Surratt House Booklet

[L Verge]

I have to share the history of the single doll in the showcase in one of the photos (in Thomas's set, she's the photo just to the right of one featuring The Full Story sign about the exhibit that is semi-permanent in one room. We call this Rose Percy's cousin.

The real Rose Percy doll stands 23" high and is made from English poured wax. She is dressed in a period skating outfit. Rose was probably the best-known doll of her period. She was originally dressed and donated by the Ogden's Girls School in New York to be raffled off at the U.S. Sanitation Fair in April of 1864 to raise money to support Union soldiers. She was raffled off for $1200 and then donated back to be raffled again. Again, she raised another $1200. She finally went home with Dr. Peters, the school's physician, who gave it to his daughter Bertha.

Bertha eventually donated her to the American Red Cross Museum in Washington, D.C. in 1920. In 2009, the Red Cross raffled her again to make money for Hurricane Katrina victims. She raised more than $44,000 dollars from an anonymous donor (Barbra Streisand). Ms. Streisand donated her to the Carmel Doll Shop in California, but Rose continues to travel to fundraising benefits for veterans' charities 150 years later. While her cousin was on display at Surratt House, we put out a solicitation basket asking for donations for a local such group.