Bleuette's History: 1932 to 1960

In the winter of 1932, Bleuette’s 1920s cloche hats were sold out, and G-L fashions  began to focus on fitted thirties’ styles, and new hat shapes.  In the summer, two fashions for Bleuette were offered that have since become classics for Bleuette, Juan les Pins, a sailor-type trouser outfit for the beach, and Petit Bob, a coat and hat also with sailor styling.  

These are typical of the new ideas Gautier-Languereau Publications had for Bleuette.  Little girls responded by purchasing more and more ready-made clothing for their Bleuettes from the twice-yearly, “Le Trousseau de Bleuette” catalog.  The patterns published in La Semaine de Suzette began to shift toward more lingerie, night-dresses, costumes and sports clothes, with fewer dresses and coats.

The thirties were a time of modernity and streamlined silhouettes.  Bleuette’s “little mothers” were given patterns for sports clothing, from rowing and riding to fencing and bicycling.  Bleuette went on vacation to the seashore. Bleuette wore shorts and trousers!  To keep up with the times, in the Summer 1933 G-L catalog, Bleuette became taller and more streamlined, with longer, thinner legs.  She was now 29cm tall, and had an entirely new body.

Left: 27 cm Bleuette.  Right: new 29 cm Bleuette.

Pasteboard 301-1&1/2 mold

Composition 301-1&1/2 mold

Bisque 301-1&1/4 mold

To go with the new body, Bleuette’s head was either the charming character 251-2 mold or else a new Unis France 301 mold in the size of 1 ¼ for bisque or 1 ½ for pasteboard and composition.  The new body was still marked 1 on the soles of the feet and 2 on the back. Her wig had bangs and curls, longer than the short bob styles of the twenties.  In addition the banner of La Semaine de Suzette was also updated, probably in 1932.

The 1930s brought exceptional G-L fashions and a multitude of accessories for Bleuette:  skis, skates, boots, clothing with the new zipper closure, leather handbags, slippers, umbrellas, a little leatherette dog named Ric, and even furniture and pottery dishes. 

28 cm "sale" Bleuettes

In the November 7, 1935 issue, sale priced Bleuettes were advertised in La Semaine de Suzette, dolls put together to use up the leftover heads and bodies.  In order for these dolls to wear the new clothing and patterns, their bodies were altered by substituting 1 cm longer thighs.  These sale Bleuette had a variety of faces, but all had 6 cm smoothly rounded-top thigh pieces combined with the usual lower legs marked 1.  Sale Bleuettes, therefore, are 28 cm tall, but all their markings are those of the true Bleuette. Many also have the smaller arms of the WW1 shortage era.  Previous Bleuettes could also be sent back to G-L Publications repair department to have the longer thighs added. 

On September 3, 1939, war with Germany was declared. The spring/summer 1940 catalog was the last “normal” catalog before WWII overcame the workings of the publishers.  In June of 1940, Paris was occupied by the enemy, and the publication of La Semaine de Suzette came to a halt until May of 1946.  A much-reduced catalog for 1940-41 bears the caption,  “Bleuette Awaits You, she thinks of you without ceasing.”  During the war, supplies were difficult to get.  G-L Publications continued to sell clothing for Bleuette as materials allowed, drawing on and using up their fabric stores in the process.  Between 1942 and 1946, no catalogs were printed, but clothing was sold from the offices of the publishers.  Bleuette had a uniform of blouse, skirt, and trench-coat with a military-style cap.  Parts were on hand for repairs, but no wigs were available, or leather shoes.

After the war, even after La Semaine de Suzette resumed publication, there were still shortages and fewer Bleuettes were available.  Those made then had pale faces, rayon wigs, pink-painted bodies that peeled and cracked, and new weighted sleep eyes of vivid blue.  The rayon wigs did not wear well, but human hair or mohair was not available.

 Rayon jersey-knit underclothing and nightwear was more successful—G-L cooperated with the lingerie company Valisére, in making these for Bleuette, and Bleuette was featured in the company’s print advertisements.  Oilcloth shoes were offered in place of leather. 

By 1950, much was returned to normal in Bleuette’s world.  The catalog was back to its usual illustrated form, being published twice a year, with all the latest fashions.  Bleuette herself was made of better materials.  A pasteboard head for the unbreakable version of Bleuette had a new mold, Bleuette with a closed mouth.  It was made from 1950 to 1954.  A large round sticker on the back proclaimed her to be “Bleuette, registered design” in navy blue letters.  Human hair wigs returned in the winter of 1950-51.

Post-war Bleuette, courtesy of Peggy Spivey

While the ready-made clothing was of exceptional quality, the patterns for Bleuette published in La Semaine de Suzette were a little disappointing in this era.  The late forties and 1950 issues had fewer patterns of Bleuette’s stylish clothing. In 1951, patterns were not printed in full size, but in schematic diagrams only.  

Then, in issue 49 of that year, the patterns abruptly returned to full size—obviously the diagrams had not proved popular!  From 1952 to the final, and only, pattern in 1960, the number of patterns provided was drastically reduced.  Suzettes were undoubtedly purchasing in quantity the very tempting G-L ready-made clothing and accessories, and sewing much less.

 A big sister to Bleuette, was mentioned in the March 3, 1955 issue of LSDS at the bottom of a smock pattern for Bleuette:  “You know without doubt that your little Bleuette has a big sister, unbreakable, of 35 cm.”  Soon her name is given as Rosette. In February of 1956, patterns appear in two sizes, for both sisters, and in the Spring 1956 G-L catalog, Rosette is described, and her clothing, matching that of Bleuette, is offered.

 Rosette was made in bisque of the Unis France 301-3 head mold, with 3 at the base of her neck and 3 on the soles of her feet, but unlike the standard Unis France 301-3, she was made taller by the old expedient of adding longer thighs to the standard body.   She was also made with an incassable head using the SFBJ 301-3 pasteboard mold.  

Her first body had a torso of composition, with wood and composition limbs; later torsos were made of a new plastic material, painted, with the same wood and composition limbs. She was made from 1955 to 1957, when SFBJ stopped making dolls and toys.

Bleuette 58

Bleuette continued for a short time in a world that had now embraced Barbie and her ilk.  No one knows why a vinyl Bleuette and Rosette were not manufactured to keep in step with the times, but the SFBJ closed in 1957, and the factory was converted to manufacture ball-point pens.  G-L Publications, now being run by Madame Languereau, continued to publish the catalog and La Semaine de Suzette until June of 1960.  Briefly, in 1958, a hard plastic “Bleuette 58” of 33cm made by the doll company GéGé was added to the catalog, and an attempt was made to include “Bleuette 58” in the LSDS patterns.  She was not a fully articulated doll, her face was dissimilar with its closed mouth, and she did not wear well the G-L clothing of either Bleuette or Rosette. Unfortunately, she was not a success.

The era of Bleuette was over. To quote Billy Boy:

On Le Trousseau de Bleuette stationary, the following was received by each reader who sent in requests for a Bleuette or her clothes in 1960: “Because of our ad which appeared in Les Veillées des Chaumiéres [another G-L publication] since September and more especially again in the October, November and December issues, we received many requests for Bleuette and her clothes and we are sorry to let you know that our stocks are, at this time, completely sold out.” 

This is how G-L announced the final curtain on Bleuette’s fifty-five year life. 

G-L's "Petite Bob"