On June 11, 1918 Georgene Averill – Madame Hendren, patented and created an improved baby doll.  Averill’s Lyf–Lyk (Life-Like) doll has a composition flange head, molded painted hair, painted eyes, closed mouth, cloth upper arms with partial composition lower arms and hands, a wide cloth stuffed torso body and straight, swinging cloth legs with stitched heeled feet (exclusive to Averill’s doll) to simulate walking, when led by the hand.

What is a Mama doll? Not long after production had begun on the Averill doll, a voice box was added to the tummy that cried Ma-Ma when the doll is tilted, which is how these dolls got their name.  By 1921 Mama dolls were also patented in England. 

During 1923, 80% of all dolls preferred by a child in the United States, were Mama dolls.  By 1926 costly production of dolls and high import tariff’s, the European bisque doll market dominance had ended.

A guide to help date your Mama doll by body style

 In 1927 Mama dolls had slimmer bodies and partial composition lower legs were introduced, about 1928 composition swivel shoulder heads with full composition limbs thus the dolls could stand unaided. 

Around 1935 Mama dolls appeared with distinct right and left feet, rather than both feet exactly the same.

By the mid-1940s composition Mama dolls popularity had declined, doll makers began to replace composition with plastic invented during World War II.  By the early 1950s most doll were made of hard plastic, those makers are listed on the hard plastic doll page.

Many, too many Mama dolls are look a like’s and unmarked, making it nearly impossible to identify a Mama doll with certainty.  It’s also possible more than one doll maker used the very same doll head mold.

Mama Type Dolls Identified

ca. 1930s+ American Mama type doll 20″ face, composition head molded hair, sleep eyes, open mouth, cloth stuffed body with crier, doll unmarked.

1931+ Horsman Baby Darling a Mama type doll, composition head molded hair, sleep eyes, open mouth, stuffed cloth body with crier, doll unmarked. Doll head mold was also used by many other doll makers.

ca. 1939+ Horsman Genuine Art Doll, Mama type doll 23 1/2″ composition head with molded hair, sleep eyes, open mouth, cloth stuffed body with crier, doll mark Horsman or unmarked. Doll head mold was also used by many other doll makers, including 1940 Sears Baby Sunshine doll with a cloth body.

ca. 1940s+ ABC Toy Company Mama type baby doll 17″ composition head molded hair, sleep eyes, closed mouth, cloth stuffed body with crier, doll mark ABC Toy Co.

Note: The ca. 1939+ Horsman Genuine Art doll with molded hair (unmarked) was also used on molded hair Baby dolls with all composition bodies.

Mama composition doll makers or distributors

(1920s to 1940s companies who made composition dolls and probably Mama dolls too)