This is a marvellous Norah Wellings Catalogue that is unique as it was acquired from the Norah Wellings Family Archive and owned by them since made. To validate the provenance, a paper certificate from the Great Nephew of Norah Wellings will be provided with this item. 

This Norah Wellings Catalogue is in good condition but does exhibit some age-related wear from handling and storage but nothing major. There are a mix of colour and black & white pictures of the doll range at that time. It measures approximately 28.5cm by 22cm and contains 14 pages.

Norah Wellings, who is considered by many experts to be the finest ever English designer of soft toys, began her career with the Chad Valley Company in 1919, aged 26. She rose through the ranks at the Chad Valley Wrekin Toy Works to become a chief designer of the company’s cloth doll range by the time of her departure in 1926.

In partnership with her brother Leonard, Norah founded the Victoria Toy Works in 1926. She initially rented an office at the family plastering business in Victoria Avenue, where she began to manufacture dolls with just six members of staff. The venture proved so successful that the company was soon able to acquire new premises at the former King Street Baptist Chapel in 1929, eventually employing around 250 staff and establishing an enviable reputation based on Norah’s motto of ‘quality before quantity’.

In 1959, some months after the death of her brother, Leonard, she closed the business, destroyed her designs, tools and unfinished dolls, and retired. She died in February 1975 at the age of 82 

Please take a look at the photos to evaluate the condition for yourself as they form part of the description and if you wish to ask us anything about the item then please do not hesitate to contact us.

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