Letter From The Editor
“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows. It is what sunflowers do.”
-Helen Keller-
Dear Readers,
In 2008 a black and white photograph of Helen Keller with her teacher Annie Sullivan was discovered. In the photograph, which was taken in Cape Cod in 1888, Helen is holding one of her dolls. When Miss Sullivan arrived at the Keller’s home in 1887 to teach the deaf and blind Helen, the first word that she spelled in Helen’s hand was the word d-o-l-l. In her autobiography, The Story of My Life, Helen writes of this interaction as a turning point.
On so many levels, to so many people, in so many walks of life— dolls matter.
Our cover story this month is by Donelle Denery. In her article Donelle shares specifics about how to date a Kamkins doll as presented in Bernice Millman’s recently published book Kamkins, A Dolly Made to Love.
Florence Theriault celebrates the bébés of Jules Nicholas Steiner and the eight-year Bourgoin era of the Steiner firm.
Rachel Elspeth Gross, fashion historian, designer and recurring Forbes contributor, reminds us of the forgotten haute couture dolls of the post-World War II French Recognition Train, and Samy Odin gives us a colorful array of single-sided paper dolls.
Included in this issue is an overview of the recently held United Federation of Doll Clubs’ 76th Annual Convention with the promise of more detailed coverage in upcoming issues.
Access to a pattern from our archive is available on the Table of Contents page in this issue. Margaret Gray Kincaid shared her expert sewing techniques for a “Pleated Pin Cotton Dress” in the November 2014 issue of Antique DOLL Collector, which we know our sewers will enjoy.
Wishing you a pleasant autumn season, filled with the beauty of sunflowers,
Laurie McGill Editor-in-Chief
5”
18” Early Kammer & Reinhart 192 11on early beautiful 8 ball body, brown sleep eyes, HH wig, antique clothing
8.25” K star R 101 Marie on 5 piece compo body, beautiful facial
fragile costume, plays music $595.
26” CM Kestner 15, brown sleep eyes, beautiful painting & molding $2025.
25”
12.5”
tag
19” FG French Fashion Size 5 circa 1880’s, brown PW eyes, original mohair wig, leather body $2395.
18” Kestner 247 “Baby Jean” on toddler body, blue sl eyes, original mohair wig, vintage clothing $795.
All Bisque w/ Blue sleep eyed Byelo with mohair wig, label on chest $249.
12” Beautiful Leather Early Bru body, left ring as is, 4” across, 2.5” deep $1750.
14.5” ABG Parian 1880’s beautiful hairstyle & pierced ears, leather body $455.
17.5” Ideal 1946 Miracle on 34th Street Baby, beautiful condition all original clothing, replaced shoes & socks $325.
15” Early 1910 -20’s Hand Carved Wooden Seminole Male Indian in fabulous detailed outfit, great piece of history $795.
20.5” Handwerck 109-11 2 ½, brown sl eyes, pierced ears, beautiful molding & painting $425.
20” CM Heubach Pouty #6970 w/ blue sl eyes, beautiful painting & molding, orig HH wig, antique clothing $1495.
15.5” Taufling Motschman 1850 – 60’s in original clothing, pupiless black eyes, head secured with elastic tie $495.
7 ¾” ABG “George Sands” Parian 1850 -60’s w/ beautifully molded & detailed head & shoulderplate, orig. body & limbs $355.
8.5” 1860’s Conte & Boheme China w/ Bun, sweet face & size, orig body & limbs $385.
18” Henri Alexander Phenix Star Bebe, blue PW eyes, pierced ears, antique French boots, paint as is on left lower leg $2850.
Jumeau for Au Bon Marche 1880- 92, stiff wrist body, brown PW eyes, original HH wig $1450.
Steiff Girl – pressed felt w/ inserted blue glass eyes, 1937 – 42 w/ paper
& underscorded F button on wrist ring, orig undergarment, redressed $450
13.5” Barrois French Fashion, blue eyes, orig mohair wig & cork pate $995.
