Louisiana Casquette Girl Doll - Filles a la Casette - The Casket Girls

Collectibles : Dolls, Figures : Casquette Girl

 

This Vintage doll representing part of the history of Louisiana can best be described by re-printing the description sheet that was stored with this very interesting and unique doll. "Filles a la Casette (The Casket Girls): It must be noted that in 1706, New Orleans was but a tiny struggling walled-city composed of but a handful of persons representing every possible degree of race and morals: and good women were the one thing lacking in the colony. Late in 1727, the French officials in answer to an appeal for good, virtuous girls for wives for the colonists, began to select peasant girls who possessed all the virtues and attributes of model house-wives and chose them for their character and accomplishments. And so, in 1728, the first ship load arrived from France. They would be hurried from the boat under military protection to the Convent of the Ursuline Nuns and placed under the care of the Nuns until husbands were provided for them. Each girl on leaving France was presented with a small casket, which contained those few articles of clothing that were considered necessary and a few personal articles that they were allowed to bring with them into the new land. Thus the name "Filles a la Casette" was derived. The Casket Girls continued to arrive at regular intervals until the year of 1751. The courtships in which the Casket Girls featured were perhaps the strangest on record. The became the wives of the early settlers and Louisiana and mothers of the coming generations." (The original typing of this story is included with the doll.)

This pretty composition doll stands about 9 1/2" tall. She is unmarked. She is wearing a brown hooded cape, cotton puff-sleeve blouse, full blue cotton skirt and a black waisted vest. She has on a ecru slip and matching pantaloons. She has painted white socks and black shoes on and carries a brown casket (suitcase) by a strap from her neck.

Item ID: CD-468

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