I've never heard where original Mrs. Beasley ended up. I actually had a Mrs. Beasley doll back in the day when the show first aired. I sure wish I still had her now.
shareIt is in the Smithsonian. About 25 years ago some lady who got the doll from Kathy Garver years ago donated it to the museum. I live in the DC area and every spring the Washington Post does a museum section about television items that have been donated to the museum and will also post older items that are there. There are some incredible items that are there from 50-80's television. Someone said Kathy did recuse the doll from a fire many years ago. I understand that was a true story.
shareI've been to the Smithsonian a couple times in the last few years and didn't see Mrs. Beasley (and we specifically go to the TV section). My friend has lived in DC for years and has taken many friends to the Smithsonian when they're visiting and she's never seen Mrs. Beasley either.
So she's either no longer there or they only put her out once in awhile.
I live in the DC area too and though I do not go to the Smithsonian every year I do know it is there because our local wacky FOX affiliate reporter did a story maybe last April about it.
shareI'm guessing she's not displayed year-round then.
shareSome collector bought it from the Chicago group. He lives in Indianapolis from what I was told. He bought the original Hazel cover that covered the front of her body as the maid and he bought something from Gilligans Island too.
Let God be God in your life
the Smithsonian is an ever-changing museum, and it has been noted that no one could possibly see the "enitre Smithsonian" so my guess, Mrs Beasley takes a break now and again
nice socks, man.....
I went to the Smithsonian last Friday and some lady told me that they no longer have the doll. In Feb 2008 some collector in Chicago took possession of the doll and a lady and her husband now owns the doll. How the woman got a hold of the doll I have no idea though the lady at the Smithsonian said she thought the doll would be shown at a few museums in the mid west. I asked her why the doll went away and she said there was little demand to see the doll which I could not believe.
shareI could believe that there is little demand to see the doll. Family Affair is an extremely obscure show in this day and age. Most people never heard of it.
There is a video on youtube of Kathy Garver on a rerun TV shows channel and she showed the two original Mrs. Beasleys that were used on the show. She has kept the all these years. So they are safely with her.
shareMeTv ran some reruns today of this series today, and I missed the beginning of Ms. Garver's story regarding Mrs. Beasley. I heard her talk about how likenesses of the doll were very popular back in the day and were comforting to young girls back then. This was one of my earliest favorite TV shows, "Downtown" (Petula Clark)
was one of my favorite songs too.
I just saw the very first episode this morning, and that doll is very different from the one in the 2nd and subsequent episodes: different hair, different hair color, and no glasses.
shareThe realization that she'd be stuck living with those two little doofuses for the next several years probably aged her a couple of decades overnight.
shareThe reason for the differences in the doll between episode one and the rest of the series run has to do with the fact the very first Mrs. Beasley doll was really a just Rushton brand "Jill" doll from that company's 1964 "Jack and Jill" line.
See examples of both of them here
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/253749760229632323/
and here
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/253749760229632327/
My understanding is that the basic "Jill" concept was kept, but was cleaned up and altered to read better on camera, with changes including a new, slightly larger head sculpt with brighter face paint and better hair, plus modifications to the outfit, and(of course) the addition of her glasses.
It begs the question: If Jill is Mrs. Beasley, does that make Jack Mr. Beasley?