Ginny Loves Summer Camp

Ginny with all her summer camp accoutrements.

Ginny is a little nervous as she packs for camp. She's never been away from home so long before! Mother tells Ginny she will make lots of friends and have ever so much fun, but Ginny isn't sure. At last, Ginny's yellow suitcase is all packed. This is from a Barbie or similar doll and is more modern than Ginny. It is hard to close and sometimes you really have to squeeze it. Ginny solves that problem by sitting on it! One corner of the suitcase has a minor crack. Ginny's vintage dress is not tagged but bears many signatures of early Vogue pieces, such as a hook and eye closure and attached eyelet slip. Ginny comes with an eccentric homemade stand made for her by her previous owner by gluing Ginny shoes to a heart shaped Knickerbocker stand.

Ginny wears a new hair net.

Her homemade stand.

Ginny is a straight-leg walker doll with a mohair wig. I am dating her to 1954, as that is the year the Ginny walker was introduced and also the year Vogue switched over to Dynel wigs. My guess is this is one of the first Ginny walker dolls since she uses the old mohair wig.

The Ginny mark

Given her age and the condition in which I got her, which was deplorable, Ginny is doing quite well! This doll came in the same lot as the Wendy doll from my Wendy Visits Coney Island post, and as you might recall those dolls were absolutely filthy. Ginny was so covered in grime her skin looked brown. Her eyes were caked with dirt. She cleaned up well, however, and under the dirt I could see she needed only a little split repair to her shoulder and side seams. When that was done I re-strung her arms with elastic cord.

Ginny's chest and lower arms are faded.

Repaired seams.

One of Ginny's arm holes is still a bit large because of the seam split, so that arm will occasionally go too far into her body, making the other arm loose. You can just pull the arm back into place. Ginny's sapphire blue eyes mostly stick. Sometimes they almost close but then they don't really open all the way again on their own. They can be worked manually. There is fading to her face, chest, and lower arms. I refreshed her cheek blush to help with that. Ginny's walker works, albeit rather stiffly, and she can sit and stand alone. Now that I cleaned her and re-styled her hair she's a pretty little doll, great for play or display. I certainly had fun "playing" out her summer camp story!

Ginny's face with refreshed blush.

The doll after restoration.

When Ginny arrives at camp she immediately realizes her mother was right: she's going to have a blast! As soon as she's met her cabin mates and unpacked it's time for recreation. Ginny chooses tennis. She gets all decked out in her Gym Kids #6028 outfit from 1956. This is tagged with the Medford Vogue tag inside the waist. I reinforced the original waist stitching inside. Ginny adds the brown belt with brass buckle from outfit #7028 of 1957. Her molded felt hat is a modern replacement of the original green Gym Kids hat. Ginny's shoes are marked with her name on the soles and her socks are vintage Madame Alexander. Her sunglasses and tennis racket are modern fashion doll pieces.

Ginny wears the Gym Kids outfit.

The Gym Kids set as shown in my book.

The next day starts early, as Ginny and her friends leave right after breakfast for a nature hike and camp out. Ginny wears her vintage Mommy-made wool plaid shorts outfit and makes sure to take her binoculars.

After their hike it's time to set up camp. They pitch their tent and then Ginny lights the campfire with her modern fashion doll lighter. They use their Coleman Dutch oven, with a real removable lid, to whip up delicious hamburgers. The fresh air really gives Ginny an appetite. She's never felt so hungry before!

Ginny cooks.

The Dutch oven has a removable lid.

The hamburger is a puzzle eraser.

The girls are tired from their hike so they spend a day resting. The counselor announces they are going for a sail in the morning. Ginny hasn't ever been in a boat, and she's almost too excited to fall asleep! In the morning she dresses in her vintage sailor dress, probably for a doll like Ginger or Penny Brite. Her Madame Alexander hat, from the 1960s Mexico Alexander-Kins outfit, is the perfect accessory. Ginny makes sure to take her camera along.

The sailor dress is tagged Hong Kong.

The camera is a modern fashion doll piece.

Everyone takes turns helping out at camp and it's Ginny's day to help the lifeguards as Swimming Monitor. She wears her custom sun suit, which is an altered Vogue dress. This originally had a yellow linen bodice with matching panties and a skirt made from the same fabric as the Bridal Trousseau #63 dress of 1955. When I got it the bodice had almost completely rotted away, so I made a new halter top bodice. The Medford Vogue tag is still intact, and the matching panties are fine. I trimmed a straw hat to match and added vintage Madame Alexander gold sandals. Ginny carries a whistle, which she can wear around her neck, and makes sure to put on her sunscreen. These are modern fashion doll accessories.

An altered, tagged 1955 Vogue dress.

The whistle can be worn as a necklace.

Ginny puts on her sunscreen.

Ginny can't believe it's the last night of camp. The days have flown by! Ginny hopes she can return next summer. She makes sure to get her new friends' addresses so she can write letters through the year. As Ginny puts on her nightgown and flannel robe from the suitcase set #840 of 1952, she wishes the summer could last forever.

Nightwear set #840 of 1952

I hope you've enjoyed sharing Ginny's summer camp adventures! Ginny and every outfit and accessory shown in this post are included in this set. They are all packed in her metal and wood trunk #7862 from 1957. This has a dent in one panel and crazing to the paint here and there. The paper lining has discoloration. It is still  a good, sturdy case for Ginny. Please check my store for this Ginny trunk set and many other dolls and accessories: http://stores.ebay.com/atelier-mandaline.

The doll and all her accessories.

The trunk's paint has wear.