U.S.S. America printed cloth sailor doll

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c. 1920 - 1940

Overview

Antique cloth sailor doll with the name of the ship (U.S.S. America) on the tally band of the cap. It appears to have been hand made from a flat sheet of printed material which has been stuffed and the sides sewn together to create a three dimensional figure.
It is blue and cream in colour, with the details of the uniform and the face in cream. The only other colour is a light pink for the lips. There are some period repairs to one leg and hand stitching is also visible on the top of the cap.
There is no maker's information printed on the doll.

Historical information

U.S.S. America was a captured German ship originally named S.S. Amerika which was a passenger liner built in 1905 in Belfast. She was seized and converted to a military troopship in late 1917. During her service, she conducted nine roundtrip voyages during World War I and a further eight after the Armistice, transporting nearly 90 000 American troops to and from Europe.
She was transferred to the War Department in 1919, and served as a U.S. Army Transport until 1920. She was then reconditioned to return to service as a passenger liner, and operated in that capacity until 1932.
In October 1940, U.S.S. America was taken from the reserve fleet, renamed Edmund B. Alexander, and served again, first as a stationary barracks ship then again as a transport, until 1949. Ultimately, she was scrapped in 1957.

The doll is similar in style to others in the collection from the World War One period. it is likely that it was made as a souvenir during the period between the wars.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-119-RoW00487

Item type

Collectibles

Decorative Objects

Souvenirs

Themes

Leisure
Social History

Material

Cloth

Cotton