Comments Page for the Hitty Research Question #2
What would you do with the original Hitty if she was suddenly yours?
Our question is meant to be taken in a light-hearted way. We all realize that the original Hitty will never be ours, but it sure doesn't hurt to dream! We have received a negative comment, and, in the interest of research in its purest form, we feel obliged to include it here. Since the author's name was included in the message, we have included that also, as we do on other signed comments received.--research editor
comments: The imagination is a wonderful thing. In my imaginary
world, if the "real" Hitty were suddenly mine I would first spend
a lot of time getting to know her, painting her portrait, showing her to everyone
I know and lots of people I don't. Then, I'd put her on loan to a museum that
would send her around the country to other museums and librarys for as many
people as possible to see. She would come back to me for one month a year to
visit and for quiet time. Robin
comments: Of course it would be a honor to simply hold
her and cherish the time I would have with her, but I must send her off to a
museum (most likely the UFDC museum or the one in Washington state) because
she is a wanderer and must keep moving. I would put a clause to allow (no, require)
her to travel to various museums and select gatherings to further the love of
dolls in general. Oh, wouldn't it be nice to have her visit the museum in your
town?
comments: I was very lucky, as I spent an entire afternoon with her at Stockbridge. I am currently making an outfit for her to wear. If she were mine for longer than the afternoon I spent with her, I would donate her to the MET museum in NYC so she would be available for a much larger audience to see.
comments: I would sell her, as I prefer my dolls to look more "new".
comments: I'd start a museum but this one would be all and only Hitty. The original Hitty would be of course the star of the museum but I would feature other artists. That would be a good excuse to buy more Hittys don't you think? I'd have to quit my regular job (oh, boo-hoo) and devote my entire time to collectiong more Hittys and making the museum a beautiful setting for the Original Hitty. Admission would be free if you brought your Hitty to meet the original Hitty and I would allow lots of pictures too!
comments: I read the other comments. i like the one about the playing with her. I would too. and I think it would be best to make her new repilcas of the clothes too. the real ones might fall apart and that wouldnt be good would it? Its okay to dream about owning the real Hitty. I did even before I read the question My other dream is to get to see her in the Stockbridge library, not Stockbridge Museum, someday but I live too far away right now. But at least I will be able to do that one, roflol.
comments: If Hitty came to live with me, I would make her
a wonderful wardrobe, a house and a boat. Then I would travel to different libraries
to share Hitty's story with the next generation of Hitty fans!
comments: If the real Hitty was suddenly my Hitty I would
first call all my relatives who are ardent Hitty lovers and tease them a little
about what my secret was. Then I would tell them and everyone on the Hitty list
and get some good advice about what I should do. {And I would not ask Sallys'
opinion!). After our little group was assembled we would look at every inch
of her and her clothing and take measurements of her all. (by the way, I would
expect everone to come to my area for a peak}. I am new to this list and I am
amazed at the way everyone helps everyone with their problems with carving,
sewing etc. You are a good group to belong to. janby from nny
comments: If the original Hitty were suddenly mine, (and
assuming I had a lot of money as well, this is a fantasy after all,) I think
I would like to travel around with her to any Hitty events like conventions
or doll conventions, but also to visit any small groups or Hitty clubs who want
to see her. I would always let everyone take pictures of Hitty. Of course, I
imagine I would need to hire a professional archival restorer and preserver
to see to Hitty's comfort on the journeys! We might have to travel by train
or perhaps have our own special "Hitty Bus" to travel around to different
places, since I would NEVER check her into the baggage on a plane!
comments: If Hitty--the orginal doll Rachel Field purchased
and wrote about--was suddenly mine, no strings attached, I'd be so thrilled!
I would first of all look at every inch of her--check every joint, investigate
every stitch of clothing. Then I would set about creating all the clothes myself,
EXACTLY as they were originally made. After all, I'd want to be able to play
with them, and the originals might be too fragile. As for the Hitty doll, I'd
play with her. Hey, if she lasted this long, what's a few more years? But I'd
have to be careful not to rub anymore paint off. I'd have to take lots--hundreds--of
pictures of her, and make a HItty web site dedicated to her in hundreds of new
adventures. And of course, she'd have to travel a lot and meet other Hitty sisters.
We could have one heck of a Hitty convention, couldn't we? With the original
Hitty as the hostess? Speaking of pictures--I'd try to make it my goal to get
a picture of her with every single Hitty in existance--wooden, cloth, or any
other Hitty doll. Now, that would be a scrapbook. Sigh. What a lovely dream.
comments: The real Hitty will never belong to anyone but
the Stockbridge museum, so it's really stupid to think that you will ever have
her. Sally
comments: If I owned the original Hitty I would think I had died and gone to heaven because I don't even have a replica yet. But I'm going to carve my own someday.
comments: It would be such a responsibility! I shudder to think of it, yet at the same time it would be so fantastic you know? What would I do with her I would just put her somewhere safe where I could see her everyday and of course all of my hitty's would get to meet her and play with her if they were careful. Because she's not as young as they are.
comments: If the original Hitty was mine I would take careful measurements soI could get good at reproducing her exactly as she was. I would love to be better at carving, and having the original to see would help.
comments: I know she's valuable and all that, but I would send her on a journey around the USA to meet other Hitty lovers. She probably wants to travel again. Who wants to be locked up in a glass case not me!