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The Hahn & Amberg company was
begun in Cincinnati, Ohio USA in 1878 and later moved to New York city around 1893. They first imported bisque dolls from Germany and France, later they manufactured their own composition dolls. In 1907 Louis's son, Joshua joined the company. 1909 the Amberg company copyrighted the first known American composition doll head with a teddy bear body called "Lucky Bill" with Louis listed as the
artist. 1911 the company was advertising it's name as Louis
AMBERG
& SON. By the late 1920's the Amberg company was advertising over 600 style numbers, including some imports, dolls are often marked L A & S or L A & S NY + the year produced. In 1930 the Louis Amberg & Son company was sold to the E. I. Horsman Company. Amberg doll molds are
reproduced today, hopefully signed and dated by the artist.
Here
are Louis Amberg dolls we have found 1903-1930 |
ca. 1909 Chantecler,
chicken doll, 14" tall, composition head set on a rooster plush jointed body. Chantecler was a popular card game at this time. Also; Happy Hooligan, Lucky Bill, Samson (Uncle Sam doll),
Sunny Jim dolls. |
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1914 Newborn Babe, Bottle
Babe, My Playmate or Baby,
8-13" tall, bisque head, painted hair, sleep eyes, cloth
body, some had a crier, head made by three different German
companies: Armand Marseille mold 371 with an open
mouth, Recknagel mold 886 and Hermann Steiner. Was
designed by doll artist and sculptor Jeno Juszko and was meant to look like a two day old baby. Maybe marked;
L. A. & S. 1914, G45520, Germany
#4 - depending on bisque head maker.
See any resemblance to Grace Putnam's
Bye Lo Baby doll created in 1923?
1926 Newborn Baskit Babe, doll now came in
a willow basket, blanket, rattle, the larger the size doll,
the more deluxe accessories were added. |
1914
Newborn
Babe, 13"
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1915 Amberg Victory Doll,
16-24" tall, ball jointed composition body, wigged,
sleep eyes, open mouth with teeth, most have marking on back of
"Amberg Victory Doll" (but some have been
found unmarked). Have seen one with a Fulper
marked head. |
1915
Victory
doll, 24"
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1915 Baby Glee, 18 - 26" tall, composition flange head, cloth stuffed body with stitched hips, partial composition lower arms and legs, molded lightly painted hair
with a comma shaped curl on forehead, painted blue tin sleep eyes
with painted upper wispy eyelashes, big open happy smiling mouth with two upper and lower teeth. Doll is unmarked.
Designed by artist Jeno Juszko.
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1915
Baby
Glee, 18"
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1915 Charlie Chaplin, 14" tall,
portrait doll, composition head and hands, cloth stuffed body
and limbs with black shoes attached, painted facial features
with mustache, came dressed in a two piece suit, shirt, tie, cane and top
hat, doll is unmarked, clothing contains a label.
The other portrait doll is a
Zulu doll named
Oo-Guk-Luk and is the last doll Hungarian born New
York artist,
sculptor and medalist Jeno Juszko (b. 1880-1954)
made between 1911 to 1920
for Amberg. Juszko also designed dolls for
Borgfeldt and F. A. Lapp. |
1912
Charlie
Chaplin, 14 " |
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1919
Amberg Walking Doll, 19 - 28 1/2" tall, "doll
walks by guiding its arm" flange composition head on the
smaller doll, composition shoulder head on the larger size,
full composition arms, painted molded hair &/or
human hair or mohair wig, painted eyes or tin sleep eyes, open
mouth with two upper teeth, ball jointed legs attached to
dolls bottom, cloth stuffed body, came dressed in a cotton
voile dress with matching bonnet both trimmed with lace,
underwear, stockings & shoes, dolls maybe unmarked
or marked: L.A. & S. 1919.
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1919
Amberg Walking Doll,
22 1/2"
The Sears 1921 ad states this doll
is three sizes: 19 1/2" former price $9.50 - Our
Price $5.98.
22 1/2" former price $12.75
- Our Price $8.95.
