Each department store that offered the dolls' tea parties followed the same basic premise: * 1HZVSDSHUDGYHUWLVHPHQWVXUJHG´KROGWKH date" for the upcoming tea. * Colorful posters inside the stores promoted the tea. * ,QYLWDWLRQVZHUHGLVWULEXWHGLQWKHWR\ department of the store. * $IDYRULWHGROOZDVLQYLWHGDVZHOO * Sometimes the dolls were required to attend. * The little girls (and boys) had to be under the age RIWZHOYH * The children were run through the teas at timed LQWHUYDOV²DFURZGFRQWUROPHDVXUH * The children were entertained by instrumentalists or by a play or ballet. * A store employee dressed as a clown or a fairy or some other character familiar to children oftentimes herded them through the process. * Sometimes Santa Claus would make an appearance. * The menu offered small cakes or wafers, and FRFRDZDVVHUYHGLQVSHFLDOGLPLQXWLYHWHDFXSV 7KHVHVSHFLDOVRXYHQLUFXSVDQGVDXFHUVZHUH SURGXFHGIRUWKHHYHQWVE\PDQXIDFWXUHUVVXFKDV Noritake, Royal Bayreuth and Erphila. Some were unmarked. Some were simply marked "Made in Japan." The cups (and/or saucers) usually bore the QDPHRIWKHHYHQWWKHQDPHRIWKHGHSDUWPHQWVWRUH and the year of the tea. The Broadway - Los Angeles The first tea presented by Kansas City's Emery Bird Thayer was in 1911. A story line-drawing from the Kansas City Times/Starr records the handing out of tickets (an attempt at crowd control) and the special souvenir cups-"The Treat"-given to each little guest. Neal Foster Collection The Broadway Department Store in California was one of the earliest stores to present an Annual Dolls' 7HD3DUW\7KHLUÀUVWWHDZDVKHOGLQ DQGWKHWHDV FRQWLQXHGLQWRWKH V British-born Arthur Letts was president of the store when the tea parties began. He was the founder of not only the Broadway Department Store but of Bullock's. 8SRQKLVGHDWKLQ KLVVRQ$UWKXU/HWWV-U became president of the board of the Broadway. Letts, Jr.'s name often appeared on the cups or the saucers of the teacup sets: Arthur Letts, Jr. President. The cups DQGVDXFHUVLQWKHODWH VLQWRWKH VZHUH often white with gold rims. The earlier teacup sets sometimes bore the name of the department store and its location: Broadway-Fourth and Hill, Los Angeles, Cal. 6HYHUDORIWKHHDUOLHUFXSVDQGVDXFHUVZHUHRIWKLQ GHFRUDWHGSRUFHODLQ7KHYDULHW\RIWHDFXSDQGVDXFHU sets used for the parties was wide.