Skookum Bully Good Native American Indian Dolls 1913+ USA
Mary Dwyer McAboy (b. 1876 – d. 1961) of Missoula, Montana, was the designer of the Native American Indian dolls called Skookum, which is Siwash for Bully Good, dolls in 1913.
By 1920 the Arrow Novelty Company of New York took over producing the composition head Skookum Indian dolls that were patented in 1914 by Mary McAboy. About 1929 the H.H. Tammen Company produced composition head Skookum dolls and then plastic Skookum dolls until 1962.
The earliest Skookum dolls have a dried apple head with a painted face, black glass pin eyes and black cotton floss hair, from 3 to 9″ tall, on a wood frame body, dressed and wrapped in an Indian type blanket. The Skookum Indian dolls are not authentically dressed, the attire consists of a printed blanket wrapped around the figure, feather head band or band, wig of human hair or mohair, shirt, pants, ladies in dresses and leather moccasin shoes, faux suede, painted and plastic dolls have bare feet.
Skookum dolls represent various Indian tribes; Apache, Chippewa, Navajo, Pueblo, Sioux, Utes and others, consisting of males, women, children and papooses – baby dolls, in sizes of 2″ to 36″ tall display figures. In the1940s to early 1950s the Skookum doll’s paper identification tags were often affixed to the bottom of the dolls feet, labels or a tag read in an oval circle; Trademark Registered, Patented, inside circle, Skookum (Bully Good) Indian U.S.A.
Buy Skookum antique dolls
Find Skookum antique doll values
Skookum Doll Marks Identified
Skookum Bully Good Indian USA trademark registered patented tag
Skookum Indian Patented February 17, 1914 label
Harry Heye Tammen of the H. H. Tammen Company or H. H. Tammen Curio Company of Denver, Colorado 1881-1962 supplied Skookum dolls, mostly to the west coast under their Tammen label; The HH Tammen Co., New York, Denver, Los Angeles, Skookum Indian Patented February 17, 1914.