Raggedy Ann Character Turns 100 Years Old
Raggedy Ann has endeared herself to young readers for a century both as a rag doll toy with button eyes and red yarn hair and as the character of a bounty of stories by the late Johnny Gruelle (18801938). Next month Simon & Schuster is commemorating the milestone with a varied lineup of releases starring Raggedy Ann and her similarly spunky brother, Raggedy Andy.
These include facsimile 100th-anniversary editions of Gruelles original picture-book anthologies, Raggedy Ann Stories and Raggedy Andy Stories , and The Raggedy Ann 100th Anniversary Treasury , a large-format picture book that compiles five of Gruelles original tales and new illustrations by Jan Palmer, all from Little Simon. Also due out are new editions of six Ready-to-Read books from Simon Spotlight. First published in the early 2000s, these reissues feature refreshed interior art and new covers reflecting the updated look of the early-reader line.
Raggedy Ann had her beginnings in a heartwarming, if bittersweet, chapter of Gruelles life. According to family lore, his young daughter, Marcella, stumbled upon a well-worn, faceless rag doll while exploring her grandparents attic sometime before 1914. Gruelle and his wife, Myrtle, spruced up the doll for Marcella, giving her facial features and inscribing the message, I love you, within the dolls newly drawn heart.
Johnny Gruelle in an undated photo.
Gruelle began writing and illustrating stories starring Marcella and her beloved doll, and continued to add to that canon after his daughter died at 13 after an illness. Raggedy Anns popularity soared when the P.F. Volland Co. published Raggedy Ann Stories in 1918. The author patented a doll version of Raggedy Ann; a doll based on Raggedy Andy, who made his first book appearance in 1920, eventually followed.
Passing the Creative Baton
Gruelle created more than 40 books about Raggedy Ann and Andy, and his creativity inspired that of family members after his death. In the 1940s, his younger brother, Justin C. Gruelle, illustrated at least four stories that the late author had penned (the exact number is uncertain, since Justin at times signed his work J. Gruelle instead of using his full name). Johnnys son, Worth Gruelle, illustrated four of his fathers books in the 1960s, which his daughter, Joni Gruelle Wannamaker (named after her grandfather) watercolored. Continuing the tradition of family participation, Kim Gruelle, Worths son and Jonis brother, has written an afterword to the new facsimile 100th-anniversary story collections.
.....Tom and I know, from talking to thousands of visitors to the museum over the years, just how close Raggedy Ann and Andy are to the hearts of people of all ages, Wannamaker told PW . These characters really do have timeless appeal, and signify love, caring, and gentleness. And the dolls, with their I love you hearts, are fittingly lovable and huggable.
Raggedy Ann and Andys appeal is not only timeless, but also universal. Over the past 100 years, more than 60 million books, dolls, and other branded products have been sold worldwide. And the books alone have sold two million copies across the globe in the past 15 years.
A New Century Begins
....An ancillary benefit of revitalizing Raggedy Ann and Andy in the new books, Garfield added, is reinforcing the characters identities as imaginative and active everyday kids. Sometimes they are regarded as staid rag dolls, propped up in a rocking chair, she said. I hope these new editions remind everyone that Raggedy Ann and Andy are quite adventurous souls theyre cool and fun characters with a lot of spunk.
....That said, Wannamaker, who served in Vietnam as a Marine and has been involved with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program in the past, said he was tickled to learn that the Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls were the first toy items distributed in the initiatives inaugural toy drive in 1947.
Everyone has done such a beautiful job with these books, Joni Wannamaker Gruelle said of S&Ss work on the anniversary tie-ins, and theyve been wonderful about involving our family in the program, which is very important to us.
When his daughter Marcella died, my grandfather wanted to immortalize her, Wannamaker added. I am so pleased that, with these commemorative volumes, that his wish and the kind and gentle message of his characters endure. Were excited at the prospect of keeping these books going for another 100 years.
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-book-news/article/68132-at-100-raggedy-ann-embodies-a-creative-family-legacy.html
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Evidently this "franchise" is going strong. Not a lot of branded toys last 100 years, I don't think.
Been a popular Halloween theme too.
Wow.. I thought she was older than that...
I would have thought so too. Seems like a 19th century idea with the industrial revolution and all, the poor in the urban areas.
100 years is still a long time for a "brand" to last though, and apparently they still sell. Probably in other countries more so than in America.
I still have mine from the 1960s. Grandma had one, but Mama had a Shirley Temple doll.
I think their appeal at first was that you could buy one, or make one at home...
Both my daughter and my cat loved the Raggedy Ann doll we had.
That's funny! We have a Raggedy Andy-- a little black cat... He was feral, trapped, and neutered, so his ear has been notched, (making him raggedy...)