Susan Brewer, the renowned doll expert and author of British Dolls of the 1950s guides us through the exciting decade of the 1960s which saw dolls bedecked in fashionable clothes by top designers, including Sally Tuffin who created the clothes for Sindy and has written the foreword for this book.The books starts with a history of dolls, showing how they have progressed over time from the Seventeenth Century when they became fashionable, through different materials including wood, wax and composite, to the heady days ofrnthe 1960s when the first rock and roll dolls were created, a time when Beatlemania was turned into highly collectable dolls, including the strange-looking squeezy doll by Rosebud (see back cover), Remco's nodders and Pelham's marionettes.rnrnSusan sets the dolls in the context of their day from the fashionable clothes and looks of the teen dolls to the influence of top models including Twiggy, major films and television series such as The Avengers, Thunderbirds and Dr Kildare.
She reveals which dolls are worth collecting and why, discussing the most important dolls and manufacturers of the 1960s, such as those made by Pedigree, Chiltern Palitoy, Roddy, Rosebud, Amanda Jane and Faerie Glen. In addition to focusing on the main and smaller British doll manufacturers, Susan also addresses American dolls which were made or marketed by American companies at British factories to take advantage of the huge demand for their products, including Barbie (seen as too 'vulgar' for the British market), Flatsy, Thumbelina and Giggles. As well as advice on what to collect, Susan gives tips on the care and cleaning of 1960s dolls, including how spot cream can offer a miracle curernfor stained dolls! There is also a useful directory of doll museums and hospitals.This beautifully illustrated book is a must for doll collectors, dealers and all women who grew up in the 1960s and were lucky enough to have a special doll - which could now be worth a fortune.

Foreword by: Sally Tuffin