17” Kestner Hilda Toddler 237 N. 1070, blue sl eyes, original mohair wig, repainted body $1095. 15” Heubach #8774 Whistling Jim Character doll, cir 1915, ‘Whistles’, blue intaglio eyes $475.
$1150.
coloring, sweet size $395.
1. 13 1/2” Early Paper Mache man and 14” woman, probably by Johann Friedrich Muller circa 1830, with orig. costumes from Vierlande, on the Northeastern border of Germany, highly detailed and of fine quality, glass eyes, paper mache lower arms, cloth body and legs that are gessoed and oil painted with stockings and slipper shoes. Lady has not only her orig. straw bonnet (worn) that is tied under the chin, but she also has the ties of her bonnet painted on her chin. Man is $1,300. and woman is 1,450.
2. Approx. 8” tall trio of German, bisque head theater performers, having bisque lower arms and legs, and cloth bodies, all wearing their orig. costumes of the 17th century. The men have high profile hats and high boots, the lady has a long train behind her formal gown. EACH doll is priced $675.
3. Unique pair of dolls with painted metal heads, lower arms and legs, having molded shoes. They seem to be in the fashion of the 1860’s, but could have been made later in the century. Clothes are orig. and the pair is priced at $995. for both.
Please go to www.maspinelli.com for more info and photos.
Exhibiting: September 13 - Jewel City doll Club Show, Burbank CA, Burbank Elks Lodge
October 5 - Ohio National Doll Show, Newark OH, Cherry Valley Hotel Exhibition Hall
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Superb 1880s Salon Furniture from Paris - Suitable for your 16”- 18” Fashions or petite Bébés to 16”. Birdseye maple w/ exquisite silk, perfectly preserved. A six-piece set. $4395
Pair of
Rare and MischievousBoy: Excellent molded hair 15.5” Heubach Boy #6897 in charming Mariner costume of ivory & red wool. So impish! $1875; Girl: So hard to find, especially with the side, glancing eyes! 16.5” Simon Halbig 151 w/ rare side glance painted eyes. So special! $5400
All Bisque Kestner Cuties! Left: Adorable 7” Kestner All Bisque doll w/ bare feet, swivel neck, in generally excellent condition! $1695; Right: Too adorable! 4.5” Kestner All Bisque Googly w/ jointed elbows & knees. Wonderful! $1795 (Tiny Borzoi pups display only)
find
A
Bébés - Left: Rare to
20” Henri Delacroix Bébé w/captivating look. Incised 7. All Antique. $6700; Right: Transitional 20” François Gaultier with innocent expression. Darling & All Antique. $4850
Bébés From France & GermanyLeft: Stunning 22” FG in all original costume and spectacular mohair wig. $5900; Right: Adorable 20” 117N by Kammer & Reinhardt. So adorable and in such beautiful condition! $1700
by Donelle Denery
The Kamkins twins gracing this month's cover were made during the most common period of production (1922-1929) in Atlantic City, New Jersey. This pair came from its original owner with a trunk for each doll and over 100 pieces of original clothing sold at Louise Kampe's store.
Take a stroll through our archive and check out Margaret Gray Kincaid's Pleated Pin Cotton Dress, a 2014 pattern on our website!
