Horsman Jody
Horsman Jody 22-23" Babydoll 1960's Softee Doll
This is Horsman's sweet little Baby Jody doll from the early 1960's. Jody has bright aqua eyes and full lashes that are curled on the ends. This was probably Horsman's Deluxe Babydoll for the Christmas season, because she is the largest size, with curled lashes and the pale golden blonde hair with little curls around her neck: these features make her just a little more special than some of the other Softee dolls.
Her cloth body is fairly clean. The light watermarks are there because I cleaned her vinyl and washed her hair. The cloth body has light soiling and there is a blueish stain on her backside, but I don't detect any odors.
I think the doll was lightly played with but not abused because her head and hair are still in very good condition. The doll's toes somewhat pinkish: a child possibly applied some polish or marker at some time but it has soaked into the vinyl and looks like blush now.
This is a very lovely example of the full-size Jody Softee babydoll.
Jody was made in 1961, which means she is more than 50 years old now. Jody is not as common as some of Horsman's other Softee dolls. I think her face is very similar to the Vogue Baby Dear dolls, with full chubby cheeks and a sweet solemn expression.
Jody is a very pretty doll. She is 22 or 23 inches long (depending on whether you measure around the bend in the knee or not.) It was traditional to measure from the top of the head down to the knee, then hold the measure in place and measure to the bottom of the foot. But now, people measure straight from head to toe; although this isn't very accurate when the doll has it's knees drawn up.
Jody has the little neck curls which many of the 1960's babydolls had. Her hair is shiny, clean and no haircuts or bald spots. She has little spit curls beside her ears. Jody's cheek color has been refreshed.
The Horsman Softee dolls are stuffed with shredded poly foam, which was innovative at the time and has proven to be an excellent idea because it holds up over the years. The shredded poly foam is a durable stuffing, plus it gives the doll some weight and makes her very cuddly for little girls to hold and love.
Jody's outfit is not original, but the dress and bloomers are nearly the same age that she is. We also gave her some cute sandals and lacy socks.