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The Cameo Doll Company began
in New York, moved and operated in Port Allegheny, PA from 1932-1970
and was founded by Joseph Kallus. "Cameo, Kewpies
and Kallus are inseparable" - claims one book
author. In 1970 the company was acquired
by the Strombecker Corporation and moved to Chicago. The type
of dolls made by the Cameo Doll Company were bisque, celluloid,
composition with wood or cloth bodies and hard plastic or vinyl and
were of the finest quality. They were the sole manufacturers of the
composition Kewpie dolls made in the USA, designed by illustrator
Rosie O'Neill (Link to her Biography),
other early dolls were; 1925 Baby Bo-Kaye, 1925 Bye-Lo Baby, 1929 Scootles,
1925 Little Annie
Rooney, 1932 Betty Boop, 1942 Disney dolls; Dumbo, Timothy Mouse and
Baby Weems, 1946 Giggles and many others.
Early Cameo dolls can be unmarked,
later dolls are often marked Cameo on their heads, back or feet
and after 1971 "S71" was added.
Here are some of the Cameo dolls
we have found 1913-1970's:
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1913 Kewpie, 2
1/2 - 12" tall, first ones were all bisque and made by
German manufacturer's J.D. Kestner and others and may
bear their company marking.
All composition Kewpie's have a
red paper heart label on chest: Kewpie/Reg. U.S./Pat. Off.,
or Kewpie/Design Pat./No. 43680/Reg. U.S./Pat. Off.,
Kewpie/Des. & Copyright/by/Rosie O'Neill, some are signed
on the foot "O'Neill", otherwise they are
unmarked.
Side glancing eyes, pursed closed
mouth, molded painted top knot hair and one side wisp on each
side of head, jointed at the shoulders, legs are molded
together.
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1913 Kewpie |
| 1918-1925 Bundie,
11" tall, all composition, looks similar to the
kewpie's with a mohair wig. Marked with paper label on bottom
of foot: Des. Reg XXc57518/By J.L. Kallus/BUNN©DIE. |
1918-1925
Bundie 11"
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| 1925 Scootles,
6 1/2 -20" tall, all composition, designed by Rose O'Neill,
painted side glancing eyes, closed smiling mouth, molded wavy
hair, jointed at neck, shoulder and hips, starfish hands, wore a cotton
printed sun suit, possibly other outfits too. Also came as a black doll.
Doll is unmarked, clothing has tag with dolls name. |
1925 Scootles, 13"
tall. |
| 1925 Baby Bo Kaye,
16-20" tall, designed by Joseph L. Kallus for
George Borgfeldt, bisque head by Alt, Beck &
Gottschalk, or celluloid, molded painted hair, sleep
eyes, open mouth with two lower teeth, cloth body with
composition limbs. The ABG bisque head mold is
number 1407. Markinged: Copr. by J.L. Kallus
Germany 1394.
There were also small all bisque Baby Bo
Kaye dolls , 5-8 1/2" tall, with 1407 ABG mold
number.
The theory of this dolls name is that
when the President of Borgfeldt and designer (Kallus)
were trying to arrive at a name, a secretary came in
carrying a "bouquet" of flowers, cute.
Baby Bo Kaye was distributed by
the George Borgfeldt company for Cameo. |
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1925
Baby Bo Kaye
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| 1927 Baby Blossom, 19-20"
tall, composition shoulder head and partial limbs, cloth stuffed body,
molded painted hair, gray tin sleep eyes, closed mouth.
Marked: Des. copyright/By J. L. Kallus/Made in U.S.A. |
1927 Baby Blossom, 19-20" |
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1928-1940s Bandy (Bandmaster),
Bonzo the dog, Cat, Crownie, Dog, Dumbo, Felix the cat, Ginger,
Bones & Steak, Hotpoint Man,
Howdy Doody, Jeep, Jimmy Cricket, Little King, Mickey Mouse, Mr.
Peanut, Pete the Pup, Pinocchio, Popeye, RCA Radiotron, Santa,
Superman, Timothy Mouse, 9-16" tall, wood
segmented characters, composition head, wood body.
Unmarked except for a paper label on chest. |
1932 Pete the Pup, 9" |
| 1929 Margie,
5 1/2, 10, & 15" tall, composition head (and hands on the
large size), wood segmented body & limbs, molded hair
(doll shown has been repainted - should be a light brown
almost a golden shade of hair), blue painted side glancing eyes,
open smiling mouth with four teeth (except on the smallest who
has a closed mouth), designed by
Joseph L. Kallus. Marked with a red paper label: Margie/Des.
& Copyright/By Jos. Kallus. Largest size is unmarked. |
1929
Margie, 10" |
| 1930 Pinkie,
10" tall, baby type doll, wood segmented body &
limbs,
composition head & (some have composition hands with
fingers), molded painted blond hair, blue painted side glancing eyes,
small smiling closed mouth, pug nose, wore a sun suit,
designed by Joseph L. Kallus. Marked with a red paper
label: Pinkie/Des. & Copyright/By Jos. Kallus.
1950's the Pinkie doll was sold through Sears
and was
a reissue of the 1930's Pinkie doll, this doll is made of vinyl and
plastic, sleep eyes, with rooted hair.
