Doll Carriage 1935 - 1942

Louella Long’s "Doll Carriage" captures a Victorian era artifact through the intimate medium of watercolor on paper. Born in 1855, Long’s life spanned a period of enormous shifts in gender roles and industrialization, and this doll carriage—likely once a treasured possession—speaks to both. The artwork invites us to consider the cultural construction of girlhood during the late 19th century. The carriage, with its elaborate canopy and delicate wheels, symbolizes the protected and ornamental role prescribed to young women of the time. This object, rendered with such care, offers insight into the values and expectations placed on girls, whose identities were often shaped by domesticity and motherhood. Long’s detailed representation encourages reflection on how gender and class intersect. This watercolor acts as a poignant reminder of the complex interplay between material culture and identity.