| R. John Wright Dolls | |
| Type: | Private |
| Founded: | 1976, Brattleboro, Vermont |
| Founders: | R. John Wright & Susan Wright |
| Location: | Bennington, Vermont |
| Area Served: | Worldwide |
| Services: | Design and Production of Limited Edition Molded Felt Dolls and Plush Animals |
| Industry: | Doll/Toy Manufacture |
| Homepage: | http://www.rjohnwright.com |
R. John Wright Dolls is an art doll making workshop located in Bennington, Vermont. Established in 1976, R. John Wright Dolls (RJW) is a privately held company founded by R. John Wright.[1]
The company designs, produces and markets original felt doll and plush animal lines along with many licensed products including Winnie-the-Pooh, Raggedy Ann, Beatrix Potter characters, Disney, Paddington Bear, and The Wizard of Oz. The dolls are designed by John and Susan Wright and produced in numbered limited editions at the R. John Wright workshop in Bennington, Vermont.
R. John Wright was born and raised in Michigan, where he attended Wayne State University and worked towards a degree in Liberal Arts. Two years later, after he had relocated to New England, he met his wife Susan who had a degree in Fine Arts from the University of New Hampshire.[2] In November 1976, while living in Brattleboro, Vermont, R. John Wright created his first felt doll in the image of a simple male folk character. Production commenced at the couple's ground-floor apartment. These early dolls were primarily sold at juried craft fairs along the East Coast, including the American Craft Council (ACC) exhibitions in Rhinebeck, New York. The technique and style of the R. John Wright dolls underwent significant changes throughout 1977–78.[3] The early felt dolls of the Steiff Company were a strong inspiration. The Wrights were also inspired by the early molded cloth dolls of Kathe Kruse and the felt Lenci dolls. In 1978, through trial and error, the Wrights were able to reinvent the art of molded felt dolls using their techniques.
In 1978, R. John Wright joined the United Federation of Doll Clubs[4] (UFDC) and was elected to the National Institute of American Doll Artists[5] (NIADA), where he served as the standards chairman of the organization.
In 1981, the R. John Wright facility relocated from Brattleboro, Vermont to Cambridge, New York.
Beginning in 1987, every R. John Wright item features an 8 mm brass identification button inscribed with the initials 'RJW.'
In 2005 the R. John Wright facility relocated from Cambridge, New York to Bennington, Vermont. All work continues to be done on site under the Wrights' direct supervision.
In 1984 R. John Wright Inc. began a 13-year relationship with the Walt Disney Company with the development of a range of dolls and animals based closely on the original illustrations by E. H. Shepard in the Winnie-the-Pooh books by A. A. Milne. These products ushered in a new licensing division titled “Classic Winnie the Pooh” which was a departure in Disney's marketing of Winnie the Pooh products in the U.S. Several editions of Winnie-the-Pooh and other characters from the Hundred Acre Wood were produced.
Under license with Disney, the R. John Wright company went on to produce many Disney art character dolls including Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Cinderella, Pinocchio, Geppetto, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs set won the RJW Company the Award of Excellence from DOLLS Magazine in 1998.
2002, R. John Wright produced the Clifford Berryman Bear under license with Linda Mullins to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the Teddy Bear.
In 2016, the company will mark its 40th anniversary with joint ventures with Steiff, an extensive array of licensed pieces, and a line of mice, bears, cats, dogs, and lambs.[6]
In 1996, the company formed the R. John Wright Collector's Club which attracted more than 4,000 members worldwide.
"R. John Wright and his fanciful felt dolls exemplify the fine work being done by doll artists today."[8]
"I am grateful that somehow I was given the strength—and the unfounded optimism—to begin making dolls. I don’t know where that came from, but it was like being on the edge of a cliff with no other alternative but to jump. I’m glad I did. But even if I had failed, it would be preferable to never knowing."[9]