Composition Dolls and Doll Makers 1899-1949

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1918-1920 Art Craft

Dolly Face doll 21"

1917-1921 Babs, Coleman, Manhattan,

a non-mechanical walking doll 28"

Berwick Doll Company 1918-1930 - USA best known for their Famlee Dolls, 16" tall, composition doll heads and limbs, jointed legs, wigged, cloth body with shoulder plate, came with three to eighteen interchangeable screw on heads of both boys and girls, had matching costumes for the character heads ie: Black dolls, Ching Ching doll, a Chinaman doll, Funny Face clown doll, Little Sweet Face doll, Miss From Holland doll, Nurse doll and others.  Doll head marked on metal screw PAT. APR. 12.1921 or unmarked.

In 1931 doll production was taken over by the European Doll Company.

1921 Berwick Doll Co. Famlee doll, 16"

Bester Doll Company Inc. 1918-1921 - in Bloomfield, New Jersey, USA manufactured mostly all composition jointed character dolls, baby dolls and WW I German like jointed composition body girl dolls.

Bester doll marks BDC - BDC Inc - BDCO - Bester Doll, Co, Bloomfield.  Bester doll molds 60, 78, 1124

1918-1921 Bester Character Girl doll, 22"

1948 Herman Cohen Puzzy doll, 15"

Comic Character dolls, sizes vary, makers unknown, dolls are unmarked. 

Comic Character, Funny faced boy doll, 14, 19" tall, (shown at right) with large wide open painted eyes heavily lined in black, composition flange head, molded painted brown hair, up turned nose, open mouth with four painted upper teeth, cloth body, arms and legs, composition molded gloved hands. Wore a red, white and navy blue plaid sleeveless vest, white long sleeve shirt and navy blue knickers, looks like a golfers attire, doll is unmarked.  We are calling him a young Rodney Dangerfield caddy or golfer - but that's just a guess.

Comic Character, Kayo doll 13" tall, (not shown) all composition with molded black hat, jointed jaw and neck, one piece body with molded painted on clothes, Moon Mullin's bratty little brother from the Moon Mullin comic strip by Frank Willard 1923-1991, doll is unmarked.

Comic Character doll

Funny Faced Boy doll 19"

Confetti Dolls, Inc. 1930s+ USA - made all composition painted eye dolls, competitor of Dress-Me type dolls, it is unknown if they marked all their dolls. Some small Storybook type dolls are marked Confetti Dolls on their back.

Confetti Dolls, Inc. Storybook doll 6 1/2"

Dollcraft Novelty Company doll 1920s+ USA - Lone Ranger & Tonto dolls 1937, 10 1/2, 15 1/2 or 20" tall, composition flange head and lower arms, stuffed cloth body upper arms and legs, stitched hip joints, molded painted hair, painted eyes, closed mouth.  The Lone Ranger and Tonto are dressed in faux buckskin and suede clothing and each has a holster with two guns.  Hi-Yo Silver!  Made by the Dollcraft Novelty Co. New York, USA.  (Used the doll head mold from Reliable Of Canada). 

Dollcraft Novelty Co. also made a RCMP Royal Canadian Mounted Police doll or Mountie doll, using Reliable's head mold.

1937 Dollcraft Novelty Co.

Lone Ranger doll, Tonto doll, 20"

Dollcraft Novelty Company 1939 New York Worlds Fair dolls, 8-9, 12-13, 17-18" tall, made International dressed dolls of about 34 different countries. Some doll names as stated on hang tag are: "I am Aino of Finland doll, Aloha of Hawaii doll, Chiquita of South American Rhumba doll, Colleen of Ireland doll, Dolores of Spain doll, Ermine of Turkey doll, Greta of Sweden doll, Jeannine of Alsace-Lorraine doll, Katrinka of Holland doll, Lassie of Scotland doll, Little Bo Peep doll, Lotus Blossom of China doll, Miss America doll,  Marguerita of Romania doll, Rose of Hungary doll, Sophia of Poland doll, Sonya of Russia doll, plus other dolls, all composition jointed body, molded hair beneath a wig, painted side glancing eyes, closed painted mouth.  Clothing is often stapled to the body.  Dolls are unmarked.  Made by Dollcraft Novelty Company distributed by Joy Doll Products Company.  Dollcraft Novelty also made Vocational Dolls:  Edith the Nurse doll, Girl of the Golden West cowgirl dressed doll and a Storybook doll series.

Dollcraft Novelty,

Greta of Sweden doll, 8"

1939 New York Worlds Fair doll

Elektra Toy & Novelty Company dolls 1912-1920 - NYC, USA, made composition character dolls with a cloth body or all composition, most with painted eyes glancing to the side with molded painted hair. Many dolls resemble German bisque doll molds similar to K & R and Kestner, designed for Elektra by artist Ferdinand Pany.  Doll marks Elektra T. NC NY., Elektra T. N. C. NY., ET & N Co. or E. T. & N Co, ETAN Co. N.Y.

1912 Billy Boy doll, Jolly Jumps doll, Goo Goo eye dolls, Amy doll (croquette type with blue dimensional molded ribbon on head), and Laurie doll - theses last two dolls are based on the Little Women book and NYC show by Louisa May Alcott.

1913 Fritzi doll and Mitzi doll, Automobile Boy and Girl dolls, Margo doll and Frou Frou doll, Jockey dolls, plus others.

1914 Boy doll with side parted hair, Girl doll with blue ribbon around head, Black Boy doll with side parted hair, Suffragina doll and The Favorite dolls

1915 Dutch Girl doll with pink painted molded dimensional hair bow, Uncle Sam dolls.

1916 All composition dolls, Sampson doll, Chubbie doll, Tootsie Wootsie dolls.

1917 Rosy-Posy doll, copy of German bisque mold, all bisque one piece head, body, jointed arms, Kewpie like, unmarked with paper label on base.  

1920 Elektra advertised Walking Dolls, Yama-Yama dolls dressed in clown suits.

1916 Elektra Character Boy doll 15"

Doll mark ETAN Co., N.Y. - all composition character socket head, composition jointed body with bent limbs, molded painted brown hair, blue painted eyes, closed mouth.  There is a larger 22" size doll with a doll mark Elektra T.N.C. NY, Copyright, with this same head mold.  If this big boy doll is wearing a wig his name was Chubbie or Tootsie Wootsie.

Sampson 20" tall, came in black or white dolls, flange head with a cloth body, same mark as the 22" size doll, same head mold as both above dolls.

Gem Toy Company dolls 1913-1928 - Gem Doll Corp 1929-1931 NYC, USA - Gem made 1914 Character dolls in composition; 50 different models of Boy dolls or Girl dolls, 1918 O-U-Kid doll a cherub like novelty similar to the Chubby Kid doll shown below, 1922 Flossie Featherweight doll, Walking and Talking dolls.  1924 Baby's Voice Mother's Choice dolls.  1925 Just Born doll infant.  1927 Billy Boy doll, Cuddle Baby doll.  1928 Hug Me baby doll, Dinah & Topsy both black dolls  1931 Patsy type dolls.  Mama dolls, Chubby Kid doll, Five in One doll. 

Many Gem dolls often have the company name marked on the dolls back, round labels or tags on clothing.

Late 1920s-1930s Gem Toy Co

Mama Doll, 29"

1920-1931 Gem Toy Company Chubby Kid doll shown on right, 12 1/2" tall, a Buddy Lee doll look a like, cherub or kewpie like face, all composition, jointed only at the shoulders, long painted eyelashes, painted side glancing eyes, molded painted hair or mohair wig, slight smiling watermelon mouth, painted socks and shoes or painted boots for boy dolls.

Dolls are unmarked, but some may have a paper label on bottom of foot that reads; Gem Chubby Kid.  Boy doll and girl dolls have been found in sizes up to 18" tall.  These character dolls were sold or given as prizes at carnivals and fairgrounds, thus they are called Carnival Dolls by collectors. 

Gem's Chubby Kid doll is also referred to as a Betty Lee doll, sister to Buddy Lee, but NO such doll was made for or sold by the H. D. Lee company.  It's a myth by sellers of the wigged, unmarked, dressed in female clothing, Gem Chubby Kid doll.

1920-1931 Gem Chubby Kid doll, 12 1/2"

Columbia Doll & Toys (1917-1922)

 also made a Chubby Kid doll.

J. Halpern & Co, Halco Dolls 1923-1951 a Pittsburgh, PA USA company made composition Mama dolls to hard plastic transition dolls until 1951.  Little is known about this doll manufacturer, however all dolls have been unmarked.

