Jessie Willcox Smith (1863-1935) is America's premier artist of the child. Her remarkable images captured the mood and essence of innocent childhood and motherly care in a way not matched by anyone else. Jessie Willcox Smith illustrated over 60 children's books, including such classics as A Child's Garden of Verses, Little Women, Heidi, and Water-Babies. In her prolific professional career, spanning over 40 years, Smith illustrated literally hundreds of magazines (including consecutive monthly covers of Good Housekeeping from 1913 through 1932), and near the end of her career became an accomplished portrait artist. Her style is both inimitable and memorable, and her images are best regarded as icons of childhood and family life during the early twentieth century. The Jessie Willcox Smith Mother Goose, first published in 1912, is one of her best known works and is still in print. Several R. John Wright dolls were also inspired by the illustrations of Jessie Willcox Smith - most notably the Nursery Rhyme Series.

"Mother Goose" from R. JOHN WRIGHT is faithfully based on the famous Jessie Willcox Smith cover illustration shown above. This multi-medium Studio Piece consists of a seated Mother Goose flanked by two reclining children - a boy and a girl. Mother Goose is constructed of alpaca plush with delicate hand applied coloration, a felt beak, glass pupil eyes, a jointed neck and moveable wings. On her head is a beautifully detailed bonnet made of natural straw with an organdy liner and silk trim and bow. The wistful children dolls are constructed entirely of the finest all-wool felt with molded faces and sculptural torsos and limbs. Jointed at the neck and shoulders, both dolls have meticulously hand-knotted mohair wigs and delicate hand painted features. These charming period children are dressed as per the original illustration in simple cotton garments with socks and hand cobbled leather shoes. The three figures are posed on a custom made ebony finish display platform. The base measures 24" wide and the overall height of the piece is approximately 17".

Mother Goose will be produced in an extremely small worldwide edition of just 100 pieces. Each will come beautifully boxed and will include a signed and numbered certificate of authenticity and the forms for owner registration. The prototype of Mother Goose will be displayed for the first time at the DOLL & TEDDY BEAR EXPO in Washington D.C. on August 10-12, 2007. See the Events section for further details.

HOW TO ORDER:

Mother Goose is available only by direct mail from R. JOHN WRIGHT DOLLS, INC. As a show special, priority will be given to EXPO attendees, but we are now accepting advance registrations for a waiting list for any pieces which may be available following the event. Please contact the R. John Wright office if you would like to be placed on this list. The price of Mother Goose is US$2,500 and a refundable deposit of US$250 is required with your advance reservation. Do not delay as pre-orders will be processed on a first-come, first-serve basis. You may phone 802-447-7072 or E-mail to: RJWDOLLS@aol.com to place your order or for further information.

ESTIMATED DELIVERY: October 2007.