Franz Schmidt Dolls 1890-1937 German
Franz Schmidt founded his doll company in Georgenthal, Thuringia, Germany in 1890, also known as Puppenfabrik Georgenthal. Simon & Halbig supplied the bisque heads designed specifically for Franz Schmidt’s dolls. Schmidt was very innovative in the doll industry providing many improvements such as in 1912 pierced nostrils (called breathers), 1913 movable or flutter tongue, 1914 improved wood joints, 1928 eye bar in doll head and 1928 doll voice boxes.
Franz Schmidt made dolls sized 6 to 42″ tall, Dolly face, Character Baby and Character Dolls with bisque heads, glass or painted eyes, kid or composition body, all of whom are very high quality. Sometimes a z is found in Schmidt’s doll marking, this is believed to stand for zentimeter, German for centimeter.
Franz Schmidt doll trade names are 1909 Cellulobrin, 1910 Tausendschöchen = Daisy and 1913 Little Boy Blue a baby doll. Mr. Franz Schmidt passed away in 1942, the business was continued by his son Arno Schmidt until it closed in 1942. Click images to enlarge.
ca. 1905 Franz Schmidt doll mark F S & C bisque socket head 18″ face, composition jointed body
1928 Franz Schmidt doll mold 438 composition head, flirty sleep eyes, open mouth face.
1912 Franz Schmidt doll mold 1255 black solid dome head, glass eyes, breather, open mouth baby doll 11″ face
1912 Franz Schmidt doll mold 1262 bisque head doll 24″ with painted eyes, closed mouth, composition body
1912 Franz Schmidt doll mold 1263 bisque head doll 18″ face with painted eyes, closed mouth, composition jointed body
1912 Franz Schmidt doll mold 1267 solid dome head, 18″ face with painted eyes, closed mouth.
1910 Franz Schmidt doll mold 1271 solid bisque dome head 16″ face, sleep eyes, closed mouth.
1910 Franz Schmidt doll mold 1272 bisque head breather with movable tongue 19″ face, also as a black doll.
1912 Franz Schmidt doll mold 1295 character doll, sleep eyes, breather, open mouth 13″ face
1913 Franz Schmidt doll mold 2097 bisque dome head, sleep eyes, breather, open mouth with upper teeth, flutter tongue, baby doll 15″ face
ca. 1902 Franz Schmidt doll molds 209, 1250 bisque head doll on metal wind up walking body by Ferdinand Imhoff marked on bottom of metal shoe with rollers Aller Lander.
ca. 1901 Ferdinand Imhoff mechanical walking doll body patent marked on bottom of shoe Aller Lander No. 119857.
Franz Schmidt Doll Marks Identified
Franz Schmidt Doll Mold Numbers Identified
269, 293, 410, 1180, 1250, 1252, 1253, 1255, 1262, 1263, 1266, 1267, 1271, 1272, 1286, 1294, 1295, 1296, 1297, 1310, 1370, 78281
Note: Franz Schmidt doll mold 410, 1295 has flirty eyes, doll mold 1255 has been found as a black bent limb Character Baby doll, some marked Franz Schmidt doll molds 209, 1250 may be on Ferdinand Imhoff key wind up metal walking bodies marked on bottom of foot Aller Lander.