3) Exceptional 6” Deco Beauty - great drama, unusual posture & blonde hair w. headband, earrings & Orig. Garment, T-Strap footwear. As found Very rare. $475; Deco Bathing Beautysuch beautiful, lyrical and unusual posture, fully articulated, glazed hair & mint condition. $375
4) Prized Bliss ‘Seaside House’colorful litho papers (some loss) orig. windows/curtains. Fully furnished w good Period Furniture & Accessories (dolls NFS). The classic! just $1200 5) 10” French Pair 1860 Paludierswell preserved & colorful shellwork, mint brush-stroke heads & Jointed Wood Bodies w leather hat. Just $950
1) Andreas Voit 24” French Mache - ca:1850. No touchups, copious Scrolling Brushmark Curls, square teeth, Glass Eyes, pc’d nostrils, Blue Silk & Red Plaid Original Clothes include Bonnet & Boots, Exciting! $1100
2) F.G. 13” Seaside Fashionheirloom doll includes Orig. Basket & Shoes, hidden flaw, blue PWs, Closed Mouth. Just $550
9) Very Rare 25” Black Martha Chase Lady - an important Chase character, Signed Body can sit, beribboned & laced Factory Ensemble w. under layers. This is a museum class example. Not $12,000 just $5500
6) Rare large 34” ‘Figure B’ Steiner - a grand ’Size 20”! Glorious bisque, 12-upper & lower perfect pretty teeth, Lever Eyes & Shaded Lids, Mohair Extension Wig & All Antique Clothes. A breathtaking knockout! $7250
7) Historic 27” English Wooden- All Original by Hugh Hugo ca:1920 featured in the English Play w Orig. Mint Paint, glass eyes & her Antique Silk Gown & her Hang Curl Wig! Fully jointed to sit A true rarity! $1495
8) A rare 13” Cabinet Size Simon Halbig ‘151’ - smiling character Closed Mouth w Carved Teeth, tongue, dimples, lively expression in finest oily sheen & mint body! A gem. $4500
10) Mint Patent Pend. Patsyfactory Sunsuit w Hat & Umbrella. $150; Earliest 4” Steiff ‘Molly’ - all IDs & the Bell! $375
11) Bliss Seaside House - 3-room beauty fully furnished! Opens front & side! Convenient size too! $1200
12) 7” Rare Sleep Glass Eye ‘Baby Bud’ - & Wigged too! Brilliant quality, mint, jtd. & signed. $425
13) Rare 8” Horsman ’Tynie Baby’ - in Factory Chemise! finest quality ever & blue sl. eyes. Not $1500 just $1350
14) Large 10” Kestner ‘260’ Toddler - Starfish Hands, bare feet, Factory Wig & Play Dress. $625; Glass Eye Jtd. All Bisque in Orig. Lace Clothes & Bonnet. $140; Rare Size 4” Black Stocking All bisque - w Original Wig & Edwardian Swimsuit w Hat. Such novelty! $190
15) So Rare & Ethereal Kestner ‘Siegfried Baby’strikingly fine Hilda quality, blue sl. eyes, Closed Lips, choice Orig. Clothes. Mint princely elegance. Half price at only $750
16) 15” Kestner ‘167’ Mariner - mint vintage child, sl. eyes, perfect quality & Mint Sgnd. Body. A Seaside Sweetheart w long curls! $495
17) Kestner Seaside Position Babies - Rare Pair w scarce Original Wigs & Molded Swimsuits. $275 the Pair!
18) Rarities: 5.5” Wigged MIBS and Glass Sl. Eyes! Original crochet ensemble w. Matching Hat. $350; A 5” MIBS w Molded Hair & Posies! Plus the Dress to Match! $215
19) Scarce Large 5” Heubach Basket Babies - mint & signed trinket box w removable lid. $315; ‘Tynie Baby’ see #4
20) Darling SFBJ ‘247’ French Toddler- fine quality, orig Fully Jtd Body, Blue sl eyes & layers of frilly Antique Clothes and Mint Wig! Bon Bon! Only $895
21) Deluxe Pair Galuba & Hoffman Beauties - Such detail! So delicate. Original Wigs & Suits. Mint Pair $750
22) Dreamy & Mint 15.5” Portrait Jumeau - A dramatic ‘Size 5’ with Signed 8-ball Body & Neck Coil. She has such tender bisque with refined artwork & gentle blush surrounding deeply brown glowing Paperweight Eyes. Her lovely soft Mohair Wig hangs gracefully upon her exceptional heirloom Rose Silk Jacketed Ensemble with lace overlays, Matching Underset & Antique Shoes & Socks. Sublime. $5800
23) Very Rare Miniature AutomatonStanding just 14” overall this confection is a most luxurious Cabinet Gem for your shelf size Bebes. The All Original 11” Closed Mouth Jumeau lifts her Mignonette in one hand before turning her head to gaze into the Mirror lifted in the other hand…all to the dulcet chimes of her music box! Her completely luxurious Factory Couture & Chapeau add to the magic. Rare $4950
