Raggedy Ann is a
character
Character or Characters may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk
* ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
created by American writer
Johnny Gruelle
John Barton Gruelle (December 24, 1880 – January 9, 1938) was an American artist, political cartoonist, children's book and comics author, illustrator, and storyteller. He is best known as the creator of Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy dolls and ...
(1880–1938) that appeared in a series of books he wrote and illustrated for young children. Raggedy Ann is a
rag doll with red yarn for hair and a triangle nose. Gruelle received US Patent D47789 for his Raggedy Ann doll on September 7, 1915. The character was created in 1915 as a doll, and was introduced to the public in the 1918 book ''Raggedy Ann Stories''. When a doll was marketed with the book, the concept had great success. A sequel, ''Raggedy Andy Stories'' (1920), introduced the character of her brother, Raggedy Andy. Further characters such as Beloved Belindy, a
black mammy doll, were featured as dolls and characters in books.
Origins
The exact details of the origins of the Raggedy Ann doll and related stories, which were created by
Johnny Gruelle
John Barton Gruelle (December 24, 1880 – January 9, 1938) was an American artist, political cartoonist, children's book and comics author, illustrator, and storyteller. He is best known as the creator of Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy dolls and ...
, are not specifically known, although numerous myths and legends about the doll's origins have been widely repeated.
Gruelle biographer and Raggedy Ann historian Patricia Hall notes that the dolls have "found themselves at the center of several legend cycles—groups of stories that, while containing kernels of truth, are more myth than they are history. What makes this even more intriguing is that fact that Johnny Gruelle, either unwittingly or with the great sense of humor he was known for, initiated many of these legends, a number of which are continuously repeated as the factual history of Raggedy Ann and Andy."
Hall further explains that according to an oft-repeated myth, Gruelle's daughter, Marcella, brought from her grandmother's attic a faceless cloth doll on which the artist drew a face, and that Gruelle suggested that Marcella's grandmother sew a shoe button for a missing eye. Hall says the date of this supposed occurrence is given as early as 1900 and as late as 1914, with the locale variously given as suburban
Indianapolis,
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
, downtown
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
,
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
, or rural
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...
.
More likely, as Gruelle's wife, Myrtle, reported, it was her husband who retrieved a long-forgotten, homemade rag doll from the attic of his parents' Indianapolis home sometime around the turn of the twentieth century before the couple's daughter was born. Although the incident is unconfirmed, Myrtle Gruelle recalled, "There was something he wanted from the attic. While he was rummaging around for it, he found an old rag doll his mother had made for his sister. He said then that the doll would make a good story."
Myrtle Gruelle also indicated that her husband "kept
he doll
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (pronoun), an English pronoun
* He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ
* He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets
* He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...
in his mind until we had Marcella. He remembered it when he saw her play
ith
The Ith () is a ridge in Germany's Central Uplands which is up to 439 m high. It lies about 40 km southwest of Hanover and, at 22 kilometres, is the longest line of crags in North Germany.
Geography
Location
The Ith is immediatel ...
dolls.... He wrote the stories around some of the things she did. He used to get ideas from watching her."
Additionally, Gruelle did not create Raggedy Ann as a tribute to his daughter following her death at 13 from an
infected vaccination. Hall notes Gruelle's May 28, 1915, application for the design of the prototype that became the Raggedy Ann doll was already in progress around the time that Marcella fell ill, and the artist received final approval by the
U.S. Patent office
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is an agency in the U.S. Department of Commerce that serves as the national patent office and trademark registration authority for the United States. The USPTO's headquarters are in Alexa ...
on September 7, 1915, the same month as Marcella's death.
Nonetheless, the
anti-vaccination movement
Vaccine hesitancy is a delay in acceptance, or refusal, of vaccines despite the availability of vaccine services and supporting evidence. The term covers refusals to vaccinate, delaying vaccines, accepting vaccines but remaining uncertain abou ...
adopted Raggedy Ann as a symbol, though Marcella died from an infected vaccination, not from the side effects of the vaccination itself.
