Chad Valley Dolls 1897-1978 English

1927 Chad Valley cloth Bambina doll face
1927 Chad Valley cloth Bambina doll face

Chad Valley began producing cloth dolls around 1917.  Their earliest dolls have stockinette faces with glass or painted eyes, later (1924) they hand painted felt faces with a velvet or velveteen body, all the cloth bodies were filled with kapok stuffing. 

By 1919 Chad offered jointed cloth dolls with stationary or sleep eyes. 1920 to 1921 Chad had a line of cloth dolls that came with wrist watches. In the 1920s Chad employed several notable designers; Mabel Lucie Atwell, Hilda Cowham and Norah Wellings. In 1923 Chad registered cloth printed aerolite rag dolls.

In 1938 Chad was granted the Royal Warrant of Appointment “Toy makers to her Majesty the Queen”.  During this time Chad made cloth dolls of young Princess Elizabeth and her sister Margaret Rose. Most of Chad’s cloth dolls were of girls, a few boys and babies dolls.

In 1978 Palitoy acquired Chad Valley, then Woolworth in 1988. In the 1980s Chad Valley / Palitoy made a plastic Barbie or Sindy doll clone or competitor named Sweet Suzie doll, 11 1/2″ tall, has rooted platinum hair, painted light blue eyes with a twist and turn waist, doll mark on head is illegible, doll body marked Made in China, shown below.

Chad Valley Dolls Identified

1930s Chad Valley Snow White cloth doll face
1930s Chad Valley Snow White cloth doll face 16″
1935 Chad Valley English Palace Guard face
1935 Chad Valley English Palace Guard face 16″
1938 Chad Valley Princes Elizabeth cloth doll  face
1938 Chad Valley Princes Elizabeth cloth doll face
1938 Chad Valley Princess Margaret Rose cloth doll face
1938 Chad Valley Princess Margaret Rose cloth doll face
1940s Chad Valley black cloth doll face
1940s Chad Valley black cloth boy doll face
1940s Chad Valley Soldier cloth doll
1940s Chad Valley Soldier cloth doll
1950s Chad Valley cloth stockinette doll
1950s Chad Valley cloth stockinette doll 8 1/2″
1950s Chad Valley black Golliwog cloth doll
1950s Chad Valley black Golliwog cloth doll
1980s Chad Valley / Palitoy Sweet Suzie doll 11 1/2" face
1980s Chad Valley / Palitoy Sweet Suzie doll 11 1/2″ face, doll body mark Made in China

More Chad Valley cloth doll names are English Palace Guard, Golliwog, Jack-O-Jingles, Little Black Sambo, Nurse, Peggy, Peter Pan, Pierrot, Pixie, the Rajah, Red Cloud, Red Riding Hood, Road Scout Mascot, Soldier, Sonia, Snow White and Tango Tar Baby.

Chad Valley Doll Marks Identified

Most Chad Valley cloth dolls had a label sewn to the dolls foot, clothing and/or a hang tog.

chad-valley-doll-mark-hygienic-1
Chad Valley doll mark British Hygienic Toys hang tag
chad-valley-doll-mark-hygienic fabric toys
chad-valley-doll-mark-hygienic fabric toys hang tag
chad-valley-doll-mark-bambina
Chad Valley doll mark Bambina label
chad-valley-doll-mark-attwell
Chad Valley doll mark Mabel Lucie Attwell tag
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Cloth Dolls From Ancient to Modern a Collector’s Guide with values book in 1997 by Linda Edward, Cloth Dolls 1920s and 1930s Identification and price guide book, pages 46-54 in 1990 by Polly Judd.