Salvation Army doughnut girls, 1917.

I recently discovered a great online store, called The Queen's Treasures.

They began shipping to Canada this year with very reasonable shipping prices.

I bought these darling WWI era outfits for 18" dolls, which are very well made.

I pressed them before putting them on Maryellen and Grace, as they were a little wrinkled from the box, but they ironed up very well.

Maryellen is a Salvation Army doughnut girl, representing Helen Purviance, who was sent to France to help American soldiers in battle. Her assignment was to offer comfort to home-sick soldiers so she and a fellow officer, Ensign Margaret Sheldon, decided to bake doughnuts. They fried up 2500 to 9000 doughnuts daily! Soon the delicious aroma drew long lines of soldiers, waiting patiently for a taste of home.

Today, the Salvation Army is known for offering comfort to people all over the world, in every sort of emergency; fires, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes. Salvation Army mobile canteens still provide the doughnuts, which stand for the Salvationist's loving concern and readiness to help.

(Information gleaned from the back of the package for the doughnut girl's dress)

10% off all proceeds from the sale of the dress and props is donated to the Salvation Army, East Stroudsburg, PA.

The prop consists of two bags of "flour", a tin, and a pile of plastic doughnuts.

By Loretta Houben