History of Dolls
Since prehistoric times there has been a desire for playthings which resemble human form. Although there are no complete dolls remaining from prehistoric times, fragments from Babylonian times have been discovered. Egyptian finds have included pottery dolls from the tombs. These would have been cherished possessions and would probably have thought to accompany their owner to the after life. Greek and Roman dolls would have been dedicated to Goddesses when their owners had out-grown them.
Eventually, as early as 600BC, dolls would be made that would have movable limbs and garments. Europe became a major source for doll production with dolls made primarily of wood. 16th and 17th Century England produced primitive wooden stump dolls. It is extremely rare to find these dolls today. In the Grodnertal area of Germany many skittle type peg dolls were made. Another popular medium of the 17th and 18th Century was the wax doll.
Cloth dolls or rag dolls have been made by mothers for centuries but began their commercial life in the 1850's. These were more "dispensible" than their more expensive bisque counterparts so it is rare to find really old ones in good condition.
Eventually a new medium was introduced, that of Composition. This is a mixture of wood and paper and was used to make dolls heads and bodies. Papier-mache was also used. This was a type of composition and one of the most popular mixtures.
The 19th Century saw the beginning of Porcelain. This term is also used for china and bisque dolls. China was popular for dolls heads in Germany, France, and Denmark during the 1840s. These were later replaced with bisque heads in the 1860s. Today one of the most collectible dolls is the French "bebe" which was popular in the 1880s. These were the first dolls to depict a child . Germany soon took the trend and produced cheaper dolls which were also very popular as they were more affordable. However, they lacked the artistry of the French Dolls.
In America, dollmaking became an industry in the after the Civil War in the 1860s. This was based primarily in New England. They were made from a variety of materials such as leather, rubber, papier-mache, and cloth.
New Jersey of the 1860's saw the birth of celluloid. This was used manufacture dolls until the mid-1950s. There was a mass quantity supplied from French, German, American and Japanese factories but it had a tendency to be highly flammable and was prone to fading.
After World War II plastic dolls were manufactured which resembled composition dolls but were more durable. Eventually, rubber, foam and vinyl were used allowing hair to be rooted rather than using wigs.Although many of these dolls are now mass produced, the popularity of good quality dolls has led to the reproduction of older dolls using old techniques.