About

Who was Letitia Penn?

Letitia Penn (1678-1746) was the daughter of William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania. Letitia arrived in Philadelphia in December of 1699 with her father and mother. The club is named after her, and our logo is a doll that belonged to her.

What is the purpose of the club?

In 1938, a group of women voted to become “Unit #9” of a group of clubs that became the United Federation of Doll Clubs in 1949. Their goal was to bring collectors together, to uplift the less fortunate by using dolls for fundraising, distributing toys, and ultimately to found a museum for the preservation of dolls.

The purpose of our club continues substantially unchanged. Our by-laws state, “This club is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes pertaining to doll collecting.”

Affiliations

Letitia Penn Doll Club is affiliated with The United Federation of Doll Clubs, an organization of doll collectors in the United States and in many countries around the world. UFDC is a non-profit organization with the goal of being the foremost in research, education, conservation, collecting, and appreciation of dolls.

The federation is divided into 16 regions. We are part of Region 13. Our region consists of doll clubs in Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

When and where do you meet?

Members meet on the 2nd Tuesday of each month, except for December, July and August.

We gather at Historic William Penn Inn (1017 DeKalb Pike, Gwynedd, PA) to have lunch together before our business meeting. We follow with an educational program presented by our knowledgeable members or an invited guest speaker.

Past programs have included topics such as Jumeau Dolls, Effanbee Historical Dolls, Toni Dolls, Fashionable Italian Dolls of the 1950s, Door of Hope dolls, Art-Deco Fashion Dolls, and many more.

What does the club do?

In addition to our monthly meetings where we have an educational program, we also host a wonderful luncheon and two doll show/sales every year.

The luncheon takes place on the 2nd Saturday of December, at the William Penn Inn. The event includes a delicious lunch, an entertaining doll-related program by an expert, vendors, and “helpers” (wonderful donated items used to fundraise). The event usually sells out quickly.

Our doll shows are in May and October at the Dublin Fire Hall in Dublin, Pennsylvania. The shows feature antique to modern dolls and accessories from many quality dealers.

What does the club support?

We are proud to support Historic Strawberry Mansion, a significant historical site in Philadelphia, known for its beautiful architecture and rich history. It was constructed between 1783 and 1789 by Judge William Lewis, a prominent abolitionist. The mansion is filled with antiques, fine art, and collectibles from the 18th and 19th centuries. The museum features a splendid collection of dolls.

We support our parent organization, UFDC, by contributing to their varied projects including: Miss Unity Society, Dollypedia On Demand, and we have “adopted” four dolls in the UFDC Museum in Kansas City, Missouri.