From the Beginning to Beyond Up Close and Personal with Nancy Ann St ybook Dolls by Elaine Pardee Photos by Elaine Pardee "Rock-a-Bye Baby on the Tree Top" is wearing one of the outfits offered, a pink taffeta cape. Baby in Bassinette is an example of furniture for the babies. I n 1936 Nancy Ann Storybook dolls and I came into the world. I was about seven years old when the dolls entered my life. As they became quite popular, the Nancy Ann Storybook dolls were given to me as birthday and Christmas presents and even as awards from the many trips to the orthodontist and surviving the experience. The dolls were affordable, well-made, and most of all they possessed the 'cute' factor. They were placed safely on my small shelf. I did not realize it then, but that's when I became a 'collector,' just as Nancy Ann's pamphlets told me to. My fascination with these little dolls remains unexplained. Today, my daily life revolves around collecting a variety of dolls, including my passion for Nancy Ann Storybook Dolls. 12 SPRING 2018