Naming Raggedy Ann
On June 17, 1915, shortly after submitting his patent application for the doll's design, Johnny Gruelle applied for a registered trademark for the Raggedy Ann name, which he created by combining words from two of
James Whitcomb Riley
James Whitcomb Riley (October 7, 1849 – July 22, 1916) was an American writer, poet, and best-selling author. During his lifetime he was known as the "Hoosier Poet" and "Children's Poet" for his dialect works and his children's poetry. His ...
poems, "
The Raggedy Man" and "
Little Orphant Annie
"Little Orphant Annie" is an 1885 poem written by James Whitcomb Riley and published by the Bowen-Merrill Company. First titled "The Elf Child", the name was changed by Riley to "Little Orphant Allie" at its third printing; however, a typesetti ...
". (Riley was a well-known
Hoosier
Hoosier is the official demonym for the people of the U.S. state of Indiana. The origin of the term remains a matter of debate, but "Hoosier" was in general use by the 1840s, having been popularized by Richmond resident John Finley's 1833 poem " ...
poet and a Gruelle family friend and neighbor from the years when they resided in Indianapolis.
) The U.S. Patent Office registered Gruelle's trademark application (107328) for the Raggedy Ann name on November 23, 1915.
Early books and doll design
''Raggedy Ann Stories'' (1918), written and illustrated by Johnny Gruelle and published by the P. F. Volland Company, was the first in a series of books about his cloth doll character and her friends.[ Reprint edition, Evansville, Indiana: Whipporwill Publications, 1985.] The book's first edition also included Gruelle's own version of the doll's origins and the related stories.[ Two years after the publication of the first Raggedy Ann book, Gruelle introduced Raggedy Ann's brother, Raggedy Andy, in ''Raggedy Andy Stories'' (1920).]
Although the female members of Gruelle's family may have made a small number of initial versions of the Raggedy Ann doll in Norwalk, Connecticut, to help market the related books, Gruelle soon established a merchandising agreement with P. F. Volland Company, his primary publisher, to begin commercially manufacturing, selling, and promoting a mass-produced version of the doll.[
In addition to his patent application in 1915 for the design of what became the Raggedy Ann doll, Gruelle patented his design for a generic male doll in 1920. A short time after its literary debut in 1920, Raggedy Andy appeared as a commercially-made doll, marketed by Volland.][Hall, "A Child At Heart," pp. 10–11.][Hall, ''Johnny Gruelle, Creator of Raggedy Ann and Andy'', p. 118.]
Following the success of the first Raggedy Ann book, Gruelle continued to author and illustrate at least one Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy story each year until his death in 1938.[ In addition to books Gruelle also wrote lyrics for musical compositions that were published as sheet music and songbooks for children. These works included "Raggedy Ann's Sunny Songs" (1930) which was set to music by former U. S. Treasury Secretary William H. Woodin.
In his later years Gruelle collaborated with his son, Worth, on illustrations for some of his later books such as ''Raggedy Ann and the Golden Meadow'' (1935) and on a series of illustrated Raggedy Ann ]proverb
A proverb (from la, proverbium) is a simple and insightful, traditional saying that expresses a perceived truth based on common sense or experience. Proverbs are often metaphorical and use formulaic language. A proverbial phrase or a proverbia ...
s that were syndicated in newspapers.[Hall, ''Johnny Gruelle, Creator of Raggedy Ann and Andy'', p. 170.] By 1938, the year that Johnny Gruelle died, his first Raggedy Ann book had sold more than 3 million copies.
Raggedy Ann doll sales were also growing. The P. F. Volland Company's initial order of 24 dozen dolls from the Non-Breakable Toy Company, the doll's early manufacturer, increased to about 3,200 dolls within the first eight months of production. With its growing popularity, Gruelle gave Volland the exclusive rights to manufacture and sell the dolls as long as it remained the exclusive publisher of his books.
Legal challenges
In 1935 Gruelle brought suit against Mollye Goldman (''Gruelle vs. Goldman'') after her company, Molly-'Es Doll Outfitters, continued to manufacture unauthorized versions of the Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls. Goldman's attorney argued that Gruelle's design patent for Raggedy Ann had expired in 1929, and Gruelle did not apply for a design patent or a trademark for a doll specifically named Raggedy Andy. The U.S. Patent office registered Goldman's application for a trademark for her Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy dolls in 1935. Her patent application for her Raggedy Andy design was granted on May 7, 1935. Goldman's versions of Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy closely resembled the Gruelle-designed rag dolls, which he had authorized the Exposition Doll and Toy Manufacturing Company to manufacture. Gruelle brought suit against Goldman for trademark infringement in October 1936, but the case was dismissed. He won the lawsuit on appeal in 1937. In the appellate court's option handed down on December 23, 1937, Goldman's company, Molly-'Es Doll Outfitters, could not legally manufacture dolls named Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy. Goldman was ordered to provide restitution to Gruelle.[Hall, ''Johnny Gruelle, Creator of Raggedy Ann and Andy'', pp. 169–70, 172–74.]