24) The Elusive 18” Closed Mouth DEPthis sublime high style Bebe has lustrous ivory bisque with gleaming deep brown Paperweight Eyes & luxurious dense but soft Mohair Tresses. Her early 8-ball Schmidt-type body w Stiff Wrists is the perfect form for her richly elegant burgundy Drop waist Bustle back Frock drenched in Lace & checkered Silk Trims & her Bronzed Antique Shoes! $2995
25) All Original 18” Wood Body Poupée with Swivel Waist - Not the usual bustle-back fashion, Mademoiselle can boast a most important Period Ensemble this season…her Robe d’Eté with a discreet Nautical pink stripe yet a wildly extravagant Woven Straw Sun Bonnet! Plus 4-underlayers, Heeled Shoes, & a pierced Folding Fan & Woven Basket for her seashells. The clean kid over wood is very poseable with a Swivel Waist no less! This mint, blue-eyed Bru-Era Lady features exquisite lip treatment! $7500; A 5” Glass Eye Barefoot Mignonette - in royal silk couture with bonnet & Factory Wig $1795
by Samy Odin
The Diverse Forms of Single-Sided Paper Dolls Paper Doll Stories
When I started having fun with paper dolls, during the early 1970s, the most common type for this plaything was still a single-sided printed paper figure surrounded by its wardrobe, each piece of it being drawn with surrounding tabs meant to be folded in the back of the figure, in order to keep each garment in place once the doll is standing. The earliest documented paper dolls of this type date from the early nineteenth century (cfr Fanny Gray A Quest for the First Published Paper Doll, by Karen B. Kurtz in Antique DOLL Collector, May 2025), which means that during two full centuries this playful form of art has flourished and offered an extraordinary array of paper playthings that we love to preserve and study today.
After the dolls such as “Fanny Gray” that were included in a luxury-bound storybook, the most elaborate form of single-sided paper dolls came as boxed sets. “The Girl’s Doll” is an early example of this type. It was printed in Germany during the mid-1850s for the international markets (note the title in four different languages) and was certainly offered for a cheaper price than the similar sets that came with double-sided dolls and garments. Nicely laid into a cardboard box with gilded edges, it was, nevertheless, a high-end present for the upper middle-class. In fact, the doll and her wardrobe came already cut out and pasted, ready to be played with. (Photo 1)
In 1895, Frederick A. Stokes published in New York the boxed set “Famous Queens and Martha Washington Paper Dolls” by Canadian illustrator Elizabeth. S. Tucker. It included seven plates representing the historical characters that could be cut out in order to wear their royal pieces of apparel. Some manual effort was required by the buyer, though; in fact, each plate needed to be cut out and the dolls prepared manually to enable them to stand. This product was certainly refined but not as elaborate as the previous ready-to-use boxed set shown above. (Photo 2)
Another lovely German ready-to-use boxed set by S&C was distributed, again, in various countries during the late 19-teens early 1920s. It includes two single-sided children, a girl and a boy, sporting fancy disguises such as Prince and Princess, Marquis and Marquise and Dutch folklore costumes. The quality of the printing, with soft vibrant colors and the angelic beauty of the characters explain the success of this set, even among today’s collectors. (Photo 3)
Photo 1
Photo 3
Photo 2
The next level down, in construction matters, concerns the paper dolls distributed in the form of an album. “Dollies to Paint Cutout and Dress,” designed by Frances Brundage, was published by Saalfield in 1918. It included six different children surrounded by their fashionable wardrobe, printed in full color, facing a page where the same design was printed in black and white, in order to be hand colored by the child; one step further into the consideration of paper dolls as a creative activity for children. (Photo 4, Photo 5)
In 1921, New Yorker publisher The Nourse Company, included in their Something To Do Books collection a paper doll album titled “Dolls in Wonderland.” It included two dolls inserted into the front and back heavier cardboard covers and an interior of lighter paper pages featuring a rich wardrobe typical of the style of the early 1920s. This rare album combines the easy process of extracting the already cut out paper doll from the cover with the more active process of cutting each piece of apparel from the inside pages of the album. (Photo 6)
