Billie Figurine (Sit Down)
M1975.044.010A-B
c. 1973-1980
Large figurine of Billie the Brownie. In a sitting position. Body made of plaster or other type of casting material. Face and hair hand painted. Wears an olive colored vest with a light green turtle neck underneath accompanied with red sleeves. Has a cloth cap that comes loose from the head and is red and green. Has black gloves, but the figure’s hand is mishaped. Thumb is included, but the rest of the hand is oval formed. Appearance is similar to how a hand would look if wearing mittens. Bootls are flesh colored and pointed up at the tips, similar to elven boots. Hole was drilled in the top of figurine’s head, but has now been repaired.
After aquiring the rights to Billie the Brownie in 1962, Gimbels Midwest revived the popular holiday icon in 1973 with a marketing campaign that included the creation of 80 Billie figurines, which gave the holiday elf a new look. Five figurines were donated as part of the Gimbels archives to the Historical Society in 1984.
