Carnival Novelty Dolls and Figurines 1920s+

Carnival dolls were advertised as prizes given at carnival’s and fairs and made by various American doll makers and in Japan, many – most of the dolls are unmarked.  Carnival dolls range from small to 31″ tall, with a composition character head on bodies of cloth, composition or a combination.  Early dolls may even bare a resemblance to bisque headed German dolls.  Carnival dolls can be baby dolls, boy or girl dolls dressed as Baseball players, Bathing Girls figurines, Bellboys, Boy Scouts, comedian Charlie Chaplin, Clowns, Cowboys or Cowgirls, Firemen, Jockeys, Nurses, Policemen, Rough Riders, Sailors, Snookum’s, Snookey Ookum Baby, Soldiers, Uncle Sam, Yama Yama and others. 

Celluloid, chalk ware or composition figurines are standing or sitting; jointed only at the neck or shoulders with stationary legs or unjointed affixed to a base include; Bathing Beauties, Betty Boop type figures, Chubbies, Cherubs, flirty Coquette or Vamp figurines and Kewpie type dolls.

1921 Betty Boop type all bisque carnival doll, wavy blonde hair, painted side glancing eyes, closed mouth, doll mark Germany or Japan.

Carnival Dolls Identified

1915 Electra Amy doll with blue molded ribbon 32″, composition flange head and partial lower arms, molded painted hair with blue ribbon, painted blue eyes, open closed mouth, cloth stuffed body, upper arms and legs, doll mark Electra T. NC. NY. Copyright.

1918 Butler Brothers carnival boy doll 31″, composition flange head and partial lower arms, molded painted hair, painted brown eyes, open closed mouth, cloth stuffed body, upper arms and legs, doll unmarked.

1918 Butler Brothers Uncle Sam doll 31″, composition flange head and partial lower arms, molded painted hair, painted brown eyes, open closed mouth, cloth stuffed body, upper arms and legs, doll unmarked.

1920s Carnival type Novelty chubby doll 14″, all composition, jointed at the neck and shoulders, painted hair or wigged, straight stationary legs with black molded boots, doll unmarked.

Carnival Novelty Doll Makers

American Bisque Doll Company, American Character Doll Company; novelty dolls, American Toy and Novelty Company; Tessie figurine, Bluebird Doll Company; vamps, George Borgfeldt, Buddy Lee dolls, Cameo Doll Company; novelty Bundie and Kewpie dolls, Central Doll Manufacturing Company, Cincinnati Doll Company, Columbia Doll & Toy Company; Chubby-Kids or Chubbykids novelty dolls, Duckme Doll Company; Vamp and Teaseme figurines, Eegee / Goldberger Company, Effanbee Doll Company; novelty Baby Bud boy or girl dolls, Elektra Toy & Novelty; Rosy-Posy composition chubby novelty figure and big composition character dolls, Gem Toy Company; O-U-Kid dolls, Fair & Carnival Supply Company, Fair & Carnival Trading Company, Gillespie Gordon Vampie dolls.

Ed. Hahn Company; Novelties Notions Jewelry, Holiday Novelty Company, Home Novelty Company; Dardanella bridal couple novelty and character dolls, Imperial Doll and Toy Company novelty Chubbie novelty dolls, Jeanette Doll Company (Freundlich), Hilda Loose Pepita Queen of the Beach or Queen of the Ice doll figures, Manhattan Doll & Toy Mfg. Company; Dimples a cherub type novelty doll, Mermaid Doll and Toy Corporation; Muncy Kid novelty doll, Modern Doll & Toy Company, Morris Politzer Doll Company, Mutual Doll Company, Inc.; novelty dolls.

New Era Novelty Company (NENCO), New Era Novelty Company, Ozzeran Manufacturing Company; Coquette novelty figures and vamps, The Phoenix Doll Company; chubbies and Kewpie novelty dolls, Progressive Toy Company, Inc.; novelty dolls, Regal Doll Mfg. USA, Republic Doll and Toy Corporation; chalkware figurines, Rex Doll Company; Baby Bundie and Kewpie dolls, Royal Doll & Toy Company, Seemless Toy Corporation; Kutie Kid, Polly Pretty novelty figures, A. Steinhardt & Brothers, Star Toy & Novelty, Tip Top Toy Company; Maiden America figurine, Pudgie figurine, Western Doll Manufacturing Company; Ice Flirt boy or girl figures, Ye Towne Gossip; Rose O’Neill Kewpie type dolls, Baby Vamps figurines, Zaiden Toy Works; mechanical Shimmy novelty dolls that Rock, Wave, Dance, Hula and Fan themselves and other doll makers. 

Distributors of carnival dolls; Baltimore Bargain House, Butler Brothers, Henry Fabricius Toy & Novelty Company, M. Gerber Brothers Company, Singer Brothers Company, plus others.