Following Gruelle's death in 1938, Myrtle (Swann) Gruelle, his widow, took further legal action to secure the rights to his works, trademarks, and patents, including those relating to Raggedy Ann and Andy. She also continued to promote Raggedy Ann and Andy, among Gruelle's other literary characters, through the Johnny Gruelle Company, which also published the author's books for several years. (P. F. Volland, his primary publisher, had discontinued its book publishing business during the Great Depression.)[Hall, ''Johnny Gruelle, Creator of Raggedy Ann and Andy'', pp. 184–85. See also: Hall, "A Child At Heart," pp. 10–11.]
Legacy
By the end of the 1940s, sales of Raggedy Ann-related books exceeded 7 million copies.[ The Indianapolis-based ]Bobbs-Merrill Company
The Bobbs-Merrill Company was a book publisher located in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Company history
The company began in 1850 October 3 when Samuel Merrill bought an Indianapolis bookstore and entered the publishing business. After his death in ...
became the authorized publisher and licensor for Raggedy Ann-related literary works in 1962, and the Knickerbocker Toy Company
A Knickerbocker is a person from Manhattan (New York City, before 1898). A modern synonym is “New Yorker”.
Knickerbocker or Knickerbockers may also refer to:
People
* Knickerbocker (surname), including a list of people with the surname, and ...
began manufacturing the Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls in the early 1960s. Bobbs-Merrill eventually became part of Macmillan Inc. and later Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest pu ...
, while Hasbro
Hasbro, Inc. (; a syllabic abbreviation of its original name, Hassenfeld Brothers) is an American multinational conglomerate holding company incorporated and headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Hasbro owns the trademarks and products of K ...
acquired Knickerbocker Toys. As such, Hasbro holds the trademark for the Raggedy Ann stuffed doll, while all other trademarks are claimed by Simon & Schuster, at present a division of Paramount Global
Paramount Global ( doing business as Paramount) is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate owned and operated by National Amusements (79.4%) and headquartered at One Astor Plaza in Midtown Manhattan, New York. ...
but in the process of being sold to Penguin Random House
Penguin Random House LLC is an Anglo-American multinational conglomerate publishing company formed on July 1, 2013, from the merger of Penguin Group and Random House.
On April 2, 2020, Bertelsmann announced the completion of its purchase ...
. The original for the 1915 doll design, as well as the '' Raggedy Ann Stories'' (1918) and '' Raggedy Andy Stories'' (1920) books, are in the public domain, their copyrights having expired.
The Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy dolls and their related memorabilia have become sought-after collectors' items. In addition to the dolls and books, other related items continue to be produced including adaptations of the stories into comic books, audio recordings, animated films, and television and theatrical productions.
Honors and tributes
The Raggedy Ann doll was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame
The National Toy Hall of Fame is a U.S. hall of fame that recognizes the contributions of toys and games that have sustained their popularity for many years. Criteria for induction include: icon status (the toy is widely recognized, respected, and ...
in Rochester, New York
Rochester () is a city in the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, and Yonkers, with a population of 211,328 at the 2020 United States census. Located in W ...
, on March 27, 2002. Raggedy Andy was inducted 5 years later on November 8, 2007.[
]
Related books
Johnny Gruelle, Raggedy Ann's creator, authored and/or illustrated dozens of related works. Many other books were released and in some cases credited to Gruelle after his death in 1938. In addition, numerous works have been written and/or illustrated by others such as Ethel Hays
Ethel Hays (March 13, 1892 – March 19, 1989) was an American syndicated cartoonist specializing in flapper-themed comic strips in the 1920s and 1930s. She drew in Art Deco style. In the later part of her career, during the 1940s and 1950s, sh ...
, who illustrated most of the Saalfield Publishing Company's Raggedy Ann-related stories published from 1944.
