Joseph Kallus first doll making company was the short lived Rex Doll
1916-1918, who made composition Kewpies and Baby Bundie dolls.
Next Mr. Kallus was president of the Mutual Doll Company 1919-1921,
who also made composition Kewpies, Baby Bundie, Bo Fair and Lassie dolls.
Finally, in 1922 Joseph Kallus founded the Cameo Doll Company of New York,
until they moved and operated in Port Allegheny, PA from 1932-1970. "Cameo, Kewpies and Kallus are inseparable" - claims one book author.
After 1925,Cameo took over producing K and K Toy company doll
products until sometime in the 1930s. 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, other early dolls were; 1922 + Bye-Lo Baby (composition heads) by Grace S. Putnam, 1925 Baby Bo-Kaye, 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 Cameo dolls we have found:
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1909 + 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.
Kewpie dolls have 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. Cameo thru Borgfeldt distributed Kewpies from 1922 on. |
ca. 1913 Kewpie |
1918-1925
+ Baby Bundie, 11 or 16" tall, Baby Bundie was first made by the Rex Doll Company 1918, then by
Mutual Doll Company 1918-1921 and finally by Cameo 1922-1925+ and was designed by Joseph Kallus.
Cameo's Baby 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 BUN©DIE.
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 1922-1925+ Baby Bundie 11" |
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" |
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
the # 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 |
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" |
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. |
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 |
 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" |
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. |
 1946 Giggles, 15" |
1957 Miss Peep, 15" or 18 1/2" tall, vinyl and pin jointed at shoulder and hips, white or black
doll, drink or wet baby, painted hair, inset plastic eyes, marked: Cameo. |
 1957-1960s 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 |
1958 Affectionately Peanut, 18 1/2" |
1961-1964 Baby Mine, 16, 19, 20" tall, all vinyl, painted features, side glancing eyes, had several different versions. Marked: Cameo |
1961-1964 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" |
1970s Newborn Miss Peep, 17 & 21" tall, vinyl hear and jointed body, lightly molded hair, blue eyes, closed mouth. |
 1970s Newborn Miss Peep, 17" |
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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