March 8, 2026, Meeting

Member Myrna Loesch did a program on dolls modeled after celebrities and famous people. She explained that "celebrity" refers to someone who is a recognized public figure in the media, often in the entertainment industry, while a famous person is generally known for an achievement, skill, or historical importance.  As early as the 1830s paper dolls were created in the images of famous performers, such as the renown ballerina, Marie Taglioni, as well as historical figures and royalty With the advent of silent films, companies such as Louis Amberg began producing celebrity dolls based on movie stars like Charlie Chaplin. Dolls were also made of sports figures, such as the early doll produced by the Ideal Toy Company modeled after the baseball player Ty Cobb. Movies inspired ever more celebrity dolls, as did the coming of television. 

Myrna said that from 1934 through 1938, Ideal produced composition Shirley Temple dolls. The child actress was so popular that almost a third of the dolls produced in the United States were Shirley Temple dolls. Numerous companies also made Shirley knock-offs. This vinyl Shirley by Ideal is from Myrna's childhood and dates from the late 1950s to 1960s.

The doll in the blue dress, Myrna said, is a composition Shirley knock-off.  The doll in pink next to her is another vinyl Shirley. Behind them is a hard plastic doll based on the actress and model Roxanne from the television show, "Beat the Clock;" the dolls was issued in 1952 by Mona Lisa Dolls, a subsidiary of Valentine Doll, Inc.

Another television personality, this cheerful child represents actress Angela Cartwright from the show "Make Room for Daddy" and was introduced in 1960. 

This trio of lovely ladies represent the skating and movie star Sonja Henie. An Olympic medal winner and a world champion, Henie retired from competition in 1936 to star in movies and ice shows. She transformed figure skating by incorporating dance moves intro her routines and wearing short skirts and white figure skates. These composition dolls were made by Madame Alexander in the 1930s and 40s.

Puppeteer and ventriloquist Shari Louis had her own show on television from 1960 through 1963, performing with puppets such as "Lamb Chop." The show was a hit and Madame Alexander made a number of dolls based on Lewis. 

Myrna ended her presentation with a more contemporary example of celebrity dolls, five male dolls modeled on the boy band "New Kids on the Block," introduced by Hasbro in 1990. 

Jenell Howell brought this  doll by Peggy Nesbit representing actor Bob Hope from the movie, "The Road to Morocco."

Jenell also displayed this Jane Withers doll by Madame Alexander. Withers was a child star in the 1930s and 40s, and in her adult life collected dolls. Jenell purchased this doll when Wither's collection was auctioned off and discovered that it has a note from Withers pinned under her clothing.

Produced by Ideal as part of its bendable Flexy line, this doll represents singer and comedienne Fanny Brice as her character "Baby Snooks."

Visitor Pam Matthews shared this example of a celebrity doll based on a cartoon character, in this case, Betty Boop. All original, this composition cutie is "Baby Betty Boop," made by the Cameo Doll Company in the 1930s.

She also brought this all-original doll representing the child actress Margaret O'Brien by Madame Alexander.

Elaine Jackson shared this Davy Crockett doll carved by Helen Bullard. Crockett was the star of a 1950s television series by Disney and was played by the actor Fess Parker. Elaine told the club that Bullard made only 40 of these dolls. 

Davis Craig displayed this Madame Alexander doll from the 1990s representing the television actresses Lucille Ball. He said that he had bought the doll for his mother, who was a big fan of the red-headed comedienne, but that it was given away. David later found the doll on eBay and was able to repurchase her; he said that his mother's initial's were on the doll's box.

Bette Birdsong told the club that in 1952 she saw a Madame Alexander doll representing Queen Elizabeth in a store. She asked for the doll for Christmas, but Santa failed to deliver.  Bette was able to purchase this example years later from Jenell.

Sylvia McDonald shared her childhood Shirley Temple doll in a dress made by her mother.

