Cameo, Kewpies and Kallus

Cameo Dolls 1922-1970s

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. 

Cameo made bisque, celluloid, composition with wood or cloth bodies and hard plastic or vinyl dolls and were of the finest quality.

Cameo Kewpie dolls by Rosie O'Neill - the first Kewpie dolls were illustrations created by Rosie O'Neill in 1909 for the Ladies Home Journal magazine, on November 4, 1913 a patent was issued in the USA to design and make the actual dolls, these early Kewpie dolls are all bisque and made by German manufacturer's JD Kestner, plus others and may bear their company marking or are unmarked. 

1914-1925 Cameo Hottentot doll, Hottentots dolls, refer to Rosie O'Neill marked black Kewpie dolls with small white wings on their back.

1922+ Cameo was the sole licensed manufacturer of composition Kewpie dolls or figures, with distribution through Borgfeldt.  Kewpie dolls have side glancing eyes, small blue wings on back, closed slight smiling watermelon mouth, molded painted top knot hair with a side wisp of hair on the sides of the head, jointed at the shoulders, starfish splayed fingers on hands, legs are molded together. All composition Kewpie dolls usually 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, and some are signed on the foot "O'Neill", otherwise dolls are unmarked. 

ca. 1913 bisque Kewpie doll

1918-1925+ Cameo Baby Bundie doll, 11 or 16" tall, the Baby Bundie doll was first made by 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 doll, shown at right, 11" tall, is all composition, looks similar to the Kewpie dolls with a mohair wig. Marked with paper label on bottom of foot: Des. Reg XXc57518 By J.L. Kallus BUN©DIE. 

1922+ Baby Bundie doll 11"

1925 Cameo Scootles doll, 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 doll, 13"

1925 Baby Bo-Kaye doll, 16-20" tall, designed by Joseph L. Kallus for George Borgfeldt, bisque head by Alt, Beck & Gottschalck 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.  Marked: 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.

1925 Baby Bo Kaye doll

1927 Cameo Baby Blossom doll, 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 doll, 19"

1928-1940s Cameo Bandy (Bandmaster), Bonzo the dog, Cat, Crownie, Dog, Dumbo, Felix the cat, Ginger, Bones & Steak, GE Hotpoint Man, RCA Radiotron (advertising doll figures), Howdy Doody, Jeep, Jimmy Cricket, Little King, Mickey Mouse, Mr. Peanut, Pete the Pup, Pinocchio, Popeye, Santa, Superman, Timothy Mouse, 9-16" tall, wood segmented character doll figures, composition head, wood body.  Doll figures are unmarked except for a paper label on chest or on base.

1932 Pete the Pup doll, 9" by Cameo

1928-1940s Cameo GE Hotpoint Man doll figure, 15" tall, wood segmented character doll figure, composition head with a jointed wood body, painted facial features, red painted clothing, silver H and red pointed arrow on top of head, slits in hands to hold paper sales cards.  Made by Cameo, Hotpoint Man is unmarked except for a Hotpoint paper label on chest and Cameo sticker on bottom of wood base.  Advertising doll figure for Hotpoint a division of General Electric, GE..

1928 + GE Hotpoint Man doll 15" by Cameo

1929 Cameo Margie doll, 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 doll, 10"

1930 Cameo Pinkie doll, 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.               Photo courtesy of Patkan.

1950s the Pinkie doll was sold through Sears and was a reissue of the 1930s Pinkie doll, this doll is made of vinyl and plastic, sleep eyes, with rooted hair.

1930 Pinkie doll, 10"

1932 Cameo Joy doll, 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 doll, 10"

1932 Cameo Betty Boop doll, 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 doll, 12"

1942 Cameo Champ doll, 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 doll, 16"

1946 Cameo Giggles doll, 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 doll, 15"

1954-1958 Cameo Peanut doll, 18 1/2" tall, all vinyl fully jointed doll, sleep eyes, real lashes, open/closed mouth,  bent baby legs if you pinch them 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 marked Cameo.  The Peanut doll is a reissue from the earlier 1930s doll and used the same head as the 1956 Dyp-A-Babe doll.  The 1958 Sears advertisement for Cameo's Peanut doll states; "Baby with Kewpie Playmate", the Kewpie Playmate doll is 6" tall the Baby doll is 17".

Photo courtesy of Cheryl Holland

1958 Sears Cameo

Baby (Peanut) doll ad, 17"

1957+ Cameo Miss Peep doll, 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, closed mouth, marked: Cameo.

1957+ Miss Peep doll, 18 1/2"

1958 Cameo Margie doll, 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 doll, 10"

1961-1964 Cameo Baby Mine doll, 16, 19, 20" tall, all vinyl, painted features, side glancing eyes, had several different versions.  Marked: Cameo

1961-1964 Baby Mine doll

1962 Cameo Miss Peep Newborn doll, 14" tall, vinyl head and fully jointed body at the shoulders and hips, molded and painted brown hair, closed mouth, doll marked:  Cameo.

1962 Miss Peep Newborn, 14"

1962-1964 Cameo Miss Peep doll, 14" tall, vinyl, hinged body, inset eyes, dressed in snowsuit with a pink blanket or an embroidered dress and bonnet.  Doll marked Cameo.

1962 Miss Peep doll, 14"

1965 Cameo Ho Ho doll, 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 doll, 7"

1964 Cameo Ragsy Kewpie doll, all vinyl, three different sizes, painted face and side glancing eyes, has a soft one piece, colored molded body.  Doll marked Cameo.

1964 Ragsy Kewpie doll

1964 Cameo Scootles doll, 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 doll, 19"

1970s Cameo Newborn Miss Peep doll, 17 & 21" tall, vinyl hear and jointed body, lightly molded hair, blue eyes, closed mouth.  Doll marked Cameo

1970s Newborn Miss Peep doll, 17"

1972 Cameo Kewpie Gals doll, #6309, 8 or 14" tall, all vinyl, ribbon in hair, various dress's, stockings and shoes.  Doll marked Cameo.

1972 Kewpie Gals doll, 8"