Antique Papier Mache Dolls 1760+
Paper mache, papier mâché, carton moulé, carton pâte or holz-masse are all terms describing a type of composition material made from paper sheets or paper pulp mixed with paste, oil, resin or other material to form a strong material. This is pressed together to form a dolls head, hands and lower legs on a cloth or wooden body. The earliest papier mache dolls were individually hand crafted, by the mid 1800s pressure mold processes made it possible for dolls to be mass produced. Most but not all papier mache dolls are unmarked, any known or found markings are listed below.
Antique Papier Mache Dolls Identified
1820s-1860s Milliner’s Model papier mache shoulder head with an oval face, painted eyes, stuffed kid body, wooden limbs, painted molded hair styles Apollo, top knot, closed mouth, painted flat feet, dolls are unmarked.
1835-1850+ French papier mache shoulder head, kid body, wooden limbs, painted black pate, painted hair curls, glass almond shaped eyes or painted eyes, open with bamboo teeth or closed mouth, dolls are unmarked.
1840-1900 Ludwig Greiner papier mache doll shoulder head, molded painted wavy black hair, high forehead, painted eyes or glass eyes, upper eye lashes and single stroke eyebrows, closed mouth, cloth body, kid arms, doll mark paper label Greiner’s Improved Patent Heads Pat. March 30th ’58 or ’72.
1850-1890 J. Adler & Co dolls USA – papier mache, composition shoulder head dolls, painted eyes, single stroke eyebrows, closed mouth, cloth body, leather hands. Identifying paper label doll mark J. Adler & Co., Superior, American Head No. 7.
Some papier mache doll heads were made by German doll makers Johann Müller, Andréas Voit and perhaps others, then assembled, dressed and sold by French doll makers.
1863+ Later Papier Mache Dolls – shoulder head, cloth body, leather hands, molded painted blonde or black wavy hair like a China head doll, round face, painted eyes, closed mouth, dolls are unmarked or marked G. L. Superior 2015 (George Lutz) or M & S Superior 2015 or 4515 (Müller & Strassburger).
1880-1915 Patent Washable Dolls – a type of papier mache doll, various doll makers, American and German, do Not wash these dolls. Patent Washable dolls have a papier mache shoulder head, cloth body, limbs of composition or papier mache, some have molded boots, mohair or skin wig, an identifying feature are the bulging glass eyes, closed or open mouth some with teeth. Patent Washable dolls are unmarked.
1890s German Papier Mache doll 25″ face
1930s WPA Papier Mache Asian doll 22″ face
Papier Mache Doll Makers & Marks
Doll makers listed below are German unless noted.
AB & C – papier mache doll mark AB & C on a shield with an eagle in blue, unknown doll maker, USA? link
Henri Bellet dolls 1919-1920s FR
– made Poupard Art cardboard dolls with molded clothing
Josef Bergmann dolls 1883-1891
– papier mache dolls heads, kid or composition body
Hattie Bartholomay Bruckmann dolls 1917+ USA
– papier mache, plaster pressed face mold, chamois skin, hand painted face dolls or kid over papier mache, glass eyes head dolls
Cuno & Otto Dressel papier mache dolls 1789-1942
Hermann Eckstein doll mark ECCO 1899-1920
Charlotte Eldridge dolls 1953+
– hand made papier mache Godey Lady dolls
Fleischmann & Cräemer dolls 1844+ papier mache
– doll mark AF & C Superior 2015, AF & C Superior 2018
Luigi Furga dolls 1872+ Italy
– papier mache, wax mask face dolls + others
German Gibson girl papier mache doll with open mouth and teeth, marked circle with a slash inside circle. link
Alphonse Giroux 1860-1880 FR
– papier mache head on a kid body doll
Martin Grabner papier mache doll factory 1820+
Ludwig Greiner papier mache dolls 1840-1900 USA
William A. Harwood papier mache dolls 1862-1880s USA
Indestructible Head No. 1879 doll mark label – This Composition is perfectly harmless, unknown
Italy, Italian Cartapesta of papier mache, chalk, hemp dolls, of many types some religious figures 1800s+
Edward S. Judge & Early papier mache labels 1867-78 USA
– Judge’s Patent Indestructible Doll Heads, No. 3, March 24th, 1868
– E. S. Judge, No. 6, July 27, 1875
– Judge & Early, N. 2, Pat’d. July 27, 1875
JDK Kestner made papier mache dolls 1820+
Alexandre Lefebvre et Cie 1863-1921 FR
– made papier mache Bébé Culotte, Bébé Maillot, Baby dolls, soldiers, clowns
Philip Lerch, Lerch & Co, Lerch & Klag 1866-1875 USA
– doll mark Lurch & Co manufactures No. 7
Gustav Liedel owner papier mache factory 1850-1855
Lowenthal & Company 1838-1897
– papier mache dolls and heads
Georg Lutz doll mark GL 2015, 2020 Superior papier mache heads 1887-1906
Matlock Patent Washable Doll 1899-1914 USA
O. Mills Toy Store papier mache dolls 1851-1856 USA
Model Patent Washable Dolls 1899-1907 USA
Johann Friedrich Müller & Strassburger dolls 1805+
– M & S pressed Papier mache dolls 1863
Leo Moss papier mache dolls 1800s-1900s USA
– black papier mache character head dolls, cloth body, molded painted curly hair, glass eyes, some have a molded tear on cheek, closed mouth, doll mark L.M. or unmarked.
Emile Paufler dolls 1896-1905
– doll house, papier mache, porcelain, Täufling, wax dolls
Poupard one piece papier mache or cardboard paste dolls
– without legs in painted swaddling clothes or long gown
Christoph Reisenweber dolls 1861-1930s
– made art, bisque and papier mache head dolls
E. Ridley & Sons dolls 1884-1898 US distributor
– nonpareil papier mache dolls + other materials.
doll mark W.A.H. nonpareil 3015
Rock & Graner dolls 1813-1911
– papier mache, molded hair dolls, dollhouse dolls
E. F. Safonoff hand made papier mache dolls 1840s RU
Georg Andrea Sauerzapf dolls 1834-1851 AT
– mechanical dolls, papier mache dolls
FM Schilling dolls 1871-1928
– papier mache dolls, rubber dolls, Täufling dolls, composition head dolls and wax over composition dolls
FM Schilling doll mark symbol of a winged doll angel
Schmitt et Fils doll mark SCH on a shield 1854-1891 FR
Alfred Schroeder papier mache mechanical dolls 1921-1930+
Société Ch. Ramel & Cie papier mache dolls 1916 FR
doll marks J’ Habille Mes Soldats, J’ Habille Mes Poupées
Sporlin & Heinrich papier mache doll heads 1835-1841 AT
Heinrich Stier dolls 1830s-1880s
– waxed papier mache Täufling dolls
Reinhold Süssenguth & Company 1883-1893
– patent head papier mache dolls
Unbreakable (papier mache) Heads 500/2 anchor symbol, unknown maker
Utley NEDCO cloth papier mache dolls 1914-1922 USA
Johann Andréas Voit papier mache dolls 1806-1882
Carl Wiegand papier mache dolls 1876-1883
– doll mark Wiegand’s Patent May 23, 1876
Adolph Wislizenus dolls 1851-1931
– doll mark AW inside a triangle
Christopher Witthauer dolls 1899-1903
– cardboard or papier mache doll heads covered in cloth
Bernhard Zehner doll 1898-1930
– papier mache dolls & toys, mechanical dolls