THE LONELY DOLL

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Dare’s Magical Connection With Children

By Brook Ashley, Dare’s Goddaughter
Brook Ashley and Dare Wright in Maryland
Brook Ashley and Dare Wright in Maryland

Growing Up With Dare

Dare Wright never had any children of her own, and first borrowed me when I was a few weeks old. Delighted to rid themselves of a colicky infant, my parents decamped for the weekend, leaving Dare with their firstborn, some utilitarian baby garments, and an officially sanctioned bassinet.

Dare's Goddaughter, Brook Ashley
Dare’s Goddaughter, Brook

When they returned to claim me, they found their baby dressed in a handmade lace nightgown, sprinkled with cologne, and welcoming them with a beatific smile.

I asked Dare many years later how she had worked the transformation.

She answered, “Well, you seemed awfully bored, so I just talked to you. And of course you didn’t want to sleep all alone in that bassinet, so we stayed in my bed. The formula was horrid, so I made some lovely oatmeal for both of us, and after that we had a delightful time together.”

Dare was patient, creative, intuitive, and often seemed more of a fairytale wood sprite than a flesh and blood person. It was an intoxicating combination to a child, and I delighted in pretending Dare was my mother.

Brook Ashley with The Lonely Doll Edith and the Bears
Brook with Edith and the Bears

As a child actor in New York, I spent my days juggling a career with attendance at a Dickensian girl’s school. It was exhausting, and a series of photos that Dare took of me show a pale child with dark circles under her eyes.

To surprise me on my eighth birthday, Dare set up an elaborate party in her apartment with Edith and the Bears as the invited guests. The table was set with antique pink floral china and filled with elegantly wrapped gifts. Dare made my favorite chocolate cake, and we cut slices for both animate and inanimate attendees. That night, we curled up in Dare’s bed inventing pirate stories with buried treasure.

I asked Dare if she thought there might be a treasure map hidden inside Folly, her Victorian wooden horse.

“Let’s investigate!” said Dare, leaping from the bed. She grabbed a knife and we dug a small plug out of the antique steed.

Dare Wright and Folly in Dare's NY Apartment
Dare and Folly

There was no treasure map, but it didn’t matter. Dare’s willingness to enter into my fantasy was reward enough.

 

Brook Ashley and Tallulah Bankhead
Brook and Tallulah Bankhead

 

 

 

Dare and I often spent weekends with my godmother, Tallulah Bankhead, and Dare’s photographs captured a rare glimpse of Tallulah’s maternal side.

Working with Dare was a delight. Long before Dare rediscovered her Edith doll, she was dressing me up in a handmade dress and white apron. Her mother, Edith Stevenson Wright, painted my portrait in the outfit.

Dare photographed me often on the terrace of her apartment where she staged much of The Lonely Doll.

Brook Ashley and Dare Wright's Mother, Edith Stevenson Wright
Brook and Dare’s Mother, Edie
Brook Ashley on Dare Wright's Terrace
Brook on Dare’s Terrace

 

Making Up Stories

Dare also let me write my own stories, which she photographed and bound into books just for me. The Angel and The Doll starred Edith and me as naughty angels, A Walk in The Woods was a drama where Little Bear fell asleep in a tree, and The Great Camera Mystery had Mr. Bear wondering who was borrowing his valuable camera and taking photographs of noses.

Brook Ashley, helping Dare Wright shoot a scene with The Lonely Doll Edith and The Bears
Brook, helping Dare shoot a scene with Edith and The Bears

What touches me greatly is that Dare let me set up the shots and arrange Edith and the bears however I wished without any interference. Any other adult, even without Dare’s talents, would have adjusted the doll and bears into more photogenic poses.

In the mid 1950s, Dare and I began collaborating on a story line featuring Edith and the Bears that would, through many iterations, turn into Dare’s 1957 best-selling children’s book The Lonely Doll. In the hundreds of photographs Dare took, along with the two mock-up texts she wrote and pasted together, the central theme emerged. Edith, The Lonely Doll, found her forever family when Mr. Bear and Little Bear turned up unexpectedly in her garden. It didn’t matter where they had come from or that they were an entirely different species from the little child doll. And although Edith and Little Bear got into various forms of mischief that tried Mr. Bear’s patience, the love between the unlikely trio was absolute, and they promised to stay together forever.

As I grew up, Dare chronicled my teenage years. She dressed me as everything from an ethereal nymph to a swinging sixties schoolgirl.

My daughter, Brett, was featured in Dare’s book, Make Me Real, for which she was photographed with Dare’s childhood bisque doll, Persis.

Dare Wright Photo of Brett and Persis
Dare Wright Photo of Brett and Persis
Dare Wright Photo of Brook Ashley
Dare Wright Photo of Brook
Dare Wright Photo of Brook Ashley
Dare Wright Photo of Brook

Watching Dare lovingly pose Brett brought back memories of my own photo sessions with her, and I came away with a new, adult’s perspective on Dare’s magical connection with children.

Discover The Secret Muse of The Lonely Doll

Dare And Those She Loved…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsO0ajgfbdE

Notable Opinions…

All of Dare’s currently published books have achieved an Amazon book readers rating of four to five stars.

The Lonely Doll was by far my favorite picture book. I loved that it looked like no other book I had ever seen and it was a story I could really relate to. – Ann Patchett, Best-Selling Author & Winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award

Among the ten best children’s books of all time – Britain’s Guardian/Observer

A classic – Liz Smith, N.Y. Author & Columnist

Dare’s photographic genius is beyond words, as well as her delightful layouts, and her evocative stories. – Sidney Sheldon, Novelist, Playwright, Film & Television Producer

A Film Portrait of Holiday For Edith And The Bears…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6KAkHbYceA

A Film Portrait of The Lonely Doll…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8UOdgYzvSk

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    • Edie’s Paintings
  • Bookshelf
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    • Shop For Dare’s Books
    • Brook Ashley’s Biography of Dare
  • News
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The Official Website Of The Dare Wright Estate

Book Review Data Updated November 23, 2022

The Lonely Doll® is a registered trademark of Dare Wright Media, LLC. The Dare Wright Collection includes all of Dare Wright’s life rights, her original photographic film and prints, videos, books, memorabilia, artwork and all other Dare Wright property of all kinds encompassing her entire estate. The Collection is the exclusive property of Dare Wright Media, LLC and its content may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, licensed, sold or otherwise utilized or exploited for any purpose or by any means whatsoever, whether in print, film or digital (electronic) format, without the express permission of Dare Wright Media, LLC.

© Dare Wright Media, LLC – All Rights Reserved

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Book Cover of Lona, A Fairy Tale by Dare Wright
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