Thursday Tab- Abbott Playroom Dolls- 1944 Boxed Set, Betty and Susie

Abbott was a subsidiary of Lowe Publishing. They produced reprints (often published at the same time as the originals) of Lowe sets, but the Abbott versions often had redrawn dolls, fewer pages of clothes, and were printed on cheaper paper with flimsy covers. Payroom Dolls is a boxed set with 5 paper doll books, and it was published in 1944. The books include 4 sets similar to Susie and Betty- stylized dolls with extremely long legs and short waists. The other book is a baby set, also stylized, but drawn in an entirely different style. The books are: Susie and Betty 523-2 (2 dolls), Three Little Sisters 525-1 (3 dolls), Four Playmates 526-2 (4 dolls- that ought to go without saying, but amazingly enough, it doesn't), Four Jolly Friends 526-2 (4 dolls), and Baby Cut Out Dolls 526-1 (4 dolls). All of the books have 4 pages of clothes. As far as I can tell, Susie and Betty are redrawn from Lowe #521 Little Cousins (1940). The baby dolls seem to come from Lowe #1021 The Baby Show (which had 25 dolls, also 1940).

These dolls are oddly endearing, and the clothes are simple but nice. It looks like all of the clothes fit both dolls. And I have always loved paper doll sets with their own dolls who have clothes. By the way- this set has an actual cheerleader outfit.

I'll upload all 5 books eventually. Click to enlarge the page, right click to save as a jpg. Print from any graphics program, clothes on plain paper, covers on card stock.

I decided to print and cut this set for my granddaughter, and I discovered that I had to shave down the dolls' shoulders and arms a bit, and trim a little off the bottoms of their shoes in order for the jammies/slippers to fit. It doesn't affect how the dolls look (and the other clothes seem to fit okay without the adjustment). Oh- and what is with those brown overalls with the strange green things under the arms?