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Cameo, Kewpies and Kallus |
Joseph Kallus first doll 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),
they also made composition Kewpies, Baby Bundie, Bo Fair and Lassie dolls.
Finally, in 1922 Joseph Kallus founded the Cameo Doll Company in New York,
in 1932 the company moved and operated in Port Allegheny, PA until 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 is best known for
their Kewpie dolls designed by illustrator Rose O'Neill. Early Cameo dolls can be unmarked, later
on dolls are often marked Cameo on their heads, back or feet and after 1971 "S71" was added. |
Antique
to Vintage Cameo Dolls Identified
1914-1925 Cameo Hottentot doll, Hottentots dolls, refer to Rose O'Neill marked black
Kewpie dolls with small white wings on their back.
1922+ Cameo
Kewpie dolls (many sizes) were 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 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 Rose O'Neill,
and some are signed on the foot "O'Neill", otherwise dolls are unmarked. |
ca. 1913
all bisque Kewpie doll |
1918-1925+
Cameo Baby Bundie doll, 11 or 16" tall, the Baby Bundie doll was first made by
Rex Doll Company in 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, doll marked Des. Reg XXc57518 By J.L. Kallus BUN©DIE
with a paper label on bottom of foot. |
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, doll is unmarked, clothing has tag with dolls name.
The Cameo Scootles also came as a black doll. |
1925 Scootles
doll, 13" |
1925 Cameo 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,
doll 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, Jiminy 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 segmented body. Doll figures are unmarked except for a paper label on
the 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, wood segmented body
and limbs (actual fingered hands on the
15" size doll), molded 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,
doll marked with a red paper label: Margie Des. & Copyright By Jos. Kallus. Largest size
doll 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.
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1930 Pinkie
doll, 10"
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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,
doll marked with a red paper label: Joy Des. & Copyr. J. L. Jos. Kallus |
1932 Joy
doll, 10"
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1932+
Cameo
Betty Boop dolls are 12" tall and Bimbo
is 7 1/2" (Betty's dog), are cartoon characters from Max Fleischer called "Dizzy Dishes" in
1930 created by Myron Grim Natwick, this doll was designed by Joseph Kallus,
composition head, wood segmented body, black curly molded painted hair, side glancing to the top of her eyes, jointed, dressed in a black, red or green molded on dress
or undressed, with black painted high heel shoes. There have been many reissues of this doll over the years and from many different companies too probably,
doll marked with a paper label Betty Boop Des. & Copyright By Fleischer Studios. |
1932
Betty Boop doll, 12" |
1942
Cameo Champ boy doll with freckles, 17" 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, 17" |
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, doll is unmarked, had a paper hangtag: Giggles by Rose 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
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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, doll
marked Cameo. |
1957+ Miss Peep
doll, 18 1/2" |
1958
Cameo Margie doll, 10 or 17" tall, all vinyl child type doll with socket joints at neck, shoulder, elbows, waist
and hips, rooted saran hair, glassene sleep eyes, slightly open mouth, doll
marked Cameo ™ or 9093 60 or 9013 60.
A reissue of the 1929 Margie doll that was made of wood and composition,
came wearing a dress, rayon sock's and leather shoes.
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Photo N/A
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,
doll mark 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 mark 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 mark 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
not shown), 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".
Unsure if or how marked. |
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 mark 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,
doll mark 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 mark 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 mark Cameo. |
1972 Kewpie
Gals doll, 8" |
Additional Cameo Dolls not shown
1919 Cameo Bo-Fair
doll,
1921 Cameo Vanitie
doll,
1928 Cameo Sissie
doll
(distributed by Butler Brothers), 1930 Cameo Baby Adele doll, 1938 Cameo
Baby Snooks flexy doll, Fannie Brice, (designed by Joseph Kallus,
manufactured by Ideal), 1940 Cameo
Ho Ho laughing Buddha plaster figure, 1940 Cameo Baby doll.
1938
Cameo Little Annie Rooney doll, 13" tall, all composition jointed body, molded painted either black or brown hair, painted side glancing blue eyes, slight open painted mouth with a white line between the lips,
doll is unmarked, had a label or hangtag. Newspaper cartoon character by
Jack Collins. There was a earlier version of Little Annie Rooney in 1925 that was 16" tall, all composition that came wearing a yarn wig.
1956 Cameo Dyp-A-Babe doll made of vinyl.
1957-1959 Cameo Popeye doll a vinyl jointed
figure.
1960s Cameo Plum doll, 18 or 24" tall,
vinyl head jointed only at the neck with one piece latex body with two squeakers in tummy and buttocks, molded
painted hair, sleep eyes, open/closed mouth, doll mark Cameo.
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