Kämmer & Reinhardt 117 Doll, ca. 1915
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GUEST:
It was my great-aunt's doll. My aunt was born in Oakland on Fruitvale Avenue in, I believe, 1909.
APPRAISER:
Uh-huh.
GUEST:
And she was the youngest of seven sisters, and my grandfather was the oldest in the family. This doll came to me in the '80s. The dress is the dress she came in, and she's got pantaloons underneath, and a petticoat. And unfortunately, her leather high-top shoes have fallen apart, but the socks are original.
APPRAISER:
The doll was made by Kämmer & Reinhardt. The company is German. It was made about 1917.
GUEST:
Okay. That's a little later than I thought.
APPRAISER:
It would be marked on the back of the head with a number. And that number signified the model or the style of the face. And this is a number 117. It was a very popular doll because it... It was a pretty doll, it wasn't... It was not a scary-looking doll. She's known for her very serene face, and her mouth is closed instead of open with teeth. That makes her very special. The body is made of composition and wood. And composition is a recipe of sawdust and glue and other materials that becomes liquid and they pour it in molds. She's in wonderful condition. Usually you find dolls of this age with fingers missing or unstrung. It's her original wig, it's mohair, and it's got kind of matted, but it, that can all be fixed and rearranged.
GUEST:
Okay. I don't know if it's a significant family heirloom that I should be passing it on. I don't think it's ever really been played with.
APPRAISER:
Hm.
GUEST:
Obviously, I didn't play, play with it.
APPRAISER:
Right.
GUEST:
I don't even have a name for her. (chuckles) That's how unattached...
APPRAISER:
Right.
GUEST:
...the relationship is.
APPRAISER:
Well, this doll came in many sizes. It came from as small as a ten- inch doll up to, like, 35 inches. I, I believe this doll is about 26 inches, if we measure it.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
The value of the doll in a retail setting would be between $3,500 and
$4,500.
GUEST:
That's nice. (chuckling) Yeah, good.
APPRAISER:
I think you have a treasure here.
GUEST:
Thank you.
APPRAISER:
You might, you might want to keep it.
GUEST:
So I should keep it.
APPRAISER:
I think so.
GUEST:
Maybe I'll get a great-granddaughter one day.
APPRAISER:
One day.
GUEST:
(laughs) Now the whole family is going to go, "Oh, my gosh.
(both laugh)
GUEST:
How did she get the doll?"
APPRAISER:
Right.
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