28 1/2" former
price $19.95 - Our Price $10.85. |
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ca. 1920's All Bisque
Character dolls, 4-7' tall, made by a German manufacturer
of pre-tinted pink bisque; Bisque Girl, Mibs with molded
flowers in hair or Baby Peggy. See below for
more information on the Mibs doll. |
ca.
1920's Mibs with molded flowers, 4 3/4"
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1921 Mibs, 16" tall,
composition shoulder head on a cloth body, composition arms
above elbow, composition hip pin legs with molded painted or
unpainted shoes. Has molded painted hair with a
prominent single center bang that is slightly curled, blue
painted eyes, painted upper lashes, closed mouth.
Mibs
is a Phyllis May doll (Hazel's daughter) created by Hazel
Drukker (Mrs. George Silberman), based on her column in
the Evening Mail a New York daily newspaper and also
based on the book titled: Phyllis May and Her Dollies
published in 1920. Doll is unmarked. |
1921
MIBS, 16"
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1921-1922
Nature Children dolls, 21" tall (plus three other sizes),
composition head and lower arms, painted eyes, cloth stuffed
body, upper arms and legs. Sixteen different styles;
crying, sitting, talking and walking.
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1921-1922 Nature Children dolls, 21" |
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1923 Baby Peggy doll,
the Nations Darling, 20" tall, either composition and wood or
kid jointed body, composition head with molded brown
hair, some may have a brown mohair wig as well, glass eyes, open smiling mouth with
white painted teeth. Peggy was a child
star of the 1920's. Doll is unmarked.
Born 26 OCT 1918 Peggy Jean
Montgomery later became a book author under the
pseudonym of Diana Serra Cary, and aren't we pleased to
find, she is alive and still with us today.
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1923
Baby Peggy doll, 20"
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1924 Baby Peggy doll,
the Nations Darling, 18" tall, bisque heads made by Armand
Marseille, molds # 972 or 973 are socket heads and molds 982 or
983 are shoulder heads, jointed
composition body, brown
mohair wig, glass eyes with lashes, smiling mouth. Marked:
L. A. & S. 19©24 NY + mold number. Peggy was a child star of the 1920's.
Shown is Marseille's mold # 972. |
1924 Baby Peggy doll,
the Nations Darling, 18"
bisque head mold # 972 by Armand Marseille |
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1924 Sunny Orange Maid or
Sunny Orange Blossom, 14"
tall, composition shoulder head, arms & partial legs,
cloth body with stitched shoulder & hips, squeaker in
body, short arms, painted blue eyes and lashes, closed mouth,
shown dressed in her original orange dress with short jacket
(not shown is her matching cap). Marked: L A
& S 1924. |
1924
Sunny Orange Maid doll, 14"
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1927 Vanta Baby, bisque
head 20-22" tall or composition head 16-20" tall, composition
and cloth body, molded painted hair, sleep eyes, open mouth
with teeth. Usually marked: Vanta Baby, Amberg. |
1927
Vanta
Baby doll |
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1928
Sue, body twist doll, 8 or 14" tall, all composition with an extra ball and socket waist that can twist body, several dolls came with this feature; Edwina, IT (supposedly referring to actress Clara Bow), Peter Pan, Sue, Teenie Weenies or Tiny
Tots.
Sue has a composition head,
slight frowning expression, molded short waved hair with side
sweeping bangs, painted eyes, closed pouty mouth, jointed
body twist waist. Some dolls maybe marked: Amberg Pat. Pend. L. A.
& S. © 1928.
This is also the mold used by
Horsman for their
Peggy doll. |
1928
Sue body twist doll, 14"
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1928 Teenie Weenie or Tiny Tots, 8 or 14" tall, boy or girl dolls, all composition, body twist waist and jointed only at the shoulders, stationary legs with black painted shoes, slightly bent left arm, molded painted hair; the boy with "Justin Bieber" style hair, with bangs and hair combed straight down towards the face, the girl has a short bob with slight center part bangs and waves
over her ears, usually with brown painted side glancing eyes,
both have closed mouths, dolls are marked: L. A. & S. ©
1928.
