Get to know this mid-century modern family. Turned out in the height of 1960s fashions, the Littlechaps simply can’t wait to meet you.
Lanesville is the imaginary town that was home to the Littlechaps, Remco’s short-lived perfect family of dolls that was produced for only one year in 1963.
The company created a back story for the dolls as well as an impressive array of outfits and accessories. Sadly, they didn’t capture the public imagination and the line was swiftly dropped. Various reasons have been put forward for this failure, despite the obvious quality of the clothing and the thought that had been put into the family.
The page from the Sear’s catalog announcing the launch of the Littlechaps. Libby’s YaYa dress is shown here.
It’s possible that the sizes chosen for the dolls were a mistake, at a whopping 15 inches tall for the adults. This cut down the possibility of swapping outfits with dolls from other manufacturers and might have limited the Littlechaps appeal. Another hypothesis is that the line was centered too firmly on the adult dolls, whereas potential young doll-shoppers might have preferred to identify with dolls closer to their own age, such as Tammy or the teen fashion models.
Dr John wears his dark brown business suit, a three-button jacket with narrow lapels, slim tapered slacks, and a white classic shirt. Accessories include a striped blue and brown tie, black shoes, black socks, a pipe, and a tobacco pouch. Judy shows off her party dress of bright pink moiré taffeta with a low scooped neckline, bell-shaped skirt, and a large flat bow. Her accessories include pink ballet slippers, a gold clutch bag, a pearl choker, pearl bracelet, pearl button earrings, and white nylon shorty gloves. Lisa models her basic black crêpe dress, fully lined, with slim skirt, the high waisted effect is accented with a black velvet bow. Lisa’s accessories include a black clutch bag, pearl button earrings, opera length pearl necklace, black pumps, white nylon gloves, and a black headband with net veil.
For the modern-day adult collector, as the range was over-produced and rapidly withdrawn, it’s still possible, even some fifty years later, to find great mint-in-box examples of this whole range of dolls.
Anyway, enough speculation – let’s meet the family, as described by their makers. The Littlechaps are Dr John Littlechap, Lisa his wife, and their two daughters 17-year old Judy and 10-year old Libby. “Never before has a family of dolls been created that is so true to life”, according to Remco. These dolls were aspirational with more than a nod in the direction of Camelot and the Kennedy clan.
Clockwise from top left, as described in the contemporary Remco literature: Beautiful, sophisticated Lisa Littlechap is a picture of elegance. Her rooted hair is styled in the latest fashion. She is 15 inches tall, with jointed arms, legs, and neck. The basic doll was sold in a wrap-around bath sarong of orange and white striped terry cloth; Dr John Littlechap is handsome, with a masculine movie star physique. His molded hair is graying at the temples. He is 15 inches tall, jointed at the arms, legs and neck. Sold as a basic doll dressed in a bathrobe of blue and white striped terry cloth; Libby Littlechap is a pert 10-year old. Her rooted hair is styled in a cute ponytail. She is 10½ inches tall. Jointed at arms and legs and her head turns. The basic doll arrived dressed in a bath sarong of yellow and white striped terry cloth; Big sister Judy is a bright vivacious teenager. Her soft brown hair is rooted. She is 13½ inches tall. She has jointed arms and legs and her head turns. The basic doll came dressed in a wrap-around bath sarong of pink and white striped terry cloth.
Dr John Littlechap is the father, he is a member of Lanesville county medical society. Formerly a flight surgeon in the US Army Air Force, he loves his family and golf, and wishes he could find more time for both. Lisa is John’s wife and mother of the family. Described as an attractive former model, a wonderful cook, President of the PTA, and the best-dressed woman in town. All this in the face of a ferocious beehive hairdo and an unfortunate flatfooted stance, genetically shared with all of the female members of the family and intended to be ‘balletic.’
Lisa wears her three-piece Chanel suit, a straight, slim skirt and box jacket of brown crêpe with blue banding, trim and lining, with a matching sleeveless blue blouse. Accessories include brown fake alligator handbag, gold button earrings, beige gloves, a shopping bag, and shoes. Judy sports a red waist-length matador jacket with flap pockets piped in navy, with red lining, a flared skirt, and a pencil-striped sleeveless shirt with pert bow. Accessories include navy pumps, white shorty nylon gloves, gold button earrings, red tote bag. Dr John is in his all-weather coat of natural twill, for rain or shine, lined in red, beige, and black cotton plaid. Accessories include brown hat, red scarf, doctor’s bag containing tongue depressor, fountain pen, stethoscope, hypodermic needle, pill bottles and doctor’s mallet. His brown business suit is as before.
Judy Littlechap is styled as the big sister of the family, an honor student at Lanesville high school senior class. It seems she loves parties and crazy deserts. Her kid sister, Libby, is a fifth grader at Lanesville elementary school. She enjoys climbing trees, pestering her sister, and wants to be a doctor like her daddy.