Written and illustrated by Johnny Gruelle
* '' Raggedy Ann Stories'' (1918)[Banta, p. 126.]
* '' Raggedy Andy Stories'' (1920)[
* ''Raggedy Ann and Andy and the Camel with the Wrinkled Knees'' (1924)
* ''Raggedy Andy's Number Book'' (1924)][Hall, ''Johnny Gruelle, Creator of Raggedy Ann and Andy'', p. 200.]
* ''Raggedy Ann's Wishing Pebble'' (1925)[
* ''Raggedy Ann's Alphabet Book'' (1925)][
* ''Beloved Belindy'' (1926)][
* ''The Paper Dragon: A Raggedy Ann Adventure'' (1926)
* ''Raggedy Ann's Fairy Stories'' (1928)][A reprint of Gruelle's early work, ''My Very Own Fairy Stories'' (1917). See: Hall, ''Raggedy Ann and Johnny Gruelle'', p. 88.]
* ''Raggedy Ann's Magical Wishes'' (1928)[
* ''Marcella: A Raggedy Ann Story'' (1929)
* ''Raggedy Ann in the Deep Deep Woods'' (1930)][
* ''Raggedy Ann's Sunny Songs'' (1930)
* ''Raggedy Ann in Cookie Land'' (1931)][
* ''Raggedy Ann's Lucky Pennies'' (1932)][Hall, ''Johnny Gruelle, Creator of Raggedy Ann and Andy'', p. 201.]
* ''Raggedy Ann Cut-Out Paper Doll'' (1935)[
* ''Raggedy Ann's Little Brother Andy Cut-Out Paper Doll'' (1935)
* ''Raggedy Ann in the Golden Meadow'' (1935)
* ''Raggedy Ann and the Left-Handed Safety Pin'' (1935)][
* ''Raggedy Ann's Joyful Songs'' (1937)
* ''Raggedy Ann and Maizie Moocow'' (1937)][
* ''Raggedy Ann and Andy's Very Own Fairy Stories'' (1970)][
]
Written by Johnny Gruelle; illustrated by others
* ''Raggedy Ann in the Magic Book'' (1939)
* ''Raggedy Ann and the Laughing Brook'' (1940)[Written by Johnny Gruelle; illustrated by Justin C. Gruelle. See: Hall, ''Raggedy Ann and Johnny Gruelle'', p. 37.]
* ''Raggedy Ann and the Golden Butterfly'' (1940)
* ''Raggedy Ann and the Hoppy Toad'' (1940)[
* ''Raggedy Ann Helps Grandpa Hoppergrass'' (1940)][
* ''Raggedy Ann in the Garden'' (1940)][
* ''Raggedy Ann Goes Sailing'' (1941)][
* ''The Camel with the Wrinkled Knees'' (1941)][
* ''Raggedy Ann and Andy and the Nice Fat Policeman'' (1942)
* ''Raggedy Ann and Betsy Bonnet String'' (1943)
* ''Raggedy Ann in the Snow White Castle'' (1946)
* ''Raggedy Ann's Adventures'' (1947)][”Saalfield Treasure Book” series, Saalfield Publishing Company; written by Johnny Gruelle; illustrated by Ethel Hays. See Hall, ''Raggedy Ann and Johnny Gruelle'', p. 149.]
* ''Raggedy Ann and the Slippery Slide'' (1947)[
* ''Raggedy Ann's Mystery'' (1947)][
* ''Raggedy Ann at the End of the Rainbow'' (1947)][
* ''Raggedy Ann and Marcella's First Day At School'' (1952)][“The Wonder Books” series, published by Grosset and Dunlap; written by Johnny Gruelle; illustrated by Tom Sinnickson. See Hall, ''Raggedy Ann and Johnny Gruelle'', p. 150.]
* ''Raggedy Ann's Merriest Christmas'' (1952)[
* ''Raggedy Andy's Surprise'' (1953)][
* ''Raggedy Ann's Tea Party'' (1954)
* ''A Puzzle for Raggedy Ann and Andy'' (1957)][“The Wonder Books” series, published by Grosset and Dunlap; written by Johnny Gruelle; illustrated by Rachael Taft Dixon. See Hall, ''Johnny Gruelle, Creator of Raggedy Ann and Andy'', p. 151.]