A cheaper format for distributing already cut out singlesided paper dolls consisted in slipping them into a thin paper envelope. Many German printers offered this type of finished product to a variety of publishers all over the Occidental world. S & C, for example, printed for Samuel Gabriel Sons & Co. of New York the “Dollyland” series of six dolls, each one slipped into an envelope, all of them contained in a cardboard box. “Merry Marjorie” bears n. 1 and is shown here with her envelope, three garments and matching headpieces. (Photo 7)
Also printed by S&C, “Reitpüppchen” comes in an envelope and consists of a rocking dog with a dress-up doll that can ride him. Note that the paper doll and her two outfits come already die-cut and so do the animal and the extra accessory, here a flower basket. (Photo 8)
Photo 6
Photos 4-5
Photo 7
An even cheaper format to distribute single-sided paper dolls consisted of printing them on a regular postcard. A clever way to give an artifact a double purpose: correspond and play. Raphael Tuck was an extremely successful British company, originated in Prussia and developed in London and soon after 1870 all over the world keeping a leading position for almost a full century. They are better known for their postcards and for their paper toys, including dolls. Among their lower priced products, one can notice this series of postcards distributed during the first two decades of the twentieth century, featuring several nursery rhyme characters, such as Little Bo-Peep. (Photo 9)
In an equivalent format we can see that, among others, a German printer “A.S.i.B” also distributed single-sided paper dolls in the form of a postcard. I found a few from this series but ignore how many different were printed during the decades between the two world wars. This is the typical product available to almost any customer from local papeteries and bookstores. (Photo 10)
In a similar small postcard format, the advertising commercial cards, such as this one by French company Petit Bateau, show how widely paper dolls used to be spread in our society before World War II. “Marinou,” dates from the 1930s and combines a very basic paper toy with the advertising purpose of this successful underwear brand. (Photo 11)
During the 1940s, the Italian publishing company Piccoli kept the tradition of single-sided paper dolls alive by printing a remarkable series of paper dolls, which came in two levels of refinement: the basic lithographed ones and those, like n.11 shown here, with colorful flocked details. Note the added touch of depth through the shape of the base of the doll—the piece that you can see on the lower left of the sheet is meant to be glued under the folded stand of the doll so that the vegetation graphic stands up behind the figure to create the illusion of a perspective. (Photo 12)
All the paper dolls shown here are featured in the author’s collection.
Samy Odin can be reached at galeriesamyodin@gmail.com
Book Review
Reviewed by Laurie McGill
Kamkins, A Dolly Made to Love
By Bernice Millman
The endearing Kamkins dolls created by Louise R. Kampes during the early years of the twentieth century, are featured in a newly published book.
Authored by Bernice Millman and designed by her Research Assistant and Editor, Donelle Denery, the soft bound 100-page book boasts sixteen chapters, with photographs in both color and in black and white.
The opening pages introduce readers to the author’s lifelong passion for dolls, and particularly her romance with the Kamkins dolls.
The beautifully designed book is divided into two parts— Part 1 History and Part 2 Details. Chapters 1 through 7 navigate Louise Kampes’ German ancestry, her birth in 1874, her life as a doll artist, the impact of the Great Depression, and her death in 1936. Chapters 8 through 15 draw the reader into the manufacturing process of the dolls, the Kamkins dolls’ appealing clothing as well as identification of the dolls, including rarities.
The book is well-written and expertly researched. It would make an excellent addition to any doll enthusiast’s library.
