Old Dolls

Britula Puppe dolls

Here are some old dolls that I have had stashed away for a few years.  The ones pictured above are only 3 - 4 inches tall.  I looked online for info about them based on the tags they are wearing:  Britula Puppe  Made by Baltic Refugees   Below is what I found, copied from a site called Worthopedia (you have to join to actually find the value of things...ah, no)

Baltic Sea Refugees
Between 1944 to 1948/49 over 15 Million Refugees - Expellees
were forcibly removed from the lands south of the Baltic Sea -of
Eastern German- Prussian Lands. Millions of people from Ukraine,
Poland ,Russia , Tchecheslowakia were brought into these German
Lands.
To this day the Governments -The Allied Control Council - which
administered these Lands under Military Occupation between 1945
to 1948 and 50 years after are silent and do not acknowledge
the 2 1/2 Million Germanic people that died during this resettlement.
They were mostly women and children .
This is almost never mentioned by the Official Governments involved
except by a very rare individual as " peaceful resettlement" .
Hitler had in 1932 by Military take-over ousted the Prussian Govern-
ment under Otto Braun . The Allied Control Council did the rest.
The lands are still occupied - not returned to the original population
Complicity of the Western Allies with the Communists 50 years ago
made recurring "Resettlements in the Balkans" possible in the 1990's.

I have some other dolls, too.  The pictures below show them.

Little Women dolls...one naked!  Porcelain heads, arms, and legs.

All stamped China with composite heads, arms and legs

His bench is stamped Made in China.  He seems to be made of leather.

This poor guy has no markings.

Someday (soon, I hope) I will be selling these.  None of them are in very good condition but I would think they are worth a few dollars.  Must find out.

For Veteran's Day...

and for memories, and to honor those Cape Ann WWII veterans that are still alive, Jason Grow produced a wonderful photography exhibit. 

The official opening was today at Gloucester City Hall.  We know several of the veterans photographed for the show. 

In the auditorium with a small band playing 40's music on stage, food table in the back, and the exhibit along both sides of the seating.

Our friend, Arnold Knauth, was one of them.  Arnold turned 98 just a couple weeks ago and is still very active, out walking most days...still drives. too.

Arnold  Knauth, age 98

When he arrived at the exhibit, we ushered him over to the photo taken of him.  "That's me?"  59 veterans were photographed for this special 70th anniversary of the end of the war Veteran's Day.