September 14, 2025, Meeting

Sharon Weintraub did a program on wind-up carnival dolls by Zaiden Toy Works, including demonstrating working examples from her collection.  In 1922, Zaiden advertised a variety of mechanical dolls, including a doll who “shakes and shimmies to beat the band,” a doll who reproduces the “Hula Hula dance,” national dolls waving the flags of their respective counties, a Spanish dancer with castanets, a Salvation Army lass shaking a tambourine, and a nurse rocking a baby in her arms. David Zaiden was granted at least seven patents for mechanical dolls and toys between 1921 and 1922.  Zaiden advertised that its dolls were made of the “famous Zaiden Wood Fiber Compound, with high celluloid enamel finish.” When found in good condition, the dolls have a smooth shiny finish.

A March 8, 1922, advertisement by Zaiden featured seven dolls, which it declared are only part of the company’s “Sixteen new mechanical numbers.” One doll was dubbed Salvation Nell” and dressed in a Salvation Army uniform. This example has a one-piece composition head and torso and lower wooden arms and metal hands, but the upper arms, hidden under the dress, are simply flexible wire. When wound by a key jutting out of her lower back, Nell vigorously shakes her tambourine. Originally Nell turned in a circle as well but the loosening of her legs over the time dampened her dancing ability. The doll’s name may have been inspired by the popular song, introduced in 1913, entitled “Salvation Nell”-- There’s a girl of sweet seventeen, always has a tambourine. Heavenly grace, heavenly face, ‘neath a bonnet with “Salvation” on it. Every fellow living in town thinks she’s mighty swell. Every night they gather around sweet Salvation Nell.

Zaiden used this same mechanism for other models, including this “Nurse Girl,” who, instead of playing the tambourine, rocks a little baby doll. The ad called her “The mother of them all.” 

On March 13, 1922, Zaiden filed an application for a patent for a “mechanically operated dancing doll adapted to perform rhythmic movements in simulation of Eastern and South Sea Island dances.” The mechanism allowed the doll to appear to roll her belly while simultaneously shimmying her chest. One version of this doll was sold as “Bimbo,’’ a South Sea dancer. The name may have come from the popular 1920 song, “My Little Bimbo Down on the Bamboo Isle,” with the chorus, “I've got a Bimbo down on the Bamboo Isle, She's waiting there for me, beneath the bamboo tree. She's got the other Bimbos beat a mile. She dances gaily, daily, Oh! She plays a mean ukulele.” Bimbo must have been a popular product, as she its found in several sizes and skin tones. 

The same mechanism appears in this doll in a Middle-eastern outfit. It came with the remains of her original box which dubbed her “Turkish.” 

On May 9, 1921, Zaiden filed for a patent for mechanical doll that would shimmy her hips in simulation of the Hawaiian hula. In the example, a rod through her hips shimmies, shaking her fringe skirt,

Other companies produced hula dancing dolls, such as this example by Progressive Toy Company. In this doll the skirt is fastened to a ring that raises and lowers the skirt as it shimmies.

 

Sharon noted that few of these dolls survived, especially in working condition. They were cheap carnival

prizes and typically were discarded when their mechanisms jammed or their composition began to flake.

Continuing the carnival theme, Myrna Loesch shared this bright blue poodle, a childhood gift from her father. She told the club that her father was the auditor for the local county fair that took place in the city park and brought it home to her from the carnival. Myrna said that the little bisque flapper doll in the pink boa was made inn Japan and she brought it because it looked like the type of doll people won at a carnival. 

Sylvia McDonald brought the clown doll, made by the company Show Stoppers. 

The little girl in pink belongs to Pam Hardy. She is a hard plastic Muffie doll by the Nancy Ann Storybook Doll Company. Pam told the club that as a child she saved her money so that she could buy this doll.

David Craig shared this lovely lady by JAMIEshow USA, which is wearing a bathing outfit that belongs to a Gene doll. He told that club that this model is called Edie.

Bette Birdsong brought this wind-up crawling baby.

Jenell Howell shared this vintage Ginny wearing a cute outfit known to collectors as the "pencil dress."

She also brought this set of comic nodders made in Japan. Originally, these nodders were made by the German firm of Hertwig and Company, which called them "lachender junge" (laughing boys). The Japanese entered the bisque doll and novelty market during WWI when German toys were embargoed, often directly copying German models, and continued through the period between the wars. The Japanese knock-offs were of poorer quality than the original German pieces, but they were also a lot less expensive and the spread of 5&10 cent stores through the United States offered a ready market for the cheaper Japanese goods.

Ann Meyer shared this Raggedy Ann doll that was made by her daughter's grandmother. 

Jan Irsfeld brought this Cissy doll that she had found nude in a doll shop shortly after she moved to Austin. Jan told the club that she fell in love with the doll's face, but has never been able to identify the model. She made the dress, which is a copy of a Cissy dress she saw in a catalog. 

Nancy Countryman brought a variety of dolls. The male doll in the back is Malibu Ken by Mattel. The doll in the pink hat is composition. Nancy said that the two plastic dolls with the elaborate hats remind her of Carmen Miranda. The cloth doll in green may be from India.