Norah Wellings (1893 — 1975) was a British toymaker and designer, best known for the cloth dolls she made, first for Chad Valley Co Ltd, and later in her own factory, Victoria Toy Works. With sheer determination, hard work and loads of talent Norah became one of the best soft toy makers in the world.
Norah Wellings' unmistakable cloth dolls are mostly made of felt or velveteen and have molded faces. They were produced in England, from 1926 to 1960.
These two dolls were made in the late 1940s / early 1950s, when Norah focused her attention on naval and military dolls, after the war. They were sold in toy shops around the country, and her sailor doll, as you see here, was sold on passenger ships around the world.
These dolls are careworn, with their stuffing peaking out in a couple of places, but still infinitely characterful and collectable.
Measurements: Each doll is approx 22cm in length
Sold as a set of two.