She also brought these Madame Alexander dolls dressed as Christopher Columbus and Queen Isabela.

Sharon Weintraub displayed this all-bisque doll based on the famous English clown, Joseph Grimaldi. Grimaldi is considered the father of the modern clown, as in the early 1800s, he performed in white face, dressed in colorful costumes, and was known for his acrobatics and exaggerated facial expressions. Today, in England, clowns are still known as "Joeys."

 

January 14, 2024, Meeting

Member Jenell Howell did a program on doll designer Joseph Kallus. 

She said that she was inspired by member Elaine Jackson's collection of segmented composition and wood character dolls. Jenell explained that George Borgfeldt and Company in 1912 contracted with Rose O'Neill to produce dolls and figurines based on her Kewpie characters and the company advertised for a sculptor to make a model. Kallus, a 17-year-old student at the Fine Arts College of Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, submitted a plaster model and was hired to design the dolls. This began Kallus' long and creative career in doll design. When WWI disrupted the import of German bisque dolls, he founded the Rex Doll Company in 1916 to produce composition Kewpie dolls that were distributed by Borgfeldt. Rex Doll also made composition carnival dolls that were distributed by the Tip Top Company. Two years later Kallus received his first copyright for his design of Baby Bundie. 

Kallus became president of the Mutual Doll Company in 1919, which produced not only composition Kewpies and Baby Bundie dolls, but also Bo- Fair, Dollie and Vanitie, which had specially designed joints. He resigned from Mutual in 1921 and the next year established the Cameo Doll Company, which existed until 1982 when Kallus assigned all his properties to Jesco, Incorporated. Cameo produced Kewpies for Borgfeldt, as well as Baby Bo Kaye and the comic strip character Little Annie Rooney.  Many of the dolls and toys created by Cameo through the late 1940s had composition heads and segmented wood jointed bodies. Examples of these unusual and creative dolls include Joy, Pinkie, and Margie. Kallus also designed dolls for other companies, such as Felix the Cat for Schoenhut and Pinocchio for the Ideal Novelty Toy Company, cartoon characters such as Popeye and Betty Boop, and even company advertising mascots, such as the Hotpoint Man.

In 1944, Rose O'Neill died and Kallus was assigned the rights to Kewpie, and later to Scootles and Ho- Ho. Over the years Kallus would license, or attempt to license, Rose O'Neill designs with companies such as Strombecker of Chicago, Milton-Bradley, Incorporated, and American Character Doll Company, but Kallus was difficult to work with, demanding and litigious.

 In 1976, thieves broke into Kallus' home and stole his original models for Kewpie and other dolls, as well as other materials. By the 1980s, Kallus was struggling to protect his Kewpie patent from companies and individuals making unauthorized copies. In 1982, he started negotiations to sell the rights to Kewpie to Jesco, but on June 26th, he was fatally struck by a vehicle while crossing the street. Kallus' daughter completed the transfer. The following year, Jesco started making Kewpie dolls. 

Jenell brought this bisque Kewpie. The Kewpie started Kallus' long career in dolls. 

This example of a composition Kewpie by Cameo was the childhood doll of member Sylvia McDonald. The doll is wearing a dress crocheted by Sylvia's grandmother. Sylvia members her parents struggling to restring her beloved doll with a strip of rubber from an old tire inner tube.

Two all composition examples of Scootles, another Rose O'Neill character, made by Cameo. These dolls belong to Jenell.

Examples of Felix designed by Kallus for Schoenhut. One belongs to member Bette Birdsong and the other to Sharon Weintraub.

Kallus designed this Pinocchio, as well as other Disney characters, for Ideal, as well as Knickerbocker. This example belongs to Jenell. 

Two examples of the Margie with segmented wood joints. The doll in blue belongs to member Myrna Loesch and the red clad doll was shared by Elaine Jackson.

This is Pinkie, who belongs to Elaine.

