Carnival dolls were advertised as prizes given at carnival's and
fairs made by various early American doll makers, many, most, of these dolls are
unmarked. Carnival dolls range from small to large 31" tall, with
a composition character head on bodies of cloth, composition or a
combination, earliest dolls may even bare a resemblance to bisque headed
German dolls, they made baby dolls, boy or girl dolls, dolls dressed as
Base Ball players, Bathing Girls, Bellboys, Boy Scouts, Clowns, Students,
Cowboys or Cowgirls, Firemen, Jockeys, Nurses, Policemen, Rough Riders,
Sailors, Snookums, Snookey Ookum Baby, Soldiers, Uncle Sam, YamaYama,
comedian Charlie Chaplin and others.
Celluloid,
chalk ware or composition dolls include; Bathing Beauties, Chubbies, Cherubs and
Kewpies, Comic Characters and
Vamp figurines.

Some of the doll makers are;
American Doll Company,
George Borgfeldt,
Central Doll Mfg. Company,
Effanbee Doll Company, Electra Toy &
Novelty, Gem Toy Company, Eugene Goldberger (Eegee),
Fair & Carnival Supply Company, Fair & Carnival
Trading Company, Ed. Hahn Company; Novelties Notions Jewelry, Holiday Novelty Company,
Modern Doll & Toy Company, Morris Politzer Doll Company, New Era
Novelty Company (NENCO),
New Era Toy & Novelty Company, Royal Doll & Toy Company, A.
Steinhardt & Brothers, Star Toy & Novelty,
Tip Top Toy and probably others.
Known distributors of
Carnival dolls are: Baltimore Bargain House, Butler Brothers,
Henry Fabricius Toy & Novelty Company, M. Gerber Brothers Company and Singer Brothers
Company, plus others. |