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Edward
Imeson Horsman
(E. I. Horsman) opened a toy company in New York city, NY USA (1865-present) and became
a leader in the toy industry.
In 1930 the Horsman company
acquired the Louis Amberg & Son doll company, their competitor and
continued to produce some of Amberg's dolls notably the Vanta Baby. In
October 1933 Horsman was purchased and became a subsidiary of the
Regal
Doll Manufacturing Company.
By the 1980s the Horsman name
was sold to an Asian company which produced dolls under the name Horsman
Ltd., that are today made in Hong Hong, China.
Dolls
1904+
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1920s |
1930s |
< 1940s > |
1950s |
1957+
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1960s+ | 1970s
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1940s Horsman Enchanting Eyes doll 15-16"
tall (probably other sizes as well), composition flange head, full
or partial composition arms or legs, cloth stuffed body, brown
painted molded hair, flirty sleep eyes that also move side to side
(some have been found with non-flirty sleep eyes too), closed
mouth, doll marked A Horsman Doll.
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1940s Enchanting Eyes doll, 15"
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ca.
1940s Horsman Art Doll 11" tall, all composition, molded
painted hair, painted side glancing eyes, open mouth, composition
jointed body, wearing original clothing bonnet & shoes.
Unknown how marked. Box states A Horsman Art Doll, # 4391,
doll probably had a hangtag as well. |
ca. 1940s Horsman Art Doll,
11" |
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1942+ Horsman Bright Star doll
15-21" tall, all composition jointed dolls, braided pigtail or
ringlet curled wigs, several different head molds were used that are all Bright Star dolls
with sleep eyes, open or closed mouths, dolls are unmarked.
From a 1942
Butler Brothers catalog are the following Horsman Bright Star doll names with
pigtail wigs; Betty 15", Honey 18" and Judy
21" or with ringlet curls wigs Carol 15",
Patty 18" and Jean 21" tall. |
1942 Bright Star Judy doll 21" |
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1946 Horsman Betty Bedtime Art doll 12,
18" tall, composition head with either molded
hair or wigged hair,
cloth body, composition lower arms and
legs, came in a box that converted into a bed for the doll to
sleep on, wore
a white dress with open eyelet weave trimmed with lace and ribbon,
matching bonnet, socks and tie bootie shoes,
pink robe and night hat, and four
dainty dot safety pins, doll mark Horsman Doll or unmarked.
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1946
Betty Bedtime Art doll, 18" |
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1949 Horsman Squalling Baby doll 19" tall, soft vinyl head and limbs (vinyl
forearms, hands and legs to just above the knees), cloth
body, molded hair, painted blue squinting eyes, red angry painted
cheeks, wide open mouth - like it's crying or "squalling",
sometimes doll marked Corp.
Lastic Plastic 49.
1949 Horsman Squalling Baby doll 16" tall, like the
doll above with slight changes - only head,
hands and feet are vinyl, rest is cloth, this one is a squeaker, crier,
doll is unmarked, same squalling face. Note:
not everyone agrees that either Squalling Baby doll was made by Horsman.
Ideal and
Fleischaker Novelty also made this type of squalling baby dolls.
Georgene Averill has an earlier
composition and cloth Baby Yawn doll ca. 1930s, who has a yawning
face with closed eyes and open mouth.
In the 1980s Horsman reissued the Squalling Baby
doll.
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1949 Squalling Baby doll 19"
1949 Horsman Squalling Baby doll 16" |
Dolls
1904+
|
1920s |
1930s |
<
1940s > |
1950+ |
1957+ |
1960s+
| 1970s
Horsman Doll Resources:
Collectors Guide to Horsman Dolls 1865-1950; Identification & Values
book in 2002 by Don Jensen,
Collector’s Encyclopedia of American Composition Dolls 1900-1950 books
vol. I in 1999, vol. II in 2004 both by Ursula R. Mertz, Composition Dolls books,
vol. I (1928-1955) in 1991, vol. II (1909-1928) in 1994 both by Pam and
Polly Judd and continued research across the Internet since 1999 which we
share with you.
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