Rag doll has a colorful past.

Byline: Kathy Antoniotti

Raggedy Ann, with her little white pinafore and shock of bright-red yarn hair, is one of the most enduring and recognizable dolls of our time. The famous little rag doll was the brainchild of artist, illustrator, cartoonist and author Johnny Gruelle, who worked most of his life for newspapers in the Midwest, and for a while at the Cleveland Press.

The idea of a Raggedy Ann doll was conceived in World War I, at a time when European doll manufacturers turned away from producing toys to making goods for the war effort. To fill the gap, people started "adopting" cloth or rag dolls, which were often homemade.

This success story …