This weekend in Carmel, I noticed a doll in the guest bedroom.
The doll has been up on a shelf for decoration now for decades. I pulled it down to look at it when I remembered this antique doll had a secret. When you flipped her over she turned into a completely different doll.
These “topsy-turvy” dolls originated sometime during the Civil War, and there is a lot of speculation as to why they were created.
Some believe they were made for white children forbidden by their parents to play with black dolls and some believe they were made for black children forbidden by parents or sometimes slave owners to play with white dolls. These dolls were given as a way to hide the forbidden doll.
Those are the two most used theories as to why these dolls came into existence, but it still doesn’t totally make sense to me.
Why do you think a topsy turvy doll like this was created back in the 1800s?
