TidesNet—Online Collections Entry Detail

DescriptionOld Accession Number: 1574 From Our Canada, September / October, 2004: Remember when these dolls, owned by Elizabeth Symon of Shawnigan Lake, B.C., appeared in our March-April issue? Elizabeth was unsure of their origin and asked for help. Margaret Harriot of St. Andrews, N.B., was happy to oblige: "The dolls originate from here in St. Andrew's and were made for the Charlotte County Cottage Craft, a cottage-industry retailer dealing in hand-woven wool and knitting. They are named John Passa and Marie Quoddy and were handcrafted by two ladies—the bodies were made by Mary Bryant, and she and her friend Phoebe Lowrey knitted the outfits. The faces were painted by Kent Ross, one of the owners of Cottage Craft (Cottage Craft was founded by Grace Helen Mowat and later bought by two brothers, Bill and Kent Ross). The dolls were made exclusively for Cottage Craft until the two ladies died. "I know these dolls because my husband worked for the company and bought me the last two ever made. "I really treasure them." Show off your crafts! Send your stories and photos to "Crafty Canadians" (details on page 65).