Simon & Halbig Porzellanfabrik Dolls German
The Simon & Halbig Porzellanfabrik (Porcelain factory) history, was founded in 1869 by Wilhelm Simon (d. 1894) and Carl Halbig (1839-1926), they began making doll heads in 1875 at their two porcelain factories in Gräfenhain and Hidburghausen, near Thüringia, Germany. In 1920 S & H was bought by Kämmer & Reinhardt, who continued to produce dolls until 1932, shortly after the factory became known as Keramisches Werk Gräfenhain which ceased around 1943.
Simon & Halbig is known for their fine bisque doll heads and innovation in the doll industry and like most German porcelain manufacturers they did not make doll bodies, these were purchased from others. Simon & Halbig supplied bisque doll heads to many other well known doll manufacturers.
The firms that used a S & H doll head are American; Arranbee, George Borgfeldt, Thomas Edison dolls, Gimbel, FAO Schwartz, John Wanamaker.
German firms; Max Oscar Arnold, Bawo & Dotter, C.M. Bergmann, Bing Brothers, Carl Bergner, Cuno & Otto Dressel, Eekhoff, Hamburger & Company, Heinrich Handwerck, Adolf Hülß also spelled Hülss, Kammer & Reinhardt, Louis Lindner & Sohn (doll mark LL & S), Franz Schmidt, Schoenau & Hoffmeister, Strobel & Wilken, Catterfelder Puppenfabrik, Wagner & Zetzsche, Welsch & Company, Hugo Wiegand, Wiesenthal, Schindel & Kallenberg and Adolf Wislizenus.
French firms; Fleischmann & Bloedel, Jumeau, some Elie Martin ondine swimming dolls, Roullet et Decamps and SFBJ.
Antique Simon & Halbig Dolls Identified
ca. 1912 Simon & Halbig doll mold 120 face, 22″, bisque socket head, sleep eyes, closed mouth, jointed composition body, like K & R Mein Liebling doll face.
Simon & Halbig doll marks & mold numbers are here