Judy wears her sportswear outfit of box-pleated, knee tickler skirt in cream, gray, gold and brown houndstooth check, a gold suede-cloth jerkin, beige shirt with panel front. Accessories include deep red tie-print triangle headscarf, brown loafers, gold knee socks, gold pin, black framed eyeglasses and play script.
Mrs Kravitz, aka vintage Ken, in Lisa’s black dress and a bad wig. All set for busybody duties around the neighborhood.
The mis-match of the sizing between the Littlechaps and other dolls on the market did have some surprising outcomes. As Terence Oldham recalls, in a story from his youth, “My mother took us to a local discount store where I spotted Littlechap outfits for sale, but no dolls. The outfits were priced low, that is cheap enough for me to purchase with my allowance. So I bought a couple of Lisa Littlechap’s stylish ensembles thinking they would fit my sister’s Barbie, a titian bubble cut. The outfits were way too big for Babs, but we discovered they were OK on Ken. So Ken donned a Fashion Queen wig to become Mrs. Kravitz, the nosy neighbor played by Alice Pearce in the TV series Bewitched from 1964-66. Babs and her friends had a blast thwarting the interference of pesky Gladys Kravitz.”
The dolls might not have been a success for Remco at the time, but they remain immensely popular with collectors today. One of the benefits of collecting these dolls is that their outfits and accessories are finite, unlike some other dolls that continued to be developed and added to over the years. It is feasible, with patience, to collect the whole Littlechap range, creating a complete collection without necessarily breaking the bank.
Dr John at work in his medical tunic and slacks of white oxford cloth, the tunic with stand-up collar and side closing of regulation white metal snaps. Accessories include white shoes, white socks, stethoscope, tongue depressor, fountain pen, wristwatch and doctor’s bag.
Lisa looks elegant in part of her formal evening ensemble, the full set consists of a sweeping full-length coat of blue satin, lined in silver and blue patterned brocade, with a stand-away portrait neckline, and deep cuffs of white ermine-like fur, the long slim blue satin evening skirt has a fishtail hemline. Fitted overblouse is tailored with a scoop neckline and slim straps of blue and silver brocade. Accessories include silver slippers, silver clutch bag, drop earrings, a hair ornament, a necklace, and opera-length white nylon gloves.
Libby calls into Dad’s office after school in her three-piece outfit of a brilliant blue blazer, buttoned in brass with heraldic crest, worn with a bright red and blue plaid box-pleated skirt, and white tailored shirt blouse. Accessories include brown pumps, bright blue knee socks, and a school book with leatherette strap.
Lisa wears her peignoir and nightgown ensemble, a red crêpe bias cut short nightgown with bodice of red lace. The matching red lace peignoir has oversized puffed sleeves and crêpe tie for standaway portrait neckline. Accessories include red mules, a long-stemmed rose, and a hand mirror. Dr John wears his medical outfit as before. It’s not clear whether Lisa is sending him off to the office or welcoming him home after a hard day at work!
Wrapped up warm to explore the forest, Libby wears her red and blue plaid reefer coat, double-breasted with patch pockets and back belt. Accessories include red boots, a red knit hat, red leatherette mittens, and a matching school bag. Judy is toasty in a red chesterfield coat of basketweave tweed in pimento red, semi-fitted with matching velvet notched collar and lapels, with red taffeta lining. Accessories include a leopard print velveteen pill box hat, ascot, pouch handbag, golden hat pin, beige gloves, black pumps, and a paper shopping bag containing three colorful packages.
This feature originally appeared in the Winter 2014 issue of Fashion Doll Quarterly magazine. Featuring photography by Ernesto Padró-Campos.
Above, top to bottom, left to right: Pages from the Littlechap catalog afford glimpses of the whole range of clothes and structures available. Outfits include: Libby’s Levi’s and sweatshirt; Lisa’s white two piece dress; Dr John’s golf outfit; Lisa’s fur-trimmed suede coat; Dr John’s tuxedo; Dr John’s pyjamas; Libby’s pyjamas; Judy’s pyjamas. The three Littlechap structures are: Dr John’s office; The Littlechap master bedroom decorated in 60s French Provincial style with a hinged closet to accommodate lots of clothes; The Littlechap family room is a colorful combination playroom and bedroom, just right for the Littlechap girls. The sofa opens into twin beds, and a large closet with hinged doors has lots of storage space. Each room set has self-assembly furniture of thick card and folds into a portable carrying case with plastic handle. Outfits not shown are: Judy’s bathing ensemble; Judy’s football outfit; Judy’s yellow dance dress; Libby’s, Judy’s and Lisa’s lingerie sets.
See them move! Here’s our very own Littlechap Family movie:
