Composition Dolls 1907-1950s

Composition dolls 1907-1950s

Composition dolls were made by American, English, French, German and Japan doll makers from about 1907 to the 1950s.  Early composition dolls were made from glue, glycerin, zinc oxide and Japanese wax, it is a heavy and dense material, the coloring can be almost white, gray or brown.  Each doll manufacturer kept their exact composition “recipe” a secret. 

About 1916 doll makers began using ground-up sawdust, also called wood flour which made a much lighter doll, the doll was then airbrushed with oil paint.  Composition doll heads were also described by American doll makers as “unbreakable” opposed to German bisque doll heads that dominated the doll market, prior to World War I which began in 1914 to 1918.

Composition Doll Makers Identified


Composition dolls on this page – 3 In 1 Trudie doll, Abrahams & Straus, Acorn dolls, American Ocarina & Toy, American Toy & Doll, Arcy Toy, Baby Phyllis Doll Co, Lilli & Roman Baitz, Baker & Bennett Co, Best & Co, Bester Doll Co, Baltimore Bargain House, Berwick The Fam Dolls, Jack Bouton dolls, Bouton-Woolf dolls, Emma Bristol dolls, Herman Cohen, L. Cohen dolls, Colonial Toy Manufacturing Company, Columbia Doll & Toy, Comic character dolls, Confetti dolls, Crown Toy Co, Dollcraft Novelty, Dollparts & Supply, Eureka Doll Co, Elektra, Exposition dolls, Famous Doll Studio, Inc., Gem Toy Co, Halpern Halco Dolls, Herby, Hoo Choy Chinese Goddess of Good Luck dolls, Joy Doll Products, L D dolls, M & S Shillman, E. Maar & Sohn, Magic Light Products, Maxine dolls, Metropolitan dolls, Mitred dolls, Modern Doll Co, National Doll Co, Natural Doll Co, New Era Novelty, Nibur Doll Co, Penn Stuffed Toy Co, Perfect Toy dolls, Quaker Quality dolls, Quan Quan dolls, Santa Claus doll, Superior dolls, Tajimi Trading dolls, Taiyo Trading dolls, Trion Toy.

Composition Dolls Volume I 1928-1955, 208 pages, published 1991 by author Pam and Polly Judd.
Composition Dolls Volume II 1909-1928, 158 pages, published 1994 by author Pam and Polly Judd.
Collector’s Encyclopedia of American Composition Dolls 1900-1950 Volume I, 390 pages by author Ursula R. Mertz.
Collector’s Encyclopedia of American Composition Dolls 1900-1950 Volume II, 398 pages by author Ursula R. Mertz.