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1930 Pinkie,
10"
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| 1932 Joy, 10
& 15" tall, a companion girl to Pinkie, wood segmented body, composition head and hands with
fingers, and has molded painted tufts of hair with a molded
hair loop for a ribbon, side glancing blue painted eyes.
She came on a cloth body too. Marked with a red paper
label: Joy/Des. & Copyr./J. L. Jos. Kallus
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1932
Joy, 10"
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| 1932 Betty Boop,
12" tall, and Bimbo, 7 1/2" (Betty's dog), cartoon character from Max Fleischer
called "Dizzy Dishes" in 1930 created by Myron
Grim Natwick, this doll was designed by Joseph
Kallus, all composition, black curly molded painted hair, side
glancing to the top of her eyes, jointed, dressed in a black,
red or green molded on dress, with black painted high heel
shoes. There have been many reissues of this doll over the years
and from many different companies too probably.
Marked with a paper label: Betty Boop/Des. & Copyright/By Fleischer/Studios. |
 
1932
Betty Boop, 12" |
| 1938 Little Annie
Rooney, 13" tall, all composition jointed body, molded
painted either black or brown hair, painted side glancing blue
eyes, slight open painted mouth with a white line between the
lips. Doll is unmarked. Newspaper cartoon
character by Jack Collins.
There was a earlier version of Little Annie Rooney in 1925
that was 16" tall, all composition that came wearing a yarn
wig. |
Photo N/A
1938 Little Annie Rooney, 13" |
| 1942 Champ, 16" tall,
wood pulp composition, painted light brown molded hair with a wisp of hair down the
forehead, painted freckles on face and painted blue eyes, head tilts and turns, arms and
legs adjustable, wears a striped cotton jersey with the name "Champ"
on it, shorts, socks and shoes - and is ready for a friendly scrap,
anytime. "No curls or frills on him. He's just the right
kind of regular, mischievous fellow, so typical of every real American
boy" says his doll ad. Doll is unmarked. |
1942 Champ,
16" |
| 1946 Giggles,
12 or 15" tall, all composition, designed by Rose
O'Neill, painted side glancing eyes, closed smiling
mouth, molded hair with bun in back, used the Kewpie body, wore a romper or sun
suit. Unmarked, had a paper hangtag:
Giggles/by/Rosie O'Neill A/Cameo Doll.
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1946
Giggles, 15" |
| 1957 Miss Peep, 15" or 18
1/2" tall, vinyl and
pin jointed at shoulder and hips, white or black, drink or wet baby,
painted hair, inset plastic eyes, marked: Cameo. |
1957-1960'S
Miss Peep, 18 1/2" |
| 1958 Margie,
10 & 17" tall, all vinyl,
child
type doll with socket joints at: neck, shoulder, hips, elbows and
waist, rooted saran hair, glassene sleep eyes, slightly open mouth,
marked: Cameo ™ or 9093/60 or 9013/60.
Came
wearing a dress, rayon sock's and leather shoes. This was a reissue of
their earlier Margie doll in 1929 that was wood and composition. |
1958
Margie, 10" |
| 1958 Affectionately Peanut, 18
1/2" tall, came with a Kewpie Playmate doll, all vinyl,
drink wet doll, sleep eyes, real lashes, pinch her legs and she cries,
squeeze her and she coos, had an ID bracelet with name Peanut,
came wearing a fleece snowsuit, romper suit, dress, coat, bonnet and
receiving blanket.
Doll was a reissue from the earlier 1930's
doll and used the same head as the Dyp-A-Babe doll from
1956.
Photo
courtesy of Cheryl Holland
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1958 Affectionately Peanut,
18 1/2" |
| 1961-64 Baby Mine, 16, 19, 20"
tall, all vinyl, painted features, side glancing eyes, had several
different versions. Marked: Cameo |
1961-64 Baby Mine |
| 1962 Miss Peep Newborn,
14" tall, vinyl head and hard plastic body, jointed shoulders and
hips, molded and painted brown hair, marked: Cameo. |
1962
Miss Peep Newborn, 14" |
| 1962-1964 Miss Peep, 14"
tall, vinyl,
hinged body, inset eyes, dressed in snowsuit with a pink blanket or an
embroidered dress and bonnet. |
1962
Miss
Peep, 14" |
| 1965 Ho Ho, four different
sizes, 7" tall is one of them, white or black, (Rose O'Neill's
last doll creation from 1940), soft vinyl, squeaker doll, "he
is a little clown Buddah, the wisdom of the ages finding it's last
words in the supreme wisdom of laughter". |
1965
Ho Ho, 7" |
| 1964 Ragsy Kewpie, all vinyl,
three different sizes, painted face and side glancing eyes, has a soft
one piece, colored molded body. |
1964 Ragsy Kewpie |
| 1964 Scootles, 14, 19 or
27" tall, all vinyl, reissue of the 1925 dolls, sleep eyes, came
dressed in various outfits, marked: R7234 Cameo JLK. |
1964
Scootles, 19" |
| 1970's Newborn Miss Peep,
17 & 21"
tall, vinyl
hear and jointed body, lightly molded hair, blue eyes,
closed mouth.
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1970s Newborn Miss Peep,
17"
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| 1972 Kewpie Gals,
#6309, 8 or 14" tall, all vinyl, ribbon in hair, various
dress's, stockings and shoes. |
1972
Kewpie Pals, 8" |
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