1930s Halco Quality Doll, Mama type doll, 18 and 24"" tall, composition shoulder plate head, full composition arms and partial lower legs, cloth stuffed body and upper legs, brown tin eyes, open mouth with two upper teeth, mohair wig, sorta a Shirley Temple look a like LAL, doll is unmarked.  Dolls have been found wearing a Halco or Fluffee doll blue and silver tag.

ca. 1948 Baby Fluffee doll, 16-17", composition head with molded hair, some with wigs, sleep eyes, some with flirty sleep eyes, closed mouth, composition limbs, cloth body, doll is unmarked came with a blue & silver tag with dolls name Baby Fluffee.

Late 1940s Fluffee doll, 30" tall, hard plastic head, mohair wig, sleep eyes, real upper eyelashes, painted lower lashes, open mouth with four upper teeth, cloth stuffed body, composition arms and legs.  Doll is a transition doll with both composition and hard plastic parts, sorta a large Shirley Temple look a like LAL, doll is unmarked, had a blue and silver tag with the dolls name.

ca. 1950s Lady Lee doll, 29" tall, hard plastic head, mohair wig, sleep eyes, real upper eyelashes, painted lower lashes, open mouth with four upper teeth, cloth stuffed body, composition arms and legs.  Doll is a transition doll with both composition and hard plastic parts. Same doll as above with another name, sorta a Shirley Temple look a like LAL, doll is unmarked.

Late 1940s Halco Fluffee Doll 30"

Composition and hard plastic doll

Herby doll, 12" tall, all composition jointed at the neck and jaw, black side glancing pupiless eyes, wearing molded painted clothes; red and black stripe cap, red jacket with yellow collar and yello9w upper emblem, yellow pants, black shoes, doll maker is unknown, doll figure is unmarked. 

Herby is the little brother of comic character Smitty created by Walter Berndt, Chicago Tribune-New York News Syndicate from 1929+.  Herby's own comic strip was created in 1930 until 1973.  Mr. Bernt's designs were used to make the all bisque Smitty and Herby dolls only jointed at the necks.

Herby doll, comic character, 12"

ca. 1930s Hoo Choy the Little Goddess of Good Luck, Chinese doll, 13-13 1/2" tall, all composition doll, jointed at the shoulders, molded painted black hair, some also with a short black mohair wig, black painted eyes, closed mouth, black painted slippers, wearing her Chinese outfit of a embroidered tunic, matching pants and embroidered cap.  Doll is unmarked but came with a paper hangtag.

ca. 1930s Hoo Choy the Little Goddess of Good Luck, Chinese doll, 13-13 1/2"

ca. 1935-1940s Sybil Jason dolls, 14 or 19" celebrity doll, all composition dolls dolls are unmarked.

See our Sybil Jason doll page for more info.

ca. 1935-1940s Sybil Jason doll, 14"

Joy Doll Corporation 1920-1939+  a New York, USA doll company, were officially licensed to sell the 1939 New York World's Fair dolls, that were made for them by the Dollcraft Novelty Company, dolls are unmarked but clothing was tagged and doll had a hangtag. 

Joy Doll Corp. made Mama baby dolls, stuffed animals, Dixie Belle dolls, 12" Baby Joyce a Patsy type doll with molded hair, painted blue eyes, closed mouth, 1929 Joyce doll 16" tall, with molded painted hair or wigged, blue painted eyes, closed mouth, wore a floral print dress and hat and represented a little girl.  1939 World's Fair dolls;  Dandy Goodwill boy doll, Girl of To-Morrow, International Girl, Maid of America, Mother of All Nations dolls.

1939 New York World's Fair doll

Joy Doll Corp, International Girl doll 20"

M & S Shillman dolls 1924-1930 USA - not much is known of this short lived doll company, they are best known as a supplier or jobber of dolls in trunk sets with clothing and accessories.

Shown at right, M & S Shillman, Mama doll, 17" tall, composition flange head, arms and partial lower legs, cloth stuffed body and upper legs, molded and painted hair, flirty sleep eyes, open mouth with two upper teeth, doll mark M & S.

1924-1930 M & S Shillman, Mama doll 17", composition and cloth, doll mark M & S.

Magic Light Products Company dolls 1930s-1940s of New York, USA - this doll makers history is unknown to us, Patsy type doll, 9" tall, all composition jointed body, molded painted hair some dolls had a wig over the hair, painted side glancing eyes, tiny painted closed mouth.  Iris Halsey was the owner or doll designer.  Doll has also been found in all cloth.