* ''Raggedy Ann's Secret'' (1959)
* ''Raggedy Ann's Christmas Surprise'' (ca. 1960)
* ''Raggedy Ann's Stories to Read Aloud'' (1960)[
* ''Raggedy Ann and the Golden Ring'' (1961)][Written by Johnny Gruelle; illustrated by Worth Gruelle with the assistance of Joni Gruelle (Worth Gruelle’s daughter) See: Hall, ''Raggedy Ann and Johnny Gruelle'', p. 136.]
* ''Raggedy Ann and the Hobby Horse'' (1961)[
* ''Raggedy Ann and the Happy Meadow'' (1961)][
* ''Raggedy Ann and the Wonderful Witch'' (1961)][
* ''Raggedy Ann and Andy and the Kindly Ragman'' (1975)][Written by Johnny Gruelle; illustrated by John E. Hopper. See Hall, ''Johnny Gruelle, Creator of Raggedy Ann and Andy'', pp. 201–02.]
* ''Raggedy Ann and Andy and the Witchie Kissabye'' (1975)[
]
Adaptations attributed to Gruelle, or based on his works
* ''Raggedy Ann and Andy—with Animated Illustrations'' (1944)
* ''Raggedy Ann and Andy Giant Treasury'' (1984)
Written by others; illustrated by Gruelle and/or others
* ''The Bam Bam Clock'', by J. P. McEvoy, Illustrated by Johnny Gruelle, P. F. Volland Co., 1920 (Later issued by Algonquin Publishing, circa 1936) This children's fairy story contains a few mentions of Raggedy Ann in the text, and five color depictions of Raggedy Ann. These are very early depictions of Raggedy Ann outside of the ''Raggedy Ann'' series. As far as the text goes, Raggedy Ann plays no active part in the story, other than that she is mentioned as being there, almost like part of the landscape. In the pictures she is shown in a more "active" role.
* ''Raggedy Ann and the Tagalong Present'' (1971)[Written by Marjory Schwalje; illustrated by Becky Krehbile. See Hall, ''Raggedy Ann and Johnny Gruelle'', p. 172.]
* ''Raggedy Andy's Treasure Hunt'' (1973)[
* ''Raggedy Ann's Cooking School'' (1974)
* Raggedy Ann and Andy's Cookbook (1975)
* ''Raggedy Granny Stories'' (1977)
* ''Raggedy Ann and Andy's Sewing Book'' (1977)
*
]
Raggedy Ann and Andy's Grow and Learn Library
A collection of twenty books published by Lynx, with each story containing a lesson, such as maintaining friendship when someone moves away or why parents must go to work. Raggedy Ann and Andy live in Marcella's playroom with many other toys such as Babette the French doll, Raggedy Dog, The Camel with the Wrinkled Knees, Sunny Bunny, Bubbles the Clown, Tim the Toy Soldier and more.
* Sunny Bunny Comes Home: Marcella discovers Sunny Bunny in the attic and brings him to the nursery, where the other toys show off their talents. The rabbit doesn't have any talents that he can discern, but when he hops high to save Marcella's balloons, he earns respect from the other toys.
* Little Bear's Problem: While visiting the circus with Marcella, Raggedy Ann & Andy meet Little Bear, who's dismayed that he doesn't get to spend much time with his parents. The dolls teach him that his folks are bringing joy to others, so Little Bear decides to concentrate on his own future career as a performer.
* Sam Lamb Moves Away: Marcella gives Sam Lamb to her visiting cousin. The toys miss their friend so they send letters via the sparrows and discover Sam has found a happy new home.
* Raggedy Dog to the Rescue: Raggedy Dog is jealous when Raggedy Cat comes to live in the nursery, so he chases her to Raggedy Land and corners her in a tree. Realizing that he's done wrong, the dog comes to the cat's rescue and they become friends.
* What Can a Camel Do?: The Camel with the Wrinkled Knees can't think of a thing to do for the Talent Show, but he ultimately discovers that he has a talent for hauling the toys' equipment to the Talent Show.
* Babette's Scary Night: When the dolls camp out in the playhouse, Babette becomes spooked by the scary stories that her friends tell, but they ultimately convince her that she has nothing to fear.
* A Very Close Call: When the toys play a game of hide-and-seek, Bubbles the clown gets locked in the pantry, so everyone works to free him.
