I mean, what is it about this little, unassuming doll that has everyone turning somersaults in appreciation and devotion? Who is Bleuette? Why do legions of doll collectors bow down to her in admiration? Why are so many collectors furiously sewing entire wardrobes for this little doll? Lets take a look at Bleuette, her history and why she is the new “it” doll in the world of antique and vintage dolls.
Personally, I resisted Bleuette’s charms and the craze of Bleuette until recently. I would always walk huffily past the salesroom tables piled high with Bleuette reproduction dolls, patterns and costumes, thinking to myself in a superior way, “I just don’t DO Bleuette.” Then, one day I was at a doll auction, and the overwhelming desire to bid on one of the Bleuette’s hit me. I resisted the impulse, but I DID end up taking home a similar, but smaller, antique SFBJ bisque doll with a small wardrobe and trunk. Hmm…I realized that she was just a substitute Bleuette; but since she WASN’T really a Bleuette, I could continue to say proudly that “I just don’t DO Bleuette.”
Well…it was only a matter of time. At the recent convention I attended, I was happily walking down a salesroom aisle when a Bleuette reproduction doll stopped me in my tracks. She was SO cute and oh-so-French, and was so beautifully done that she looked just like the originals. I tried to walk by..but then I saw that the doll was made by my good friend and former dollmaking instructor Margaret Anne Wolfe. I mean…what a coincidence! And, she was so cute…and, you guessed it, she jumped into my arms. Before you knew it, she also owned two handmade dresses, shoes, a darling hat and briefcase…
The next thing you knew, there I was at the UFDC Bleuette gathering at the very same convention, four days later, with a gigantic crowd of Bleuette cultists (I mean, it really is like a cult!). I entered the room shyly with my new Bleuette, and before I knew it, she was on display and she was getting compliments on how beautiful she looked, how nicely she was painted, etc. Before you knew it, I was hooked. I also found it nice that there didn’t seem to be discrimination between owners of original Bleuettes and owners of reproduction Bleuettes, nor between those new to Bleuette and the Bleuette old-timers—everyone was welcome, as long as they loved Bleuette.
So, for the still Bleuette-Ignorant out there…WHO is Bleuette??? And why is she so popular?
Bleuette was born in France in 1905 as a premium for little girls who bought a subscription to “La Semaine de Suzette,” which was a popular magazine for French girls. The magazine offered Bleuette to all subscribers, and promised patterns for her in each issue. The magazine publisher ordered the original batch of dolls from SFBJ (a French doll company which included the remnants of such famous doll companies as Jumeau) and Bleuette was born.
The initial batch of dolls all had bisque heads and fully-jointed composition bodies. The doll was always 27 cm in height (later variations of the doll were 29 cm in height; there are MANY variations in mold numbers, body types, etc. for Bleuette, but they are beyond the scope of this article; we will look at various Bleuette models in a later article).
It was very important that all Bleuettes were the same height and had basically the same body measurements, since the doll was intended to be sewn for! The whole purpose of La Semaine de Suzette was to help little French girls grow up into fine French women, and, of course, the skill of sewing was needed.
Well, the magazine and the doll were a runaway hit, and Gautier-Languereau could barely keep the dolls in stock. Bleuette was so popular that she and her magazine were produced until 1960. Later versions of the doll (from the WWII years forward) were made with composition heads.
After the 1960s, the doll was a bit forgotten…she was no longer sought-after by little girls, and collectors hadn’t yet discovered her in big numbers. That was until about 10 years ago. At this time, a group of antique doll collectors who loved to sew started to notice Bleuette. Not only was she adorable and a delightful size (small, but not TOO small) but she also had over FIFTY years of doll patterns available for her! The patterns came in a delightful assortment—everything from school outfits to dress-up to masquerade outfits. Plus, the doll clothing reflected 50 years of style changes for little girls—almost unheard of for other dolls.
The group of collectors who loved Bleuette grew and grew. Ten years ago at the first Bleuette UFDC gathering, only 8 collectors showed up. In 2004, well over 200 collectors attended—over 10% of the membership of the convention!
There are now several books on Bleuette with more to follow, as well as a quarterly Bleuette newsletter. In addition, there are many artists and dealers who sell patterns, clothing, accessories and other things for Bleuette. Welcome to her world!