Bernice Millman’s genuine love for the Kamkins dolls prevails throughout the book, as does the friendship between author and editor. We thank Bernice Millman and Donelle Denery for sharing Louise R. Kampes’ story.
Copyright 2025
Donelle Denery Designs
ISBN: 978-0-9837845-3-1
100 pages, soft cover
Available through Florence & George
www.florenceandgeorge.com/products/Kamkins-a-dolly-made-to-love-by-bernicemillman
Porcelain Classics by Jennie Sykes Restorations, Reproductions, Antiques (269) 331-6122 jennie@porcelainclassics.com
Visit our shop in Ellicott City, MD
Jackie’s Dollhouses and Miniatures - Jackie Everett 443-695-2780 | jackiemom4@aol.com rubylane.com/shop/jackieeverett
Joyce’s Dolls Dolls to cherish from every era
Joyce Shchurowsky Jshchurowsky@gmail.com 716-866-9065
Marion Maus
Always looking to buy dolls, dollhouses, and miniatures Ellicott City, MD (443) 838-8565 mmausantiques@gmail.com Member UFDC, DCA, and NADDA
The Port Collection
John Paul Port (360) 710-6520 jpport@earthlink.net PO Box 269, LaHonda, CA 94020 Member UFDC and NADDA
Tamika’s Paper Art
Instagram: Tamikaspaperart
Email: Tamikaspaperart@gmail.com
Alan Scott Pate Antique Japanese Dolls PO Box 699, Acworth, GA 30101 (858) 775-6717 info@antiquejapanesedolls.com
Sue Brightwell Tel: 724-843-2170 citegal@comcast.net
Dolls & All That Jazz!
United Federation of Doll Club’s 76th Convention
Norfolk, Virginia • July 22-26, 2025
On Sunday, July 20, a week of non-stop doll events opened with Theriault’s auction, “Fantastique,” highlighting select dolls from the collections of Gail Cook, Marion Falabella, and others. The Norfolk Doll Dreamer’s Market (Mary Senko, World Doll Day Shows promoter/Anne Demuth, organizer) presented a three-day event which began on July 21 with dealers from near and far featuring a broad range of dolls from artist to antique.
The United Federation of Doll Club’s annual convention offered tours for those attendees who arrived before the official start of the convention. The bus tours included visits to Colonial Williamsburg (where American Girl dolls could be spotted here and there in the shops—with handmade Felicity-style clothing created in Williamsburg to fit the dolls) and the Barry Art Museum with its superb collection of dolls, art glass and paintings. (Colonial Williamsburg loaned its English woodens for a special exhibit at the Barry, as did the UFDC Doll Museum). Tours at the Barry were conducted by Stuart Holbrook (Theriaults), Bradley Justice (who led visitors through the special exhibit: “Out of the Box: A Barbie Doll Retrospective”), and the Barry’s Curator of Art, Sara Woodbury, Ph.D. Carolyn Berry was there to meet the visitors.
The convention was spread over two hotels this year, the Marriott Waterside and Hilton Norfolk The Main, located across the street from each other. Both were a short walk to the waterfront where mermaids in various forms could be spotted on signage, on sides (or on rooftops) of buildings, or freestanding as sculptures. Norfolk is known as the City of Mermaids, which just added to the charm and whimsey of the week.
Upon landing at Norfolk International Airport, convention attendees were welcomed by a special display of dolls from the Barry Art Museum.
Norfolk, Virginia is known as the City of Mermaids.
The Waterside Marriott’s elevator doors boasted the convention’s theme—Dolls and All That Jazz.
On the tours to Colonial Williamsburg, visitors to the Margaret Hunter Millinery Shop were treated to replicas of English woodens. A perfect photo opp for travel dolls.