1930s-1940s Magic Light Lumia Doll, 9" tall, is visible in total darkness, if you hold her for a few seconds by a light source the dolll will glow in the dark, no phosphorus or aluminum is used in production, thus the doll is totally harmless, doll is unmarked.

Photo courtesy of littlemarz

1930s-1940s Magic Light, Lumia Doll, 9"

Maxine Doll Company 1926-1930s - a USA company, made composition Mama and Baby dolls, some of their dolls are copies of other dolls.  Some Maxine Dolls are;  Gloria Lou doll a composition and cloth Mama doll with open mouth, four upper teeth or all composition doll, after 1929 Armand Marseille Baby Gloria doll with a bisque or rubber head and other dolls.

1929 Mitzie doll, 14" tall, a Patsy type look a like, socket head with all composition jointed body with/or without body twist ball jointed waist, molded painted hair, large painted eyes, doll is marked Mitzie.   Note: These dolls were also sold by: Averill whose dolls were named Jimmie doll and Dimmie doll, Horsman who called her Boots doll and Sears was named Tootsie doll, all dolls unmarked.

1929 Maxine Doll Co. Mitzie doll, 14"

Metropolitan Doll Company 1924-1929 - a USA company that made composition dolls and doll parts, including:  Mama dolls, Baby dolls, Girl with Hair loop bows in both white or black dolls.  Some of their dolls were designed by famous doll sculptor Ernest Peruggi.

Doll shown on right; Hair Loop Bow Girl doll, 21" tall, composition shoulder head and partial lower arms, deeply molded wavy painted hair with hair loop for a bow, blue painted eyes, single stroke eyebrows, closed mouth, cloth stuffed body with full or partial cloth legs, doll mark: Metropolitan Doll or unmarked.

1924-1929 Metropolitan,
Hair Bow Girl doll, 21"

Mitred Box Company dolls 1911-1917 - was a short lived doll maker in New York city, USA.  Of the composition doll models that have been found by Mitred Box company some of the dolls show characteristics of the same body construction as Amberg dolls, so they may have shared suppliers.  Some dolls by Mitred may have a doll mark Yankee Doll, Made in USA, all other dolls are unmarked.

1912 Coquette doll, 14", all composition jointed doll, Coquette is a copy of Gebrüder Heubach's bisque head doll mold 7788 or 7850; molded painted hair, molded painted blue hair bow, blue painted side glancing eyes, closed smiling mouth, painted black molded boots, doll is unmarked.

1912 Mitred Box, Coquette doll, 14"

Mitred Box Company - continued

1912 Mitred Box Singer doll, 14" tall, all composition jointed doll, the Singer doll is a copy of Gebrüder Heubach's bisque doll head, doll mold 7764 or 7851 that is referred to as the Singing Girl doll or the Singer doll, with a slightly more elaborate molded hair style than the above Coquette doll, molded painted blue ribbon bow, painted blue eyes, an open mouth, painted molded boots, doll is unmarked.

1912 Mitred Box Singer doll, 14"

Modern Toy Company Inc. dolls 1914-1926 NYC, USA - founded by Julius Johnson and Max Roth they made Mama cloth and character composition dolls, all composition bent limb Baby dolls, Character dolls and a doll line of Hug Me Dollies, doll marks M.T.C. or M.T. Co.

Doll shown at right; 1914+ Modern Toy Character Girl Doll, 15" tall, composition flared head and hands, cloth body, upper arms and disk jointed straight legs, molded painted hair, painted blue eyes, closed mouth, doll mark M.T. Co.

1914+ Modern Toy,

Character Girl Doll 15"

Natural Doll Company 1915-1966 NYC, USA founded by Charles Colombo

1915-1920s ND Doll Company, Character doll,  14" tall, white or black doll, cloth jointed body and limbs, composition head with molded painted hair, painted facial features with closed smiling mouth, doll mark ND Co.  

Other Natural dolls have been found marked ND Co. © 1922 and ND Co. © 1923, ND Co for JRMC.

ca. late 1930s to early 1940s Natural Doll Company, Charles Baby doll, 23", a composition shoulder head with molded hair, painted eyes, open closed smiling mouth, a dimple in each cheek with a cloth body, full composition arms, uppet cloth and lower composition legs, doll mark ND inside a large initial C © "Charles Baby".  Doll is probably named after it's founder Charles Columbo.

