"Hitty," the doll made famous by Rachel Field's Newberry award-winning book by the same name, will be visiting the McCurdy Doll Museum during November.
On loan from the Stockbridge Library in Massachusetts, where she now makes her home, Hitty is into her second hundred years (the book tells of her first hundred years). Hitty's whereabouts were a mystery for nearly half a century.Hitty, a 61/2-inch wooden doll carved by a Vermont peddler, has become a favorite of several generations of children and has been translated into five languages. In 1935 Field, a famous New England writer of children's books, married and moved to California. Upon Field's death in 1942, Hitty and her possessions became separated and were lost to the public. When Dorothy Lathrop, the illustrator, died in 1987, the estate was appraised for sale and Hitty came out of obscurity.
On two Saturdays, Nov. 16 and Nov. 23, her story will be told at 1:30 p.m. and she will be honored at a tea party. The museum shop will sell the books and replicas of the Hitty doll made by Lois and Larry Tychart and Jeanine Clayson, prominent Utah doll artists.
Reservations must be made by calling the museum Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is $2.50 for adults and $1.25 for children under 12. Group rates for school classes may be arranged during the month by calling 377-9935 during work hours. The museum is at 246 N. 100 East.