Had a paper hangtag; Amberg, The Teenie
Weenies, Weenies Line, Trademark Reg., The Golden Anniversary.
The 13" size Tiny Tots or Teenie Weenie dolls came on toddler jointed bodies. The 1912 version of Tiny Tots dolls at 12" tall, have a different face mold, flange composition heads with open smiling watermelon mouth, composition hands and cloth bodies. Marked; © L.A. & S. 1912. |
1928 Teenie Weenies or Tiny Tots, 8" |
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1929 Little Amby, 13" tall, all composition jointed
toddler body, molded painted hair, brown painted eyes, open or closed
mouth, marked: Amberg L. A. & S © Co. Companion
to the Tiny Tots or Teenie Weenie dolls. |
1929 Little Amby, 13" face |
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Additional Amberg dolls not
shown;
a. 1903 Mama or Papa Dolls, bisque head, glass sleep eyes, closed watermelon smiling mouth, human or mohair wig, ball jointed body, voice box, dolls were imported, the faces are similar to early Campbell Kids dolls.
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ca. 1909 Rompers or Sambo,
10, 12 or 15" tall, made by Hahn & Amberg, white or
black character dolls, was the same as the above dolls only in
different sizes and wore a set of infant "rompers".
The black baby doll "Sambo" was featured wearing a straw hat.
ca. 1909 Angora dogs with
Turkish angora manes, plush dog that more resembles a lion
with a pointed nose, long facial mane and long stiff tail with
a tuff of the angora mane at the end. Also
sold Teddy Bears and Teddy Dolls.
1910 Baby Beautiful, 18 or 23" tall, white or black
doll, cloth body, open mouth, unbreakable and "positively
washable" came dressed in a christening gown with bonnet.
There were 75 style models of Baby Beautiful
designed by various artists and sculptors including; Jeno Juszko
and Grace G. Drayton.
1910 Baby Blue, 12" tall,
composition Girls head with blue eyes and blue velvet cloth
body.
1910 Swat Mulligan-Mascot,
11 or 21" tall, composition head with cloth body and
limbs, open mouth, wore a long sleeved shirt that buttoned
down the front, pants, baseball cap, bat and ball. "The
Cute Baseball Kid".
1911 Baby Bright Eyes, size unknown, young baby doll with
big eyes, forehead and cheeks and Laughing Boy doll, size unknown,
laughing face with open mouth and teeth, both dolls designed by doll artist
Jeno Juszko.
1911 Bobby Blake &
Dolly Drake, 8" tall,
Campbell kid type, composition head and hands with molded hair and painted
features, cloth limbs with sewn on cloth shoes and straw
stuffed body. Designed by Grace
G. Drayton Wiedersum. These dolls must have had their copy
cats as the 1911 Plaything ad states:
Amberg note to Trade: "We are
the unquestioned originator of the Bobby Blake and Dolly Drake
models, all heads copied after them are imitations". Trade
Ad: "Do
not be misled by inferior ones of these or others of our
numerous original dolls. We are protecting ourselves and
our customers against infringes of our copyright and trade
mark rights".
1911 Little Sister, 14" tall,
composition head with molded hair on cloth body, wore a long
sleeved blouse trimmed with ric-rack and a one piece
sleeveless v-neck checked or plaid jumper with pleated skirt
with ric-rack trim on front V and around arm holes and waist.
1911 Sassy Sue, 9
1/2" tall, composition head with molded hair and molded
knobs for ears that are used to tie a taffeta hair ribbon in
each, painted eyes, closed slight smiling mouth, cloth body
and limbs with sewn on black cloth shoes, wore a solid color
long dress, long sleeved with cloth belt of same fabric, unmarked.
1912 Character Boy doll, 19" tall,
deep molded painted hair, blue painted eyes, open mouth with
four painted upper teeth, excelsior stuffed muslin cloth body,
pink cloth arms and legs with pin and disk joints, marked: © L A
& S, 1912.