Elaine also brought this example of "Sunny Sam," a "Flexy" doll designed by Kallus for Ideal. His arms and legs are bendable springs. 

This "Kewpie Gal" also belongs to Elaine. She was issued by Milton Bradley under contract with Cameo in the 1970s. 

June 3, 2019, Meeting

The refreshment table was decorated in red, white, and blue to commemorate Juneteenth.  The holiday, its name a blend of "June" and "nineteenth," commemorates the June 19, 1865, announcement of the abolition of slavery in Texas.

Proudly waving a Juneteenth flag, these two little all-bisque girls celebrate under the watchful eye of an antique cast iron bank.  The taller girl is attributed to the German firm of Gebruder Kuhnlenz and her little sister in her crocheted original outfit and straw hat is a little French all-bisque doll called a Lilliputien.

Holding her Juneteenth flag in one hand and cradling her Lilliputien doll, this all-bisque girl is by the German firm of Simon and Halbig.  She wears her original bathing costume.

Member Brenda Kaye White did a program on Betsy McCall dolls.  She told the club that Betsy began as a paper doll published in McCall's magazine in 1951 as a promotional item.  Although other publications had included paper dolls among their pages, Brenda Kaye explained that Betsy was different as she not only represented a young girl, but each page included a story about Betsy's latest adventure.  Betsy was a huge hit and little girls clamored for their mothers to buy the newest edition of McCall's.  Many fashion designers competed for the honor of designing costumes for Betsy and subsequently patterns were published for recreating Betsy's wardrobe both in doll and child sizes.  Brenda Kaye explained that Betsy's look and fashions in McCall's evolved over the years and her stories became more elaborate with the addition of family members.

This is the magazine that introduced Betsy to the world.

Brenda Kaye said that from 1952 to 1953, Ideal produced the first Betsy as a three-dimensional doll.  The doll was enormously successful.

American Character produced the next generation of Betsy beginning in 1957.  The dolls were made in a wide variety of sizes, from eight inches to a 14-inch doll with flirty eyes to a child-sized 36-inch tall version.  

Brenda Kaye said that these 8-inch Betsy dolls are the type she played with as a child.

In 1964 Uneeda produced Betsy as an 11.5-inch tall teenage doll.  Horsman began producing a doll using the Betsy McCall name beginning in 1971, but the dolls were generic and lacked Betsy's character and features.  The Rothschild Doll Company in 1986 made limited edition Betsy dolls to celebrate her 35th anniversary dolls and today the Robert Tonner Doll Company has reintroduced Betsy.

A number of members brought Betsy dolls from their collections.  Ann Meier shared this Betsy bride doll she received for Christmas when she was around eight or nine years old.

Ann Countryman brought several examples of eight-inch tall vintage Betsy dolls.

Sylvia McDonald had this example of a Rothschild Betsy.  She said she fell in love with the doll's face.

Myrna Loesch said that this 14-inch tall Betsy belonged to another little girl in her hometown and that her mother had later purchased it at an estate sale.

This Betsy was Myrna's childhood doll.  Myrna described how she could purchase outfits for her doll on display cards at the toy store.

This Betsy doll was created for the 2007 Betsy McCall convention held in San Antonio.

Sallie Howard shared several Betsy dolls from her collection.  She said that the nurse is by American Character while the little girl in pink is a limited edition doll by Tonner.

This is an Ideal Betsy.

Tonner made this Irish Betsy with auburn curls and an elaborately embroidered outfit.

This Betsy doll belongs to Anne Campbell.

Beverly Howard brought a batch of Betsy dolls.

She explained that the doll in red and white is not a Betsy McCall, but Sandra Sue, who also fit the patterns made for the Betsy dolls.

Jan Irsfeld brought this Cissy doll she dressed to honor Jillian Mercado, a fashion model who, because of muscular dystrophy, uses a wheelchair use.  The wheelchair is from American Girl and the dress is a copy of one modeled by Jullian.