Butler Brothers was originally a mail order, importer and jobber, founded in Boston in 1877 by two brothers; Edward Burgess Butler and Charles Henry Butler, the following year brother George Hamblet Butler joined them.

Butler did not manufacturer dolls, instead like Sears and other distributors, they 1918 Butler Brothers Uncle Sam doll 32" purchased dolls from others to sell throughout their many stores, starting with German imports, then made in the USA.

Shown is a 1918 Uncle Sam doll, 30" tall, with a composition flange head, molded painted light brown hair, blue painted eyes, closed mouth, excelsior stuffed body, upper arms and legs, jointed with outside disks, composition lower arms. Dressed in a red and white striped jumper with a blue and white star print jacket, black bowtie, light tan shoes, doll is unmarked.

Butler advertised a line of large sized character dolls that are referred to as carnival dolls, because they were available through carnivals and fairs, most of these dolls are unmarked, some of the dolls have been attributed to Elektra Doll & Toy Company or New Era Novelty Company.

Antique Butler Brothers Dolls Identified

Butler Brothers sold Tam O'Shanter doll 1893; solid white bonnet head, all stone bisque doll. Louis Amberg dolls, Averill dolls; Grumpy doll, Sunny Girl doll, Sunny Boy doll, American Beauty doll, American Countess doll, American Girl doll, Effanbee dolls; Mama dolls, Baby Catherine doll, Baby Grumpy doll, Bubbles doll, Patsy doll, Gem Toy Co Mama dolls, Gebrüder Heubach 1907-1914 Dolly Dimple doll, Ideal Flossie Flirt doll, Butler used the trade name of Marvel found under the Kestner crown and ribbon streamers on kid bodied dolls. Butler was at sometime the exclusive agent for Jessie McCutcheon Raleigh dolls 1916 to 1920, Cupid all bisque boy doll or girl Cupid's Sister doll (she has a blue upside down bow in hair) ca. 1916, Mammy doll ca. 1926, Yama Yama doll (a boudoir Peggy doll in clown suit) 1927, Regal Kiddie Pal dolls 1928+, Dorothy Darling doll (composition & cloth bent limb baby with painted hair) 1929.

Butler Brothers Doll Mold Numbers

(attributed to and sold by Butler, made in Germany)

10383, 10414, 10704, 10883, 10949, 10950, 10954

Additional Antique Butler Dolls Identified

1896-1899 Favorite bisque doll heads, jointed bodies, soft limbs

1905-1907+ China Rattle head dolls, Model doll, Hertwig Pet Name China head dolls.

1906 All Zylonite floatable dolls

1907-1914 Butler Brothers Dolly Dimple label

1907-1912 Matlock Patent Washable dolls, Pauline doll, Ruth doll.

1909 Kämpfe & Heubach Alice doll.

1910 Eskimo North Pole dolls, 9 1/2" tall, with celluloid faces, brown plush fur bodies, voice box, white felt mitt hands and boots

1912 Baby Betty doll

1913 Miss Millionaire kid body doll

1914 The Wide Awake Doll, all bisque smiling Kewpie

1915 Baby Bud doll, Baby Catherine doll by Effanbee

1915 Yama Yama doll

1916 American Character Baby Petite doll

Butler Brothers Ne Plus Ultra label

1916 All Bisque Cupid doll mold 10383, 10414, 10949, 10950, 10954, doll mark Germany, Germany P.

1917-1918 Bathing Girl, Rose Mary doll, Uncle Sam doll

1918 Sweetie doll a Peterkin or Kewpie look a like

1919 Tiss-Me all bisque doll by Henry Mayer

1927 cloth crepe Dutch girl or boy dolls

1928 Dainty Miss a Mama doll, Sissie doll by Cameo.

1929 Tootse doll, also sold at Sears.

All Rubber dolls size 4 1/2 - 10" tall, Aunt Sally doll, Aviator doll, Babbit Boy doll, Baby Bunting doll, Baby Buttercup doll, Banker's Daughter doll, Banner Kid dolls, Beatrice doll, Boudoir dolls, Buster Brown doll 11 1/2", Dorothy doll, Esther doll, Special Doll with a composition head, ABC Toy Co dolls, 1918+ large sized Carnival character dolls, plus many other dolls.

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