HARRIET TUBMAN

Here is a picture of my latest doll, which has just been sent to her new home in Washington, D.C.   Harriet Tubman was born as the slave "Minty" on a Maryland farm.  She was a very petite girl, barely five feet tall.  When she was quite young, she suffered a head injury after being struck with a heavy weight.  This left her with bouts of unconsciousness, but didn't prevent her from leading a remarkable life.
  She married John Tubman , and assumed the name of Harriet at that time.  In 1849, she escaped to Philadelphia, being aided by a sympathetic neighbor who hid her in his wagon full of vegetables.  She worked as a maid for some time, but risked recapture by returning more than a dozen times to Maryland to help other slaves escape to freedom.  It is estimated that her work for the "Underground Railroad" resulted in more than 75 slaves reaching freedom in the north.   
  Her story has always fascinated me, so I was very happy when a wonderful customer of mine commissioned this doll.  Researching the lives and history of so many colorful characters is a real joy for me, and being able to create a historical figure representing those people is a wonderful experience.  Harriet is pictured here with another of my dolls, Mary Todd Lincoln.  They are currently on display at the Jefferson Arts Gallery here in Monticello, Florida where I live.