George Sherman and the Doll Babies!
Imagine you are so devoted to a cause that you make a great change in order to accommodate it. For example, you change your appearance in order to fit into a role. Some actors will lose or gain weight, or shave off all of their hair in order to play a character. Well, it appears that one local man decided to make a great change in his appearance just to blend into a role, though not all of his associates felt the need to do the same. He apparently took his charity work quite seriously, or something.
George H. Sherman was known throughout Poughkeepsie as a very successful banker. Sherman was born on June 2, 1856 in the town of Washington here in Dutchess County. He came to Poughkeepsie when he was 21 with the hope of finding gainful employment. George began his banking career as a clerk at the Farmers and Manufacturers Bank, where he would continue working for the rest of his life. By the time he was 36, he was promoted to the title of cashier, which was a major role in the bank at the time. He married Alice Pease, a local Poughkeepsie girl in 1877, and together they had one son, Otis.
The Sherman family had lived on Carroll Street for some time when George finally decided to build something new. In 1899, he hired local architect Percival Lloyd to design a new home for him and his family. 119 Academy is the lovely Victorian creation befitting a well-to-do banker of George’s standing. The house was even featured in the Poughkeepsie Eagle News in 1899 as one of Lloyd’s great architectural masterpieces.
Sherman was also known for his work with various organizations throughout the city, including the Amrita Club, the Oddfellows, the Dutchess County Society and the Masons, just to name a few. He could be relied upon for throwing a good party or a clambake. He was also an avid collector of antiques, and was happy to lecture on the subject for the various clubs he served in.
In 1892, another cause inspired Sherman to break from tradition and shave off his well-known mustache in order to get into character for a charity event. In every photograph that we have of George Sherman (and there are actually quite a few) we see him with his signature facial hair. However, in October of 1892, a special funfair known as the “Jahr Markt” was scheduled for a few days at the city armory to benefit the Y.W.C.A.. Sherman, along with several other prominent men, had made an appearance at the fair dressed as “Doll Babies” in full white dresses, bonnets, and carrying little baby dolls. Sherman apparently felt the need to pull off the look of a true baby by shaving his mustache in order to have a true baby-face. Not all of his fellow doll babies felt the need to be so authentic and as a result, the photograph shows a mix of babies with facial hair and those with none (some even have full beards!). The event brought in over $1400 for the Y.W.C.A..
George Sherman would eventually grow back his mustache and continued working at the Farmers and Manufacturers Bank until just before his death in 1922. He was employed there just shy of 50 years! He died in his home on Academy Street after suffering a heart ailment, and is buried at the Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery. But here in the Local History Room, he will always be lovingly known as the “giant man baby.” You can never anticipate how you will be remembered!
References:
Poughkeepsie Eagle News:
Jan 18, 1892, Nov 8, 1892, Mar 16, 1899, Apr 6, 1901, Apr 10, 1922
Images:
Sherman01 – Vail Brothers Photograph of George H. Sherman, 1874 – LH Collections
Sherman02 – Vail Brothers Photograph of George H. Sherman, 1876 – LH Collections
Sherman03 – Vail Brothers Photograph of George H. Sherman – LH Collections
Sherman04 – Vail Brothers Photograph of George H. Sherman – LH Collections
Sherman05 – Cartoon depicting George H. Sherman – LH Collections
Dollbabies – “Doll Babies” at Jahr Markt taken by the Vail Brothers, 1892. – LH Collections