1915-1920s Natural Doll Company, Character doll, 14"

1950s+ Natural Doll Company Ritzi Chubby Baby Dolls seems to be Natural's trade name, which is found on doll hang tags - brand rather than a singular doll name.  The silver tag with navy writing reads; It's a NATURAL, Ritzi Chubby Baby Dolls, by Natural Doll Co. Inc., Est. 1915, Made in USA.  Note many different dolls (various molded hair styles or wigged, sleep or painted eyes) have been found with original Natural Doll Company hang tags.

The Ritzi Chubby Baby Doll shown above left, is all composition jointed body, brown molded hair with brown hair bow above left ear, sleep eyes, closed mouth, came with her hang tag.

In 1926 Natural Doll company advertised their specialty was moving doll eyes.  1927 a member of the American Doll Manufacturers Association.  1929 made Baby doll heads with smiling faces.  1931 made Mama dolls, Baby dolls, their trade mark dolls of Just-Lyk and Ritzi (Ritzie) dolls.  On May 30, 1950 the Natural Doll Company patented the phrase "It's a Natural" patent number 525,833.  1960s Natural went on to produce hard plastic and vinyl Miss Ritzi dolls.

1950s+ Natural Doll Company Ritzi Chubby Baby Doll, 15" plus other sizes, all composition jointed body, molded hair, wigged or both, painted or sleep eyes, closed mouth, doll is unmarked. 

National Doll Company 1923-1930+ NYC, USA made composition and cloth Mama dolls with licensed Voices, Inc. crier boxes.  In 1924 made Betsy Ross dolls sold through George Borgfeldt.  A doll has been found marked National Doll Co.

National Doll Company doll mark National Doll Co

Nibur Novelty Company dolls 1914-1929 - a USA doll manufacturer, made composition dolls in various sizes, also sold doll heads and doll parts doll mark  NIBUR within a diamond.

1920s Nibur Novelty, Baby Doll, 12" tall, shown at right, composition head & limbs, cloth body, painted facial features, closed painted mouth, molded painted hair, doll marked on shoulder plate NIBUR in a diamond.

1920s Nibur Novelty, Baby Doll, 12"

Patsy Type Look A Like Dolls 1928+

Perfect Toy Manufacturing Company dolls 1919-1930s USA

1930s Perfect Toy Marianne doll, 18" tall, composition shoulder head, arms and legs to above the knees, cloth stuffed body and upper legs, jointed at the shoulders with stitched hips.  Mohair wig in long cork screw curls, tin sleep eyes, open mouth with three upper teeth.  Came wearing an organdy dress with matching bonnet, socks and leather shoes, doll is marked Perfect on the back shoulder plate. For reference see Ursula R. Mertz, Composition Dolls Volume II, book page 337.

Doll shown is wearing a dress with a label that states:  Marianne an Arranbee doll.  Dress fits perfectly, appears original to the doll.  See also the Marianne on the Arranbee doll page.

                                        Photo courtesy of Tream

1930s Perfect Toy Marianne doll, 18"

Quan Quan Company dolls Los Angeles, CA USA - ca. 1930s Ming Ming Baby doll, 11" tall, Oriental or Asian boy doll, all composition jointed body, molded hair, painted eyes and closed mouth, que hat (wisdom hat) with black braid, painted black bottom of feet for soles of shoes.

ca. 1930s Ling Ling Baby doll, 11" tall, Oriental or Asian girl doll, all composition,  both came dressed in a two piece pants set made of taffeta with braid trim and matching hat.  Ling Ling has painted white bottoms of her feet for soles of shoes. 

Dolls were both produced by the Quan Quan Company of California and both dolls are unmarked.

1930s Quan Quan, Ming Ming Baby doll, 11"

3 In 1 Doll Corp - Sleepy Trudy doll face and Smily Trudy doll face

Weepy Trudy doll face - a multi face doll

Three-in-One-Doll Corp., 3 IN 1 Doll Corp, 1946+ USA - Trudy a multi-face doll 14 or 20" tall, has a single composition head with a knob to turn to show the different faces; Sleepy Trudy face, Smily Trudy face and Weepy Trudy face, came dressed in five different outfits, including a bunny ear outfit.  The Trudy doll head is unmarked, Trudy's hang tag states; An Elsie Gilbert Creation Patents Pending, plus the doll and company name.