Object Record
Images
Metadata
Object Name |
Blanket |
Caption |
Esmond Bunny doll blanket |
Description |
Baby blue & white Toy Doll Blanket that features a Bunny Rabbit sitting on its haunches and "Esmond" woven into it along the bottom. Esmond, Rhode Island was the location of the Fabric Mill that created the Esmond Bunny. The small blanket was a promotional item with a a storybook as well. In the story, the bunny loses his lovely fur coat & an Esmond Mill blanket keeps him warm for Winter. 1940s style. The Story of Bunny Esmond was one of those books that was meant to make the child reading it tell Mom that she should buy something. In this case, the thing the mother should buy is the Esmond "Bunny Soft" Blanket. The story book was a free give-a-way to entice children to buy the Esmond Bunny Blanket. This is the last line of this children’s book, "Tell your mother that if she would like to find blankets just as cozy as Bunny’s, all she needs to do is to insist on Esmonds." The book was a pamphlet published in 1947 for Esmond Mills in Esmond, Rhode Island; a company that is now defunct. Here is the story: Bunny Esmond is a young bunny who likes his warm coat and is proud of it. He is lured by the sly Reddy Fox into his home. Reddy offers him lettuce because he knows Bunny likes lettuce. When he is at the Fox’s house, the fox and his family hold the bunny down, accuse him of being too proud of his fur and then sheer the coat from him with sharp scissors. The rest of the book is Bunny and his animal friends dealing with him being naked and cold in winter with no coat. All the animals offer ideas to help him that don’t work. The birds give him feathers. In the end Dr. Wise Owl takes Mother Rabbit to the Esmond Mill where they pick up two different kinds of blankets that Bunny Esmond can wrap himself in. They keep him warm until his true coat can grow back. The last few pages of the book is Mother Rabbit talking about all the wonderful things she saw at Esmond Mills. The Esmond Bunny Rabbits were very popular for a time. |
Catalog Number |
1985-1792-001 |
Search Terms |
Dolls Blankets Toys Esmond Bunny |
Subjects |
Dolls Blankets Toys |