Vigo County Historical Society
Historical Treasure Article

August 29, 1993
By Helen F. Mitchell
Vigo County Historical Society

Mystery of “Margaret” surrounds small doll

Who was Margaret? How could she part with such a precious little doll? How did this doll come into the possession of Mrs. John T. Beasley? Perhaps someone in the reading audience can answer these questions and, perhaps not, as we must go back to the earliest decades of the 20th century to search for the answers.

In 1914 or 1915 this charming little bride doll was given to Elinor and Juliet Peddle by the neighbor Mrs. John T. Beasley. She was in a box on which was written “Margaret’s Doll.” Mrs. Beasley did not know or did not tell the girls who Margaret was. According to a note written by Elinor Peddle to Dorothy Jerse, when the doll was given to the museum in 1978, the girls were still trying t solve the mystery of Margaret’s identify. Elinor stated, “The doll, to us, was a keepsake to remember Mrs. Beasley by.”

The bride doll is one of the charming small dolls in the museum collection. She is dressed in a wedding gown of ivory satin trimmed with ivory lace. There is a long pleated satin train which was originally covered with a long veil of ivory tulle. The veil formed the headpiece and extended the length of the train but now has almost disintegrated. Delicate pastel flowers decorate the headpiece and make up a bridal bouquet. The style of the gown is 1900-1905.

The little doll has a bisque head, arms and legs. The body is made of cloth. If there is any marking on the head we do not know as the garments have been sewed in place and they are much too fragile to remove. It is assumed that it is of German origin as dolls of this quality were made mainly in Germany. The bisque is satiny-smooth and delicately tinted.

The facial features are painted with great detail. The eyes are a soft blue complementing the blonde wig. She is anchored on a six-inch by twelve-inch cardboard base covered with white velvet. There is a Plexiglas cover which was removed as it obscured the view of the doll. The base and cover were made by Juliet Peddle.

Who was Margaret” Was she the little girl to whom the doll was first given” Was the doll a copy of Margaret in her wedding gown or could Margaret have been the person who dressed the doll? We cannot answer those questions but we do know that Margaret’s doll has been seen and enjoyed by many people since she came to live at the museum.

The doll can be seen in the doll cabinet on the main floor of the museum.

The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.

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