By Hannah Kelley
Photos by Goldie Wilson
Forty years ago, Goldie Wilson saw her first doll: an adorable, Black cloth doll. After realizing Black dolls existed, she needed to find more! Though she saw many lovely dolls, none looked like the people she adored. So, Goldie embarked on a mission to create wonderful dolls that share her rich history while reflecting her beautiful family and friends.
Becoming a maker of one-of-a-kind dolls was a lengthy process. Wilson originally opened a macramé shop in 1977 and later converted it into a ceramics shop. In 1989, she began teaching classes focused on the process of making reproduction dolls. She split the ceramics and dollmaking sides of the business apart in 1994. “Upon this separating, the doll studio began to get more students interested in the reproduction dollmaking, and I began to add more specialty dollmaking classes,” she said.
Around this time, Wilson began to read more doll-themed publications. She said, “I loved the dolls in these magazines, but I felt there was something missing — most of the dolls were white.” The lack of diversity inspired Wilson to take action. She knew many Black dolls were created using the same molds as white dolls, so she concluded that if she wanted a doll that accurately captured Black features, she would need to make it herself.
Her first step in this direction involved gaining a deeper understanding of the industry. She recalled her doll magazines advertising the annual American International Toy Fair in New York City — commonly known as Toy Fair — and decided to go. “In 1995, I attended my first Toy Fair as a dealer. I wanted to see for myself how the doll business worked, as at this time, I was only a dollmaker. There is a difference between being a dollmaker and being a doll artist,” Wilson said.
Going to the show became an annual event for Wilson and helped her recognize some of the ins and outs of the doll business. It also reaffirmed what she already knew: the dolls she wanted to see didn’t exist yet. She said, “Upon attending these shows year after year, I learned how the business part worked and what I had to do to reach my dream of my own doll. I also saw what I had to do to create my Black doll. What stood out to me was that the doll that I wanted to create had to be different than anything I saw at these shows.”
The next logical step was to take up sculpting. Wilson signed up for a class in 1997, taught by doll sculptor Lewis Goldstein. She already knew about the placement of facial features, so it was primarily a matter of learning what tools and materials to use. During the two-day class, Wilson happened to meet a mold maker, and he taught her how to cast molds of her sculpts. “From that class, I was the only one who wanted to make molds,” she said, adding, “You never know what the future holds for you; without the mold making, I would not be continuing to make dolls. All the mold makers that I have known have retired.”
Original Dolls by Goldie was introduced in 1999 at the Philadelphia Black Doll Show and Sale, where Wilson had previously sold reproduction dolls. She filled half of the table with her originals and the other half with reproductions, to see which sold better. The same year, she applied and was accepted to be a vendor at Toy Fair.
With her growing recognition as a doll artist, Wilson ceased making reproductions within two years and committed her time to making original sculpts. This dedication paid off, as her dolls were featured on the Home Shopping Network (HSN) in 2002. Over the years, she has also made limited-edition souvenir dolls for multiple Maryland Society of Doll Collectors events.
Wilson said that to ensure her dolls look like regular people, she collects photos and references them throughout the sculpting process. “The first doll I made was not my best, but I could see where improvement was needed, and for each doll I created after that, I worked toward it being better than the doll before. If you want to accomplish your dream or your goal in life, you must continue to work toward those goals. I worked hard to make my dolls different and unique,” she said.
Her more recent creations have porcelain heads, breastplates, arms, and legs, which are attached to cloth bodies with wire armatures. These dolls also have glass eyes and wigs made from a mixture of modacrylic and human hair. For their clothing, Wilson uses a collection of fine silks and imported fabrics; the shoes are handmade from leather. She often gravitates toward the clothing styles of the 17th and 18th centuries, and because she doesn’t use patterns, each costume is unique.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Wilson sought to further expand her doll knowledge. “I first did research on the origin of Black dolls. This took me back to slavery,” she said. Unlike dolls enjoyed by the children of slave owners, she said the dolls for Black children were made from old cloth, wood, tobacco leaves, corn husks, or whatever else they were able to find. Wilson saved what articles and books she could about Black dolls, noting most were intended to provide guidance for collecting and pricing.
Noticing she hadn’t come across any books written by Black porcelain artists about the making of Black porcelain dolls, Wilson felt compelled to write about the significance of her work. She first self-published Original Black Dolls by Goldie Wilson, a pictorial guide to her dolls. To assist her with the publication of an autobiography, Wilson contacted Debbie Behan Garrett. As an author herself of three books about Black dolls, Garrett was more than willing to lend her support and guidance throughout the process. Wilson went on to release “This Is Me” Original Black Dolls by Goldie Wilson, providing a comprehensive look at her career.
In the context of dollmaking, Wilson disrupted the status quo when she began making her Black porcelain dolls. Undoubtedly, she has helped pave the way for others to do the same.
