Raggedy Ann, whose pictures and stories about a little rag doll helped sustain his daughter's spirits through a childhood illness, was created by artist and storyteller John Gruelle in 1915. Raggedy Ann stories - infused with a father's pure, simple love - became immortal.
It was his illustrating work that led him to create a distinctive, whimsical design for a doll named "Raggedy Ann," which he patented and trademarked in 1915. Gruelle was soon pitching book ideas, and ultimately, he connected with the P.F. Volland Company, a juvenile publisher in Chicago. In 1918 Volland published Gruelle's stories and also introduced a matching character, and the rest is history.
