George Borgfeldt Dolls 1881-1959 USA, German

1911 George Borgfeldt Little Bright Eyes googly eye 12″ doll

George Borgfeldt & Company was located in New York City USA and founded by George Borgfeldt (born in 1833 – died 1903), Marcell and Joseph L. Kahle, as a doll importer, doll assembler for American and Canadian markets and a doll distributor. 

Borgfeldt held the distributing rights to many dolls from European manufacturers such as: Bähr & Pröschild, Buschow & Beck and Karl Standfuss, Heinrich Handwerck, Käthe Kruse, Kammer & Reinhardt, JD Kestner, Armand Marseille and Steiff, plus others.

Borgfeldt bisque doll heads were made for them by several German doll makers; Alt, Beck & Gottschalck, Kling & Co, Armand Marseille, Max Schelhorn and Simon & Halbig. 

Borgfeldt also distributed American made dolls for; Aetna, Averill, Bergfeld & Son, Bimblick Toy Company of New York City, Dreamland Doll, Cameo, K & K or K and K Toy Company (also owned by Borgfeldt), Metal Doll Company, Jeanne Orsini, Tip Top Toy and many other American doll makers.

Some Borgfeldt Dolly faced dolls have their name in the marking:  Alma doll, Duchess doll, Florodora doll, GB doll, Just Me doll, Little Sister doll, My Dearie doll, My Girlie doll, My Playmate doll, Nobbi Kid doll, Pansy II, III, V doll (see Sears for Pansy IV), Princess doll, Snowflake and Virginia – short for Ginny dolls both by Oscar Hitt.  Some of these names are known dolls made by Armand Marseille.  My Girlie, Snowflake and Virginia are by ABG – Alt, Beck & Gottschalck. Hy Mayer labeled 1919 Tiss-Me chalkware doll.

Dolls distributed by Borgfeldt may have a GB or GB & Co in their marking, others have only the marking of the doll manufacturer.  Borgfeldt is best known for commissioning and distributing the very successful Rose O’Neill, Kewpie dolls and Grace Storey Putnam Bye-Lo Baby dolls.

Antique George Borgfeldt Dolls Identified

ca. 1912 Borgfeldt doll mold 251 character Baby doll 10″ tall by Marseille. ca. 1912+ Borgfeldt Character Baby dolls are 12-24″ tall, bisque socket head, composition bent limb baby body, glass sleep or painted eyes, open or closed mouth, wigged. 

Similar bisque doll mold numbers and marks 251, 326, 327, 329, GB, GB & Co Germany.

1922+ Borgfeldt Bye-Lo Baby doll, 9-20″ tall, all bisque doll, bisque and composition, celluloid or wooden head with cloth body, sleep eyes or painted eyes.  Designed by Grace Storey Putnam, based on a three day old newborn child.  Several different markings depending on manufacturer; Copr. by Grace S Putnam Germany 1415/48, © 1923 by Grace S. Putnam Made in Germany or 20-10 Copr. by Grace S. Putnam Germany or BYE-LO BABY Reg. US Pat. Off. K and K Copyright 1922 by Grace Storey Putnam inside a circle. 

Bye-Lo Baby doll bisque heads were made by Alt, Beck & Gottschalck (doll molds 1369, 1373), JD Kestner, Kling & Company., Hertel, Schwab & Company, composition heads by Cameo (made a rare composition black Bye-Lo doll), celluloid heads by Karl Standfuss, wood heads by Schoenhut, all bisque dolls made by Kestner, cloth body dolls made by K & K or K and K Toy Co., composition body dolls made by Köenig & Wernicke. There is a rare antique black bisque head Bye-Lo Baby doll who is marked 1415, all the other black Bye-Lo dolls are reproduction dolls.

ca. 1925+ Borgfeldt Baby Bo Kaye doll, 16-20″ tall, designed by Joseph L. Kallus of Cameo for George Borgfeldt, bisque head by Alt, Beck & Gottschalck or celluloid head, lightly molded painted hair, sleep eyes, open mouth with two lower teeth, cloth body with composition limbs, doll mark Copr. by J.L. Kallus Germany 1394.  Also all bisque Baby Bo Kaye dolls , 5-8 1/2″ tall, ABG doll mold 1407.

The Baby Bo-Kaye doll name may have occurred – when the president of Borgfeldt and designer Kallus were trying to arrive at a doll name, a secretary came into their office carrying a “bouquet” of flowers.

1926+ Borgfeldt Bonnie Babe doll, 8-23″ tall, bisque or celluloid head, open smiling mouth with two lower teeth, cloth or composition body, ABG doll mold 1386 or 1402.  Bisque heads were made by ABG; Alt, Beck & Gottschalck.  Doll mark Copr. by Georgene Averill Germany 1005 3652 1386. Borgfeldt was the distributor for Averill.  There were also tiny 5-7″ all bisque Bonnie Babe doll figurines.

1929+ Borgfeldt Gladdie doll, 18-24″ tall, designed by Helen W. Jensen, doll shown is 22″ tall, biscaloid a type of composition that looks like bisque head with molded painted hair, blue glassine set eyes, open smiling mouth with upper teeth, cloth body with composition limbs, doll mark Gladdie Copyriht By Helen W. Jensen Germany.

1929+ Borgfeldt Gladdie doll mold 1410, 18-24″ tall, bisque head doll shown is 18″ tall, designed by Helen W. Jensen, bisque doll produced by ABG, Alt, Beck & Gottschalck, a bisque flange head with molded painted hair, glassine set eyes, open smiling mouth with upper teeth, cloth body with composition limbs, doll mark Gladdie.

1931 Borgfeldt Babykins doll 17″ tall, bisque flange head with lightly painted molded hair, single stroke brows, painted upper and lower eyelashes, blue sleep eyes, very full closed mouth with prominent lips, cloth body arms and upper legs, composition hands and lower legs, doll mark Babykins Copr. by Grace S. Putnam Made in Germany 1435.  This is a hard to find and rare Grace S. Putnam doll. ABG –  Alt, Beck Gottschalck is the likely supplier of doll mold 1435.

George Borgfeldt Doll Marks Identified

Borgfeldt doll mark 251 GB Germany A 2/0 M DRGM 243/4

Borgfeldt doll mark GB 327 DRGM 259 A 12 M

Borgfeldt doll mark Copr by JL Kallus Germany 1407

Borgfeldt doll mark Gladdie copyrith by Helen W. Jensen Germany 1410

George Borgfeldt Doll Mold Numbers Identified

142, 170, 250, 251, 252, 253, 255, 310, 326, 327, 328, 329, 880, 1228, 1362, 1369, 1373, 1386, 1391, 1394, 1402, 1403, 1405, 1407, 1409, 1410, 1418, 1435, 1923, 2918, 4541, 13765