Not pictured is Sara Woodbury, Curator of Art, who also spoke on the tours. (Photo courtesy Bradley Justice)
The seminars this year included “The Legend of the Peachwood Puppet” (Alan Scott Pate), “Effanbee Historical Dolls” (Tammy Trujillo), “Dolls Doing Double Duty: Nightdress Cases, Tea Cozies & Lamps” (Rhoda Seidenberg), “Eye Candy: Steiff’s 1920 Aesthetic” (Rebekah Kaufman), “Wash Day: Safeguarding Your Doll’s Wardrobe…” (Dianne deBeixedon), “Pioneer Doll Artists of the 20th Century Part II (Linda Edward), “The Doll in Art” (Laurie McGill), “Living the Little Women Life” (Rosemary Laverdiere) and several others. Workshops were presented by Rosemarie Ionker (“From Rags to Riches” and “From Schoolgirl to Jazzy Nights”), Alice Leverett (“Two 19th Century Brise Fans” and “19th Century Parlour Games”), Dodi Becker (“19th Century Bowtie Quilt”), Maryll Goldsmith (“A Knotty Time in Norfolk”), and several others
Programs abounded with topics such as “A Fabulous Flapper of Fashion (Elizabeth Ann Coleman), “The Lost Dolls of Russia” (Dr. Joan Farrell), “History of Dolls During Queen Victoria’s Reign” (Michele Wise-Simpson), “Tasha Tudor: Combining Artistry and Dolls” (Laura Ellen Wade), “Parady Palace Dolls” (Vickie Hannig), “Turning it Upside Down with Topsy Turvey” (Alonia Alexander), “The Magical Dolls of Lilli Baitz 1911-1938” (Rhonda Seidenberg), and several others.
Ticketed Meal Events and Teas included “Bild Lilli—The Man Behind Her Revival” (Julian Kalinowski), “Fashionable Flapper’s Tea” (Suzanne McBrayer), “Kamkins—Atlantic City’s Roaring 20’s Contribution to the Doll World” (Bernice Millman/Donelle Denery), “Silent Idol” (R. John Wright), Halloween Tea (Connie Tagnoli), and several others
The Special Exhibits this year were “Blythe: A Creative Muse Across Decades and Continents,” “Dianne Dengel Dolls from the Heart,” “Fashions of the 1920s,” and “Robert Tonner: A Special Display.”
The Competitive Exhibit was both visually stunning as well as educational.
The tours to the Barry Art Museum were led by Bradley Justice (left) and Stuart Holbrook (right). Carolyn Barry is pictured in the center.
Special Exhibits included “Tonner Deco Divas” organized by MetroDolls.
Kathy Monier shared her muchanticipated yearly Convention-inReview program during the Gala Banquet.
The centerpieces were stand-ups picturing Moonlit Grace, a special edition of Robert Tonner’s American Model dolls. The convention’s souvenir dolls, Jazz Blossom and Glitter and Gin by Mr. Tonner were delayed in transit but are expected to arrive at UFDC soon. (Photo courtesy of Rachel Hoffman, Virtual Doll Convention)
The Grand Opening of the Sales Room is always a highlight of convention week, and the dealers continued to delight attendees with a vast variety of temptations through and beyond Public Day.
Publishers’ Preview, coupled with the Sales Room’s Public Day, offered books by leading authors. Fundraising events included the “At Your Service Ice Cream Social,” “Speakeasy Party,” a showing of “Singing in the Rain,” and Bingo. The UFDC Boutique and the Helper Room offered a variety of treasures.
The convention souvenir dolls were made by Robert Tonner, and the convention souvenir journal, Dolls and All That Jazz, was edited by Linda Holderbaum and Barbara Stone.
As the week drew to a close, Saturday evening’s Gala Banquet offered a variety of entertainment—a Jazz group, Kathy Monier’s crowdpleasing yearly video recap of the convention week, a presentation on the Barry Art Museum’s upcoming expansion (presented by Curator of Art, Sara Woodbury, Ph.D.), as well as the promotional video for next year’s convention which will take place in New Orleans, Louisiana: “Past—Present—Future” – July 28—August 2, 2026. Registration opens October 1, 2025. www.ufdc.org
The Competitive Exhibit Blue Ribbon Winners will be featured in upcoming issues of Antique DOLL Collector, as will the dealers in the spectacular UFDC Sales Room, as well as the dealers in the Norfolk Doll Dreamers Market.
