Dolls Of The Century, Part III: The Runners-Up

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"DOLLS OF THE CENTURY" > Page 1, 2, 3

Dolls Of The Century

Your Guide Picks THE dolls that define the 20th Century: The Runners-Up!

Several people have asked me what other dolls I considered for my list. Here they are, in no particular order, and some thoughts for each as to why I thought them worthy of consideration:

--Patsy/Effanbee Dolls: Effanbee dolls late in the 20th century were sort-of the poor step sisters to Madame Alexanders, the dolls that were always the bridesmaids, never the brides...however, they shined in their early years with some absolutely wonderful dolls, including Patsy, Honey, Tintair and others. Especially Patsy. Patsy was the first mass-produced doll made in the USA to look like a child, and the first to have a large wardrobe you could buy, plus her own family! Truly an innovative doll, and she came THIS CLOSE to making it on my main list.

--Ethnic Dolls: Sure, ethnic dolls have been around from the time of the first dolls. But during the era of mass-produced dolls, ethnic dolls have generally been rarities, not something easily found for a child of color to play with. One of the greatest achievements in the world of dolls in the late 20th century has become the availability in America and the West of ethnic doll variations which are much more widely available than before (although not always as widely available as we all would still like). From Barbie to Bitty Baby, here's to continued improvement of this trend.

--Ideal Dolls (Toni, Miss Revlon, etc.): Ideal is already represented on the list with Shirley Temple, but...as a group of dolls produced by one American manufacturer, they are also worthy of consideration! Their dolls were THE play dolls for generations of little girls--Shirley. Betsy Wetsy, Toni, Mary Hartline, Betsy McCall, Saucy Walker, Miss Revlon, Tammy, and Crissy, among others. Maybe they were not always the first to implement an idea, but Ideal dolls were always good quality and available at an affordable price.

--Kewpie: A great doll, and a cultural icon. Sort-of one of the first "art" dolls, in a way, that was mass-produced, and certainly one of the first dolls made with a whole "personality" and a wide variety of merchandising items!

--Kestners: These dolls were very much a part of TWO centuries. Great dolls, beautifully made for the most part, and a large player in the eventual demise of French control of the doll market. Some models of their later dolls were also part of the character doll movement.

--Hard Plastic Dolls: The advent of Hard Plastic Dolls in the early 1950s was an important innovation--dolls that FINALLY were truly unbreakable! Sure, there were celluloid dolls first, but they were much more fragile, and, um, sometimes they exploded!

--Bye-Lo Baby: This doll, first available in 1922, represented a 3-day old baby. It was designed by Grace Storey Putnam, and it is based on what real infants look like! It was a definite influence in the trend towards dolls that looked like real children.

--Liddle Kiddles: Ok, ok, I think the effect of my growing up in the 60s is showing here....BUT, these dolls were very innovative, and have led the way for many small, small dolls to follow, such as Polly Pockets. Also, for bonus points, these dolls instilled a life-long love of miniatures and other small things in many people (including me!).

--Nancy Ann Storybooks: Many many girls growing up mid-century had one of these, or, more likely, a whole shelf-full! They were one of the first (maybe the first?) dolls to come out in "collectible" series. The doll were seriously produced from 1936 to 1960 (with some later tries at bringing them back) and the dolls are perfect shelf-dolls; very small, at only 3 1/2" to 6 1/2." The dolls started in bisque, and then were made in hard plastic, then vinyl, and were available in series such as Dolls Of The Month, Mother Goose, Brides, etc.

--Chatty Cathy: Other talking dolls may have been made earlier (for example, French antiques that use phonograph records to "talk" and MaMa dolls that said mama) but nothing ever before like this! Chatty was introduced in 1960, could say 11 things, and was a huge, mass-produced hit by Mattel. She only lasted about 4 years on the market, but made a big impact on toys that followed (can you say "Amazing Ally" which is nothing more than a Chatty with a computer chip!)

--Käthe Kruse Dolls: Kathe Kruse was one of the original bohemians, and one of the first doll artists. She led an unconventional life, and through her own search for a proper doll for her child created a truly innovative doll for its time. When Kathe's soft painted dolls came on the scene in 1910, bisque dolls reigned in the doll market--Kathe's dolls were SO different. What started out as a small cottage industry from her home became a large company that continues to produce dolls today.

Prior Pages > Top Dolls of the Century 7 through 12 > Page 1, 2, 3

Prior Pages > Top Dolls of the Century 1 through 6 > Page 1, 2, 3

And, don't miss Greatest Toys of the Millenium

Don' forget to visit the Dolls Forum and tell me how wrong (or right!) you think I have gotten the dolls in my Dolls of the Century List!

And, vote for YOUR favorite in my Poll for Doll Of The Century!

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