In the 1973 Extension reports I found this in the Agents Report. It was titled “Facelift for Dolly.”

An all-day candle making workshop was held one day last fall by a Homemakers Club. Since time would be taken for simply allowing the candles to harden, each member brought other hand work to do. One member, Mrs. Graves, who belongs to a doll club, was making doll clothing for her antique dolls she collects, renovates, dresses and sells. She showed us a doll dating 1848, that she had purchased in Nashville for $65. The doll was rare because of its wax head. When properly restored, dressed and equipped with a new wig, the doll would be worth $300.
But tragedy had struck. Mrs. Graves had locked the doll into her car trunk while enjoying the sights at the Opryland, USA. (This is where Opry Mills is now). The sun beamed down on her car trunk and the dolls face melted and caved in until the face features were barely recognizable. Doll club officials told Mrs. Graves that the best she could do would be to discard the head, repair the body and hope to sell it for $35.

As the homemakers were tinting the wax for the candles, it occurred to us if a skin color could be achieved in the wax, a semi-repair job (doll facelift) might be possible. We finally came up with a suitable tint, so we tore the hair from the doll’s head. It had become thoroughly implanted by the softening wax due to the heat in the car trunk. Prayerfully, we took the doll by its heels and plunged her head first into the wax. First one coat, then another, then another to build up the sunken areas. When the wax was slightly hardened, we used a tiny pen knife to expose the beautiful blue eyes and forehead. Then we carefully scraped out and carved to reshape the nose, chin, ears, eyebrows and forehead. Once the surgery was complete, we polished the surface with nylon stockings. Results were almost beyond belief and far beyond our expectations.

We had actually thought that we were just experimenting with a mess that would become a piece of garbage. The 125-year-old doll now had a wig, a new 19th century wardrobe and will be on exhibit at the next antique doll show. Mrs. Graves says that to sell the doll now would be like a mother selling her own child. So it remained in Mrs. Graves doll collection.

Note: I researched and found out the Mrs. Graves lived in Luttrell. Her daughters ex-husband lives in her red brick home near a church in Luttrell off of Tazewell Pike.

I’m still curious to see that doll—wherever it might be.