Collection of six of Caroline Kennedy’s personally-owned and -used baby dolls, ranging in size from 15″ to 7.″ Included are four poseable plastic dolls, with articulating arms and legs, and eyes that open and close; and one hard plastic doll with movable arms and legs, dressed in a hand-crocheted outfit. Each doll comes with an outfit, with four having missing footwear. Also included are two maid’s uniforms worn by long-time White House maid Viola ‘Big Momma’ Wise, who worked in the White House from 1939–1981, with a name tag tied to the uniform. Accompanied by a detailed 1982 letter of authenticity, on White House letterhead, from Viola Wise, which reads, in part: “This collection of dolls was owned and used by Caroline Kennedy…Caroline loved to play with dolls…These that I have are what I call the ‘real’ dolls, and the ones she loved to play with…After some were overly used, they were discarded and several were given to me at the White House…Some of these dolls were given to me by Mrs. Kennedy, as she and the children prepared to vacate the White House after the tragic assassination of the beloved President.” Also accompanied by a color photo of Wise in her uniform, and a laser print copy of President John F. Kennedy looking at baby Caroline in her bassinet. In very good condition, with moderate soiling to the dolls and clothing. Although the Kennedy children already had a nurse named Maude Shaw, Viola Wise often stood in as back up, dressing, feeding, and caring for the children in addition to serving the first lady’s needs.
