very special photos that were sent to me by Bill Fifer, and he has given me permission to share them. Bill and his wife, Patricia, were both interested in miniatures. In 1992, they attended summer school at the International Guild of Miniature Artisans (IGMA) in Castine, Maine. Bill and Pat were active Guild members, participating in the summer school for fourteen years. Both became Artisan members of the Guild, Pat for her exquisite costuming and Bill for making miniature furniture. Sadly, Pat’s health…
-
-
Bill Fifer Hitty Gallery
Last year, Bill Fifer gifted me with his archive of Hitty-related materials (see Bill Fifer’s Gift). The Carving Hitty post included Bill’s Hitty Doll Pattern and showed the steps he used for creating his dolls. Bill was consistent about signing and dating his dolls, which can be identified with a number on the back. He also kept a record of his dolls and who purchased them. Bill carved 82 dolls, including a few mini Hittys, between 1996 and 2018. The header photo above shows some of the Hitty dolls in Bill’s personal collection. Bill also carved the Bécassine in the top left and the grandmother reading the Hitty book. All…
-
Carving Hitty
There is only one Ancestor HItty (see Who is Hitty?), but there are many people who carve Hitty dolls. Each carver uses his or her own artistic vision to create Hitty. Dolls can be hand-carved, power-carved, turned on a lathe or made using a combination of techniques. They can be peg-jointed, ball-jointed, or strung with elastic. The method of carving can be stylized or realistic. The finish can be sanded completely smooth or left unsanded to show individual marks from each carving tool. The only thing all Hitty dolls have in common is the inspiration for their creation. Header photo above shows 15 Bill Fifer Hittys in progress from 2007.…
-
Hitty’s Clothes
An article about Hitty’s clothing was written by Patricia Fifer shortly after she and her husband, Bill, visited Hitty at the Stockbridge Library in 1996 (see Bill Fifer’s Gift). It was previously published in the Friends of Hitty Newsletter, Volume III, Issue 1, Spring 1997. The descriptions of Hitty’s underwear and the Library Dress are of interest to any Hitty admirer, but especially to those who want to recreate her clothing. Patricia’s article was one of my sources for “Hitty’s Wardrobe in the Stockbridge Library,” in the Fall 2024 issue of Doll News. The photos taken by Bill and Patricia are extra special because they show Hitty’s clothes before restoration.…
-
Bill Fifer’s Gift
Recently, I was contacted by Bill Fifer, the Hitty carver and miniature artisan. He had saved photos and other information about Hitty over the years and wanted to pass it along to someone who would appreciate it. Bill had heard of my article in Doll News magazine about Hitty’s wardrobe and wondered if I would be interested in his treasure trove. You can imagine how surprised and honored I was to hear from him. I promised him that I would preserve his archive and share it with others on my website. Below is a brief biography and history of how Bill and his wife, Pat Fifer, became so involved in…
-
Hitty Dimensions
The original Hitty doll, also known as “Ancestor Hitty,” is a one-of-a-kind creation. Many of us wish we could have an exact copy, and the only way to do that is with accurate measurements. Keep reading to find out how I made a comprehensive list of Ancestor Hitty’s dimensions. Download Ancestor Hitty Doll Dimensions Download Photos of Perfume Hitty Download Bill Fifer’s Hitty Photos Of all the artists who have created Hitty dolls, only woodcarver Michael Langton made exact copies. Michael Langton began carving in 1972, but his big break came in 1979, when he carved a wooden doll for the movie On Golden Pond. He discovered a way to…
-
Who is Hitty?
I first read Hitty: Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field when I was a teenager, and I still have the somewhat battered hardcover copy which I purchased used for $1. The edition was printed in October, 1943, and it had the colored frontispiece of Hitty sitting for her daguerreotype, illustrated by Dorothy P. Lathrop. I remember thinking at the time that it was a really good story, and as a young doll collector, I would have loved to have my own Hitty doll. But few people were making Hitty dolls at that time. Above: photo of the real Hitty in the Stockbridge Library Museum in 2024. Courtesy of Beth…