1912 Dorothy Dainty,
unsure all the sizes, composition head and arms, cloth
stuffed body, molded painted hair with hair loop for bow, blue
painted side glancing eyes, open mouth with four upper teeth,
marked: L. A. & S. 414, 1910.
1912-1914 Laughing Marietta, 12" tall, composition head
and hands, cloth stuffed body, molded ribbons in hair, similar to the Naughty
Marietta doll.
ca. 1912 Ma Chunk herself, (Chinese character doll) 8"
tall, all composition doll jointed only at the shoulders, black painted hair and
facial features, closed mouth, dressed in tunic and pants, black painted shoes.
Has a paper label on tunic front; Ma Chunk Herself, L. A. & S. N.Y.
It is unknown if doll also has markings.
1912 Sis Hopkins, 14" tall, molded
painted bisc like composition head, cloth body, arms and legs
jointed with inside discs, red painted hair bows, rolled up
painted red hair braids, painted side glancing blue eyes,
painted open smiling mouth, the striped red and white stockings
with
black boots that are part of the leg casing, dolls are Unmarked.
Designed and sculpted by doll artist Jeno Juszko.
Made with permission of comedienne Rose
Melville (real name Rose Smoch 1873-1946) who played the
character Sis Hopkins in a touring play called Zeb
beginning in 1889 thru the 1920's. Note:
Georgene Averill also made
a Sis Hopkins doll that is marked: G. G. Drayton ©.
1912-1913 Yankee
Doodle, 15" tall, "Bisc" like finish, composition head
and hands, molded painted hair, open mouth, stubby
nose, comical facial expression, cloth stuffed body, dressed in stars and stripes,
companion doll to Hail Columbia. Designed by Jeno
Juszko.
1913 Baby Blue Eyes, 12" tall,
composition head with molded hair, blue eyes, cloth body.
1913 The Wonder Baby, composition head and hands
with a "Bisc" like finish, molded painted hair, painted eyes, straw
stuffed body and legs.
1914 John
Bunny doll, 11" tall, composition flange head and arms,
cloth body and legs, molded painted brown hair, painted blue
eyes, open mouth with three upper sand lower teeth, black sewn
on cloth shoes. Portrait doll of famous first American silent
film comedian John H. Bunny (1863 -1915). Doll is unmarked.
1916 Pouty Pets dolls, Real Live Children, 12, 14, 16" tall, boys or girl dolls, composition flange head and
lower arms, cloth stuffed inside disk jointed body, bent or straight
legs, molded painted hair some wigged, painted side glancing eyes, pouty closed
mouth, marked: 494. Similar to the bisque heads by
Gebruder Heubach and a competitor of Effanbee's Grumpy
dolls.
1916 Skookum, The Bully Kiddo Doll,
various sizes, composition head & hands, cloth body, felt
clothing, produced by Amberg for the Northwestern Fruit
Exchange, of Skookum Apple Packers of Wanatchee, Washington.
1918 AMKID
doll,
17, 20, 24, 28" tall, composition shoulder head and
partial lower arms, oilcloth stuffed jointed body, celluloid
sleep eyes or painted eyes (17 and 20"), open mouth with two upper teeth, mohair wig.
Doll head is unmarked. Body has a paper label that
reads; AMBERG DOLLS, The World Standard, Made in
U.S.A. "AMKID", TRADE MARK REG., Cork Stuffed, Washable
Sanitary.
1918 Happinus doll, 11" tall, all composition head and body with joints at shoulders and hips, similar to
Gebruder Heubach's bisque Coquette type head mold with
painted bobbed wavy hair and an indentation for a hair ribbon, painted eyes, closed mouth, doll is unmarked.
1928 Amfelt, fourteen doll styles, various
sizes, washable faces, cloth bodies jointed at neck shoulders and
hips, single strap shoes, imported the dolls from Paris, France to compete with Lenci and others of this era.
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