Rare Circa 1910 Alabama Ella Smith Oil Painted Doll. The doll measures 20" Long. Ella Gauntt Smith (1868 - 1932) of Roanoke, Alabama. Mrs Smith became a doll inventor by accident in 1897 when her neighbor brought her a broken porcelain doll and asked if she could fix it. Mrs Ella was a very unusual lady that made dolls while wearing large hats with a hymn singing parrot sitting on her shoulder. Her struggles and accomplishments in a male dominated world would make quite a movie. He first doll patent in 1901 was in her husbands name because women could not be issued patents at the time. Mrs Smith entered her dolls in a competition at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis and won a blue ribbon. Condition - Overall very god condition. Does not show signs of restoration. Some very stable painted surface with some cracks. Costume looks to be of the

Condition - Overall very god condition. Does not show signs of restoration. Some very stable painted surface with some cracks. Costume looks to be of the period or good reproduction of the period. See Photos.