Johnny Gruelle created the iconic Raggedy Ann doll after his daughter found an old rag doll. The character was patented in 1915 and became a star with the publication of “Raggedy Ann Stories” in 1918. Gruelle continued to write books featuring Raggedy Ann and her brother, Raggedy Andy, until his death in 1938. The dolls and books have been popular for generations and were inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2001 and 2006, respectively.
Raggedy Ann is both a world famous fictional character and a rag doll created by the talented illustrator and cartoonist Johnny Gruelle. Stories say that soft-hearted Raggedy Ann comes to life when people aren’t watching, and she embarks on wondrous adventures with her brave brother, Raggedy Andy.
Legend has it that the idea for Raggedy Ann was born the day Gruelle’s little daughter Marcella broke into his art studio with an old handmade rag doll she had found in her grandmother’s attic. Putting her work aside, Gruelle drew whimsical new features of her face on the battered fabric. From her bookshelf she pulled down a book of poems written by a family friend, James Witcomb Riley, and glanced at the title of the poems. She combined “The Raggedy Man” and “Little Orphan Annie” and the doll named “Raggedy Ann” was born.
Johnny Gruelle patented the distinctive design for the Raggedy Ann character in 1915. Soon after, he began pitching his ideas to publishing professionals, eventually signing with the PF Volland Company, a children’s publisher in Chicago, Illinois. In 1918, Volland published Gruelle’s first book, Raggedy Ann Stories. In a brilliant marketing move, Volland has included a matching Raggedy Ann doll with each book. The rag doll with red string hair was an instant star.
The following year saw a sequel titled Raggedy Andy Stories, which introduced America to Raggedy Ann’s brother, a rag doll named Andy who wore a sailor suit and hat. Gruelle managed to average one book a year for the next 20 years and earned the affectionate nickname “The Raggedy Ann Man.”
Sadly, just before Raggedy Ann was introduced to American audiences, 13-year-old Marcella tragically died from the ravages of an infected smallpox vaccination she had received at school without her parents’ consent. The Gruelles became opponents of vaccination and the Raggedy Ann doll was used as a symbol by the anti-vaccination movement. Marcella Gruelle appeared in her father’s tender 1929 memoir, Marcella: A Raggedy Ann Story.
Johnny Gruelle’s series, “The Adventures of Raggedy Ann and Andy,” began printing in American newspapers in 1922, and by 1934 his Raggedy Ann stories were in national syndication. When he died in 1938, Gruelle’s Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls and books were known around the world. Raggedy Ann was so popular in America that she was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2001 and her brother, Raggedy Andy, joined her five years later. The books have been reprinted repeatedly, the imaginative stories renew Raggedy Ann for every generation of children.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