* Grouchy Bear's Parade: Marcella brings home a teddy bear whom she names Grouchy. The toy feels obliged to live up to his name, but Raggedy Ann teaches him that it's okay to show his true feelings. Once he does, Grouchy is chosen to lead the Teddy Bear Parade.
* The Box of Tricks: Raggedy Andy gets into a box of tricks that Marcella received for her birthday. The other toys aren't amused, so they turn the tables on him.
* Raggedy Dog's Bone: Raggedy Dog is proud when he discovers a bone buried in the yard, but he learns that it belongs to Fido, Marcella's real puppy.
* The Jack-In-The-Box: Marcella's cousin brings a Jack-in-the-Box who doesn't want to play with the other toys, so they put on a pretend circus and invite him to join.
* Play Ball: While visiting Marcella's cousin's house, Raggedy Ann and Andy are asked to participate in a baseball game, but Andy discovers he's not a great player.
* The Play in the Attic: The toys are placed in the attic while the playroom is being painted. They're initially upset by the move, but they dig through trunks and entertain themselves by staging a production of ''Goldilocks and the Three Bears
"Goldilocks and the Three Bears" (originally titled "The Story of the Three Bears") is a 19th-century English fairy tale of which three versions exist. The original version of the tale tells of an obscene old woman who enters the forest home ...
''.
* Raggedy Dog Learns to Share: Fido leaves his ball with Raggedy Dog, who doesn't want the other toys to play with it.
* Raggedy Andy's Perfect Party: Raggedy Andy suggests the toys throw a party to celebrate the first day of summer. Everyone is assigned duties, but he neglects to designate someone to decorate.
* The Sleepover: When Marcella chooses Sunny Bunny to accompany her on a sleepover, the rabbit worries that her friend's toys won't like him.
* The Birthday Surprise: The toys have assigned duties in preparation for the Camel's birthday party, but Babette gets distracted and is forced to improvise her bouquet.
* Bubbles Goes to the Fair: Bubbles the Clown practices juggling in hopes of winning a prize at the Raggedy Land Fair, but he forgets to bring along his juggling balls.
* Tim's Big Adventure: On a rainy day, Raggedy Ann decides to read a story to the other toys. Tim the toy soldier has no interest, but he's soon swept up in the drama and envisions himself as the hero.
* A Parent's Guide to Raggedy Ann and Andy's Grow and Learn Library: Includes summaries of the stories and themes, plus tie-in activities for children.
Other adaptations
Many subsequent adaptations of the Raggedy Ann and Andy books have been published, in addition to the characters appearing in other media formats.
Animated feature films and shorts
* Fleischer Studios/ Famous Studios shorts:
** '' Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy'' (1941)[Hall, ''Raggedy Ann and Johnny Gruelle'', p. 179.]
** ''Suddenly It's Spring'' (1944)[
** ''The Enchanted Square'' (1947)][
* '' Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure'' (1977)]
* ''Snowden: Raggedy Ann & Andy's Adventure'' (1998)
Theatre and stage
* ''Raggedy Ann and Andy'' (1981)
* '' Raggedy Ann: The Musical Adventure'' (1986)
Television
* '' Raggedy Ann and Andy in The Great Santa Claus Caper'' (1978)
* '' Raggedy Ann and Andy in The Pumpkin Who Couldn't Smile'' (1979)
* ''The Adventures of Raggedy Ann and Andy
''The Adventures of Raggedy Ann and Andy'' is an American animated television series that aired on CBS from September 17, 1988 to September 1, 1990. Based on the dolls Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Ann, Andy by Johnny Gruelle, the series was produced d ...
'' (1988–1990)
* ''Raggedy Ann and Andy and the Camel with the Wrinkled Knees''
Audio recordings
* ''Raggedy Ann's Sunny Songs'' (1931 and 1946)[Hall, ''Raggedy Ann and Johnny Gruelle'', pp. 177–78.]
