Sasha Morgenthaler (1873-1975) was a woman who made really beautiful dolls. The expressions on her dolls' faces are touched with feeling ... a sort of wistful loving emotion. My sister had one of her dolls when she was a girl, and I'm not sure whatever happened to that sweet doll. Over the years though I've been fortunate to find two of Sasha's small boy dolls - one at a thrift store - and the other at an estate sale. Each bought for a song!
Then, about 1 1/2 years ago I was on my way to work. In the alley down which I was driving, I spied a box set out with the trash and there was a stuffed animal sticking out of it. Though I had no time to scout through the box, I rescued it just the same and put it into my truck's bed. A few weeks passed by, and one night I decided to go looking through the box. To my fantastic delight, there at the bottom of the box were TWO Sasha dolls. The first one I pulled out was the boy doll of whom I already had two! Now they were not twins but triplets! And ... then ... there at the very bottom of the box lay the girl Sasha doll. I actually screamed out loud from sheer delight! I'd always thought it would be grand to have one of the girls . . . and now, I do! Kismet!
More about Sasha Morgenthaler can be found here:
I am not a doll collector, but I'd not pass a Sasha doll by if ever I came upon another. In these two photos you'll see the beautiful Sasha Morgenthaler herself as she holds one of her dolls -the doll she holds reminds me of mine! The other photo shows my girl adorned with a festoon of oak leaves as she stands sentry in my work room.
7 comments:
i loved reading this story! I, too, have been the fortunate recipient of many trash can treasures. lovely!
I'm so happy that you enjoyed this story! Ah, you've done a bit of alley traveling, too? A great thing to do! Dear Laura, thank you for dropping by ~!~
Shayna, I cannot believe this, that Sasha dolls are so dear to you and to me too! As a child I longed for one. We had a fantastic toy shop in the town I grew up in, with all the Sashas in their boxes... this would be the 1970s. They were expensive, and strange. Eventually I received one for my 10th birthday, the long blonde haired version of yours pictured here. She was dressed in a blue/white gingham dress, short socks, white mary janes, vest and pants! I made her more clothes of course. I left her in my mother's keeping whilst I've moved around in adult life, and now she is in the Toy and Doll collection at a museum in Warwick, as we donated her. One day I will make a doll museum, and get her back!
Molly, I chilled at reading your sentiments regarding our beloved Sasha dolls! How wonderful to learn your history with them and am thrilled that you told me. You must have made your girl Sasha a marvelous array of clothing, I can just imagine. My Sashas really delight me, they presently all live together on the same small rustic chair, holding hands and gazing at each other ... as you well know, they are exquisitely beautiful dolls. "Exquisitely beautiful" - just like your dolls are, Molly... I will never forget the day I first came upon them on Etsy, they took my breath away and completely charmed me. I feel certain that the museum would be very happy to give you back your girl Sasha when the time is right ... and! goodness! YOU would create such a fantastical doll museum, how I will love to see images of all the inhabitants when one day you make your determination come true! (please save a space for one of my boy Sashas in your museum ~.~ )
Aww, shucks! I was just so pleased to find you lovin' the Sashas, and I love that image of them all gazing at one another - they are so wonderfully blank-eyed (and yet DEEPLY GAZING!). Of course I will give your boy pride of place in the Museum - already there in the corner of my brain marked BRILLIANT. Thanks, lovely Shayna, as ever. x
Yes! They ARE "wonderfully blank-eyed (and yet DEEPLY GAZING!)." Oh, & the Sasha boy is honored to have such a place in that FASCINATING mind corner of yours ~ xo, darling Molly!
xxx ooo
Post a Comment