Norah Wellings Cloth Sailor Doll, 1950s
All aboard! This jaunty little sailor isn’t just a doll – he’s a charming piece of maritime history.
Norah Wellings, the brilliant chief designer for Chad Valley, struck out on her own in 1926 with her brother Leo, launching Victory Toys. At the time, ocean travel was the height of glamour, and no voyage was complete without a souvenir. Enter the Norah Wellings sailor doll – a soft cloth sailor who proudly sported the name of the ship on his jaunty hatband. Passengers snapped them up as keepsakes from their adventures at sea.
This particular fellow sails under the banner of the M.V. Derbyshire, his hat stitched with pride. Produced right up until 1960 – the year Victory Toys closed following Leo’s passing – these dolls became beloved travel companions and nostalgic mementos of ocean liner days gone by.