RARE SET ORIGINAL CHARLOTTE CLARK MICKEY AND MINNIE MOUSE VELVET DOLLS.Made circa 1935 by sought-after doll designer Charlotte Clark. Each with velvet bodies, satin gloves, oilcloth eyes, and felt ears; Minnie has pillbox hat with flower ornament on wire, dotted skirt, lace-edged bloomers, corduroy shoes, and inserted eyelashes; Mickey has velvet shoes and shorts with mother-of-pearl buttons; each free-standing; with glass display dome - App. 13 in. high; hand-to-hand spread, 9 in. Estimate $5,000-7,000
PROVENANCE: Presented to the current owner as a eighteen-year-old child by Gunther Lessing, chief legal counsel for Walt Disney Productions, on July 25, 1938, at Disney Studios, Hollywood CA. See Lot 1486 for Walt Disney Productions, Ltd. letter with documentation of studio visit.
NOTE: Charlotte Clark designed the first Mickey and Minnie Mouse doll in early 1930. With approval from the Disney Studio, she started to sell her dolls in Los Angeles area stores. Demand soon exceeded her ability to produce the dolls, so Clark designed sewing patterns with which customers could make their own dolls at home. As the collection of Disney characters grew, Clark created patterns for Donald Duck, Pluto, and others. Clark continued to make dolls for Walt Disney himself; these dolls were given to his friends, family, and business contacts.
Yellowing as expected to both. Fading of reds in skirt and probably in velvet shorts and shoes. Both Mickey and Minnie have stiff legs which is an indication that their legs may have been restuffed.
Minnie: Loss to app. 3/4 of petals around flower. Eyelashes have probably been replaced. 2-3 small holes on skirt. 2-3 small areas of loss around circumference of right eye. Wear/loss to her gloves - both thumbs. There is a black mark at the tip of Minnie's left shoe. It looks as if the feet were cut from the legs and then later re-attached (after stuffing?) by gluing. Loosening/ungluing of velvet at area above back of heel (can be reattached very easily) . Small area of water staining on skirt at left.
Mickey: Left arm has been resewed. Water staining to left hand. Darning to right hand at thumb; small area of loss to left hand at thumb.
Mickey:
