Extra Credit Questions

[L Verge]

Absolutely correct. Those of you who got a copy of the Surratt Christmas booklet read about them and saw pictures. Here's the background story:

The doll was originally manufactured in Germany in 1850 and sold as the perfect playmate for baby’s bathtime. However, it soon became associated with a popular poem of the day “Young Charlotte” written by humorist Seba Smith in 1840. The poem recounted the grim true tale of a young woman who had frozen to death one New Year’s Eve while out riding with her sweetheart in an open sleigh. This poor unfortunate lass had failed to heed her mother’s advice:

“O, daughter dear,” her mother cried,
“This blanket ’round you fold;
It is a dreadful night tonight,
You’ll catch your death of cold.”

“O, nay! O, nay!” young Charlotte cried,
And she laughed like a gypsy queen;
“To ride in blankets muffled up,
I never would be seen.”

Smith’s poem inspired the folk song “Fair Charlotte”:

“He took her hand in his — O, God!
’Twas cold and hard as stone;
He tore the mantle from her face,
Cold stars upon it shone.
Then quickly to the glowing hall,
Her lifeless form he bore;
Fair Charlotte’s eyes were closed in death,
Her voice was heard no more.

What had been intended as a German bath toy soon became known in America as a “Frozen Charlotte.” The dolls cost a penny and were insanely popular—some being sold with their very own coffin and blanket-*****-shroud. In Britain these dolls were often baked into a pudding or cake as a fun surprise for children to discover—or more likely break their teeth on—at Christmastime. BTW: These dolls ranged in size from 1" (a cake charm) to 18".

There were also Frozen Charlies for sale (neither gender was anatomically correct, of course). They were not all designed as bathtub toys, however. Those were made with a glazed china front and an unglazed stoneware back that allowed the doll to float in water.

Our docent who provided much of the doll exhibit at Christmas had several varieties on display. Interestingly, she also collects funerary art and provided part of her collection for a weekend display we had this past summer. She has never mentioned knowing about Frozen Charlottes that come with their own coffin box. She's headed for Florida this month to get warm, but I will surely query her about whether or not she has one.

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There's more here on the story of the "real" frozen Charlotte and the author of the poem, Seba Smith. Turns out that he is considered the first American political satirist.

http://www.mainestory.info/maine-stories...lotte.html