* ''Raggedy Ann's Songs of Happiness'' (1934)[
* ''Songs of Raggedy Ann and Andy'' (1948)][
* ''Johnny Gruelle's Raggedy Ann Songs and Stories'' (ca. 1960s)][
* ''Hallmark "Read-Along Story Records"'' (1974)][
* ''Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure'' (1977)][
* ''Raggedy Ann & Andy: Birthday Party'' (1980)
* ''Raggedy Ann & Andy: Pop Concert'' (1980)
* ''Raggedy Ann & Andy's Alphabet & Numbers'' (1980)
* ''Raggedy Ann & Andy's Dance Party'' (1980)
* ''Raggedy Ann & Andy's Merry Adventures'' (1980)
* ''Raggedy Ann & Andy: Bend and Stretch'' (1981)
* ''Raggedy Ann & Andy: Christmas Party'' (1981)
* ''Raggedy Ann & Andy: Happiness Album'' (1981)
* ''Raggedy Ann & Andy: Telling Time is Fun'' (1981)
* ''A Raggedy Ann Songbook'' (1996)][
]
Comic books
* Dell Publishing featured Raggedy Ann-related stories in a series of comic book
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
s.[Hall, ''Raggedy Ann and Johnny Gruelle'', p. 176.]
** ''New Funnies'' (volume 1)
** ''Animal Comics''
** ''Four Color Comics
''Four Color'', also known as ''Four Color Comics'' and ''Dell Four Color'', was an American comic book anthology series published by Dell Comics between 1939 and 1962. The title is a reference to the four basic colors used when printing comic b ...
''
** ''Raggedy Ann + Raggedy Andy'' (1946–1949)
** ''Raggedy Ann + Andy'' (1948)
** ''Raggedy Ann and Andy'' (1955)
** ''Raggedy Ann and Andy'' (1964–1966)
Doll manufacturers
* P. F. Volland Company (1920-1934)
* Beers, Keelier, and Bowman (early manufacturer of Raggedy Andy dolls)[
* Exposition Doll and Toy Company (1935-mid 1935)
* Molly-'Es Doll Outfitters (without permission) (1935-1937)
* Georgene Novelties (1938-1962)
* Knickerbocker Toy Co. (1963-1982)
* Applause Toy Company/]Russ Berrie
Kid Brands, Inc. () was a company that designed, developed and distributed infant and juvenile branded products. These products were distributed through mass market, baby super stores, specialty, food, drug, independent, and e-commerce retailers ...
(1983-2011)
* Hasbro
Hasbro, Inc. (; a syllabic abbreviation of its original name, Hassenfeld Brothers) is an American multinational conglomerate holding company incorporated and headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Hasbro owns the trademarks and products of K ...
/Playskool
Playskool is an American company that produces educational toys and games for children. It is a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc., and is headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
History
The Playskool Institute was established by Lucille King in 1928 ...
(1983–present), master license
* Aurora World Inc. (2012–present (exclusive plush doll license)[In 2012 Hasbro signed Aurora World for a new line of Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy plush dolls. See: ]
Doll production
Although the female members of Gruelle's family may have originally handmade a few of the versions of the Raggedy Ann doll in Norwalk, Connecticut, to help market the related books, Gruelle soon established a merchandising agreement with P. F. Volland Company, the primary publisher of his books, to manufacture, sell, and promote a mass-produced, commercial version of the Raggedy Ann doll.[ Early Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls were manufactured by different companies and not produced as matched sets.][Hall, ''Johnny Gruelle, Creator of Raggedy Ann and Andy'', p. 121.]
Between 1918 and 1926, the Non-Breakable Toy Company of Muskegon, Michigan
Muskegon ( ') is a city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Muskegon County. Muskegon is known for fishing, sailing regattas, pleasure boating, and as a commercial and cruise ship port. It is a popular vacation destination because of the expans ...
made more than 75,000 dolls for Volland. By the late 1920s Volland's orders for Raggedy Ann dolls from its manufacturer had reached 4,000 per month.[ When Volland ceased operations during the Great Depression it had already sold more than 150,000 dolls and nearly 2 million Raggedy Ann books.
In 1935 Gruelle granted permission to the Exposition Doll and Toy Manufacturing Company to manufacture and sell authorized versions of the Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls. From 1935 until 1937 Molly-'Es Doll Outfitters manufactured and sold unauthorized versions of the Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls until a legal decision handed down in ''Gruelle v (Mollye) Goldman'' prohibited Molly-'Es Dolls from further manufacturing and sales of the dolls.][
]
Sewing patterns for homemade dolls
* McCall's
''McCall's'' was a monthly American women's magazine, published by the McCall Corporation, that enjoyed great popularity through much of the 20th century, peaking at a readership of 8.4 million in the early 1960s. It was established as a small-f ...
pattern
A pattern is a regularity in the world, in human-made design, or in abstract ideas. As such, the elements of a pattern repeat in a predictable manner. A geometric pattern is a kind of pattern formed of geometric shapes and typically repeated li ...
