What ever happened to the fairy doll atop the Christmas tree?
By Susan Brewer
Until recently, it was customary in Britain to place a fairy doll on top of the tree at Christmas. Older fairies, dating from the late 19th century to the 1940s, were made from wax, bisque, composition, celluloid, or even paper.
It is believed the Christmas tree custom was introduced into Britain by 18th-century German immigrants, who brought their seasonal traditions with them when they settled. Later, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert popularized the tree when they posed for a family photograph surrounding one for The Illustrated London News in 1848. Other Christmas customs were made popular during Victoria’s reign as well. This was helped greatly by writer Charles Dickens through such works as “The Pickwick Papers.” Dickens promoted Christmas as a joyous festival, which needed a tree, turkey, plum pudding, and presents to make it complete.
In 17th-century Germany, the Christmas tree was normally topped by a small model of the baby Jesus but was later replaced by a male angel. However, in Britain, the angel concept was not to the taste of the masses. The angel evolved into a fairy, because fairies were already part of Britain’s earlier pagan Christmas traditions. One delightful theory for this trend from angels to fairies is that it occurred because young girls were given the angels to play with after the festivities. Naturally, the children redressed them in their dolls’ dresses. Soon, male angels were abandoned, and the female fairy took his place—a symbol that fit better with the British culture.
Although fairy dolls decorated trees in the first half of the 20th century, they really came into their own just after World War II when hard plastic made its appearance. Manufacturers such as Roddy, Rosebud, Pedigree, Airfix, Tudor Rose, and Palitoy supplied thousands of pretty little dolls that graced Christmas trees all over Britain. Every little girl wanted the fairy from the top of the tree; it seemed magical, and the feeling of being handed that white-dressed doll was something very special.
Some of the cutest dolls were a range of unmarked, chubby, hard-plastic fairies, dressed in fluted or scalloped crepe paper and decorated with silver glitter. Other crepe-paper-dressed dolls include tiny 4-inch (10-cm) dolls made by the Airfix Co. Amazingly, many have survived in good condition, still as complete and as pretty as they were 50 years ago. In 1957 a promotional fairy doll was offered by the Colgate-Palmolive Co., famous for its soap products. Customers received a Roddy girl doll with blond hair, dressed in white netting trimmed with silver braid and carrying a wand. The dolls occasionally turn up today, sometimes still with the original Colgate-Palmolive letter of authenticity. Roddy also dressed many of their small “thumbs-up dolls” as fairies, dressed in netting and braid, with gauzy wings. Popular, too, were fairy dolls made by the Rosebud Co. Among their fairies were the pretty Miss Rosebud, a jointed 8-inch (20-cm) hard-plastic doll, and the slightly smaller Rosebud Girl with fixed legs and moveable arms.
Many fairy dolls found today are home-dressed, dating from just after World War II, when money scarce. These little dolls, treasured by the family and brought out each Christmas, wore scraps of fabric and lace, or crocheted or knitted outfits. Sometimes paper was used and decorated with tinsel. They were a treasured part of many children’s holiday at a time when toys in Britain were not plentiful.
In the 1920s, author and artist Cecily Mary Barker was famed for her poems and drawings depicting Flower Fairies. Among them was a Christmas Tree Fairy dressed in white with green ribbons crossing her bodice. Sixty years later, the Hornby Co. made a range of dainty dolls based on the fairies in Barker’s books, including, of course, the Christmas Tree Fairy dressed just like the original illustration. This 6½-inch (17-cm) doll in her white pleated nylon dress was just the right height for a Christmas tree; and throughout the 1980s many of these dainty fairies could be found perched on the top of Christmas trees throughout Britain. A large 14-inch (36-cm) porcelain version of the Christmas Tree Fairy was subsequently issued by Alberon Dolls, beautifully dressed in a shiny iridescent short frock with matching wings. Her wand was topped with a star, and she wore a matching headdress. Although she was much too large and heavy for the average Christmas tree, this fairy made a beautiful centerpiece on a Christmas table.
Sadly, the last few decades have seen the Christmas fairy overtaken by the Christmas angel, and few, if any, are being produced. However, the Amanda Jane Co., based in Wales, still makes delightful fairy dolls. Their 8- inch (20-cm) vinyl little girls with innocent faces are dressed in sugar-pink fairy frocks, complete with silvery wings and wands.
Recently in Britain there has been much discussion among doll collectors regarding the disappearance of the Christmas fairy doll. Some have vowed to ensure there is a fairy on their tree this season, reviving the tradition. There will certainly be a fairy at the top of my Christmas tree this year, and she is sure to cast some very special holiday magic.
| |
