Alabama Indestructible Dolls – Ella Smith ca. 1899+

Alabama indestructible baby doll 24" face by Ella Smith
Alabama indestructible baby doll 24″ face by Ella Smith

The Ella Gauntt Smith Doll Company produced the Alabama Indestructible dolls, also referred to as  Alabama Baby dolls or Ella Smith dolls, began making her cloth dolls around 1899. Mrs. Smith was issued her first doll patent in 1905 and made the dolls until 1925 when the factory was closed in Roanoke, Alabama.  The all cloth dolls are 8 to 36″ tall, have a molded face with oil painted hair and facial features. 

Early dolls have applied ears, painted hair, a sturdy body with tabbed jointed shoulders and hips, flat buttocks, most dolls have painted stockings and black, bright blue, brown or pink painted shoes.

A few early dolls have been found with bare feet and stitched toes and some dolls have a wig.  Later dolls the ears were molded or stapled to the head and some dolls have been found with a bobbed hair style.  

Alabama Indestructible dolls can be black or white, babies or children of either boys or girls.

Ella Smith black Alabama Baby doll
ca. 1905 Ella Smith black Alabama Baby doll
Ella Smith black Alabama Baby doll
ca. 1905 Ella Smith black Alabama Baby doll with red boots
Ella Smith Alabama Baby white doll face
ca. 1905 Ella Smith Alabama Baby white doll face
Ella Smith Alabama Baby white doll body
ca. 1905 Ella Smith Alabama Baby white doll body with blue boots
ca. 1920s Ella Smith Alabama Baby doll with bobbed hair
ca. 1920s Ella Smith Alabama Baby doll with ca. 1920s Ella Smith Alabama Baby doll with painted bobbed hair

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Ella Smith Alabama Indestructible Baby Doll body marks

alabama-indestructible-doll-mark-1905-mrs-s-s-smith
Alabama Indestructible doll mark Mrs. S.S. Smith Roanoke, Ala. Sept. 26, 1905
alabama indestructible doll mark 1905 sep 26 ella smith
Alabama Indestructible doll mark No. 1, Patented Sept. 26, 1905
alabama indestructible doll mark 1907 sep 26 ella smith
Alabama Indestructible doll mark No. 1, Patented Sept. 26, 1907
alabama indestructible doll mark 1912 nov 9 ella smith
Alabama Indestructible doll mark Pat. Nov. 9, 1912, Bo. 2, Ella Smith Doll Co.
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