** 1940 McCall's pattern #820, first appeared for a 19-in. dolls, Raggedy Ann doll comes with cape pattern
** ca. 1945 McCall's pattern #914, Raggedy Ann Awake/Asleep dolls plus camel with the wrinkled knees
** 1958 McCall's pattern #820, appeared with a slightly modified pattern for both dolls
** 1963 McCall's pattern #6941, Raggedy Ann pattern has lost her cape, dolls now come in three sizes
** 1970 McCall's pattern #2531, dolls come in three sizes, with a simplified pattern and different hair and face embroidery pattern, loss of button eyes
** 1977 McCall's pattern #5713, identical to previous #2531 pattern, different cover
** ca. 1980 new McCall's pattern # 7131, 36-in. dolls plus apron a child can wear
** 1982 McCall's pattern #8077, a re-issue of previous patterns, new cover, dolls with different hair color
* Late 1990s, Simplicity Pattern The Simplicity Pattern Company is a manufacturer of sewing pattern guides, under the "Simplicity Pattern", "It's So Easy" and "New Look" brands. The company was founded in 1927 in New York City. During the Great Depression, Simplicity allowed home s ...
s released a licensed doll pattern for a different design doll in four sizes.
*2015 saw another Simplicity pattern The Simplicity Pattern Company is a manufacturer of sewing pattern guides, under the "Simplicity Pattern", "It's So Easy" and "New Look" brands. The company was founded in 1927 in New York City. During the Great Depression, Simplicity allowed home s ...
(Pattern number 8043) for 3 different sized dolls of both Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy. 15",26"and 36" are available. This pattern was called the Classic Raggedy Ann & Andy and copywritten by Simon & Schuster.
In popular culture
* A Raggedy Ann balloon debuted at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade in New York City presented by the U.S.-based department store chain Macy's. The Parade first took place in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States with ...
in 1984, flying for two years.
* A girl can be seen holding a Raggedy Ann doll in the 1996 Disney animated film ''James and the Giant Peach
''James and the Giant Peach'' is a popular children's novel written in 1961 by British author Roald Dahl. The first edition, published by Alfred Knopf, featured illustrations by Nancy Ekholm Burkert. There have been re-illustrated versions of ...
''.
* Raggedy Ann along with Raggedy Andy were in the '' South Park'' " Imaginationland" trilogy amongst the good creatures.
* The allegedly cursed Annabelle doll is a Raggedy Ann doll living in Ed and Lorraine Warren's house in Monroe, Connecticut.
Public collections
Gruelle's hometown of Arcola, Illinois, is the former home of the annual Raggedy Ann and Andy Festival and the Raggedy Ann and Andy Museum. The museum was closed and the festival discontinued in 2009. Some of the museum's contents were donated to Strong National Museum of Play
The Strong National Museum of Play (known as just The Strong Museum or simply the Strong) is part of The Strong in Rochester, New York, United States. Established in 1969 and based initially on the personal collection of Rochester native Margaret ...
.[ See also: ] Other aspects of the collection were moved to the Rockome Gardens theme park in Arcola.[. Additional archive, October 14, 2016.]
References
External links
*
Raggedy Ann Stories
' from Project Gutenberg
Project Gutenberg (PG) is a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, as well as to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks."
It was founded in 1971 by American writer Michael S. Hart and is the oldest digital libr ...
The Raggedy Ann and Andy Museum
closed in 2009. Retrieved on June 30, 2016
Archived
from the original on June 23, 2016.
*
;IMDb
* (1941)
* (1944)
* (1947)
* (1977)
* (1978)
* (1979)
* (1988)
{{Authority control
Characters in American novels of the 20th century
Series of books
Series of children's books
Doll brands
Female characters in literature
Fictional dolls and dummies
Fleischer Studios series and characters
Famous Studios series and characters
Television series by U.M. & M. TV Corporation
Literary characters introduced in 1915
Sentient toys in fiction
1910s toys
Rag dolls