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Raggedy Ann, with her simple, homespun good looks, bright red yarn hair, and striped leggings, is a reassuring part of many adults' childhood memories. Even many of today's children probably have a thoughtful relative who, remembering his or her own comfort and happiness spent in the company of this down-to-earth American icon, has made sure that Raggedy Ann (or her brother, Raggedy Andy) is there to be found among the talking, fully-articulated, blinking toys that are major components of the modern child's experience. So it stands to reason that Asheville's Smith-McDowell House Museum (see second photo) is proud to be hosting a tea with special guest Kim Gruelle, grandson of the creators of the beloved Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy dolls, on Wednesday, October 2, at 2 PM. Raggedy Ann was created in 1915 by Johnny and Myrtle Gruelle to entertain their sick daughter; Raggedy Andy was created five years later. In 1918, Johnny Gruelle's "Raggedy Ann Stories" was published and became an immediate success, along with commercially manufactured dolls. A proud American symbol throughout the 20th century, Raggedy Ann was inducted in the Nation Toy Hall of Fame in March 2002. Johnny Gruelle was a remarkable inventor of children's playthings, a prolific writer, a cartoonist, and the imaginative illustrator of dozens of books and thousands of magazine stories. Almost 90 years later, Kim Gruelle is devoted to the doll and world that his grandfather created.
Kim Gruelle is the owner of The Last Great Company, a unique toy store and mail order business that has been "the home of Raggedy Ann and Andy" since 1981. Kim's visit to Smith-McDowell House Museum is in conjunction with the Museum's current exhibition, "The Toy Chest." Cost for the tea, which includes traditional tea refreshments, Kim Gruelle's program, and admission to the Museum, is $12 for Museum members and $15 for nonmembers. Advance registration is required. Please call 828-253-9231 to register. Smith-McDowell House Museum is a restored circa 1840s house and history museum located at 283 Victoria Road on the campus of Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College in Asheville. For additional information, please call the Museum at 828-253-9231 or visit www.wnchistory.org. Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy are registered trademarks of Simon & Shuster Inc. and Hasbro Inc.
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"It's natural that the traditional image and spirit of Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy have persisted," Kim says. "Those qualities of sweetness, humility, and unconditional love that are so much a part of the dolls' original personalities are the very qualities that have always attracted children and adults alike to the Raggedies. It is also how grandfather wanted the Raggedies to be, and it is how he would like it to be today." 