Mary Hoyer's 100th Birthday Celebration

Hosted by:
The Historical Society of Berks County
Museum & Library
940 Centre Avenue, Reading, Pennsylvania 19601

Won't you send her a birthday card?

The Historical Society of Berks County is planning a party to commemorate this historic occasion and a big birthday mailbox will be accepting cards, memories, photographs, happy thoughts of collecting Mary Hoyer dolls or working for the Mary Hoyer Doll Company from now until the actual birthday.

And a PARTY is planned on Mary's actual birthday!

In conjunction with the occasion, a display of the various decades of Mary Hoyer dolls and doll clothing and accessories will be exhibited at the Historical Society. And -- in true Hoyer tradition -- there will be a birthday DOLL!

"This has all happened in great part because of a doll donated to our Society's auction planned in 2002," Paula M. Flippin, auction volunteer coordinator explained. Items are being donated for the auction which will benefit the Society's endowment fund.

"A dedicated Society member donated a 1950-era Mary Hoyer fashion doll, trunk and dozens of outfits," Flippin explained. In order to document the doll and its vintage, she contacted Arlene Hess, Mary Hoyer's daughter, who arranged to have her mother sign the doll thus substantially increasing its auction value.

"Arlene then generously agreed to catalogue and package all the donated doll clothing," Flippin continued. Along the way, Mary Lynne Saunders, Arlene's daughter (and Mary Hoyer's granddaughter) who now heads the Mary Hoyer Doll Company, mentioned that October 21st will be her grandmother's 100th birthday.

"One idea led to another and soon we decided to use the donated fashion doll as the prototype for a 250th-100th anniversary celebration commemorative item. (In 2002 the County of Berks, which includes the City of Reading, PA celebrates its 250th anniversary).

The first 100 dolls will be available at the special birthday bash this October 21st. With only 250 in the entire edition.

Will you join the celebration and send Mary Hoyer birthday greetings? A special reunion of all people involved in the doll company (either as employees or models) will take place Saturday, June 2nd at the Historical Society. The Society has its fingers crossed that along the way a true history of the Hoyer doll world will emerge.

Anyone interested in sending birthday wishes can do so at:

Mary Hoyer Birthday
c/o Historical Society of Berks County
940 Centre Avenue
Reading, PA 19601

A special birthday for a very special doll-making legend!

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