The Gala Banquet was full of glitz and glamour, music and more.
The Convention Souvenir Journal was edited by Linda Holderbaum and Barbara Stone.
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336 Candlewood Lake Road, Brookfield, CT 06804
Phone 203-775-4717 Email: info@catspawonline.com
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Catalog price is $8.95 post paid
Accessorize Your Dolls!
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How to Determine the Age of Your Kamkins Dolls –A Dolly Made to Love!
By Donelle Denery
Unless otherwise noted, photos by Donelle Denery This article contains excerpts from the new book by Bernice Millman Kamkins – A Dolly Made to Love
Ihad many roles in the making of this book: research assistant, layout and design, editor who took Bernice’s writing, notes and research and stitched it together as well as the publisher. Both Bernice and Carol Corson were doing extensive research on the Kamkins and wrote numerous articles about these dolls in the early 2000s. At the young age of 94, Bernice has turned over presentation making, publicity for the book and continuing to shine a light on these marvelous cloth dolls to me. To that end, I hope you enjoy this article and will want to learn more by reading the book.
To understand the chronology of the production of the dolls, a brief history of the maker is helpful.
Louise Kampes, the artist, was born in Pittsburgh to parents of German descent in 1874. Her father’s occupation both in Germany and in the United States was in the needle trades. This likely played a big influence on Louise’s skills with cloth. She was a “late bloomer” and did not start making her dolls to sell until she was in her early forties. To accommodate the burgeoning toy industry, a trade magazine was created called Playthings. Started in 1903 and continuing until 2010, the doll and toy manufacturers used this magazine to advertise their products and to acquire needed merchandise for their own businesses as well. This magazine provides an invaluable source for dating dolls and following trends in the doll industry. World War I created a great need for American made goods, dolls among them. It was the perfect opportunity for a fledgling company to gain traction in the market as shown in the Playthings magazine cartoon of June 1918. (Illustration 1)
It is highly likely some dolls were made as a home-based cottage industry before 1916 and until the signing of a contract with Ira and Jennie Bixlers on July 18, 1917. After signing the contract, the L. R. Kampes Company made dolls on the ninth floor of the Highland Building in Pittsburgh. (Photo1)
In 1918, she and her business partner, Bertha Coene, who designed the clothing, moved to Atlantic City. This move positioned her near her biggest customer Jane Stewart Ewan, owner of the Children’s Shop, and the opportunities that the resort town of the rich and famous offered. Kamkins continued to be made in Pittsburgh until at least 1920, when production shifted to Atlantic City.
In the 1920s, Atlantic City, New Jersey was THE place to be. Visitors with children relished buying luxury toys to spoil their children. Van Ault, a well-known Atlantic City toy man, boasted of celebrity clients such as socialite Mrs. Alfred Vanderbuilt; actor, playwriter and song writer George Cohen; actress and singer Lillian Russell; Florenz Ziegfeld of Ziegfeld’s Folies; actor Douglas Fairbanks who was the first actor to play Zorro; and comedy team Burns and Allen. Imagine the glitz and glamor of being seen with these celebrities.
Illustration 1: Playthings magazine dated June 1918.
Photo 1: Highland Building, L. R. Kampes Doll Manufacturing Company on the 9th Floor.
Atlantic City called itself “the world’s playground.” Built in 1870, it had the first boardwalk in the United States spanning over four miles. In the 1920s, the Atlantic City Boardwalk was a bustling hub of activity, known for its posh hotels, shops, shows, and entertainment. It became a popular honeymoon spot and a must-experience tourist attraction. (Photo 2)
What were Americans doing in the 1920s? Dancing the Charleston and listening to jazz. In spite of Prohibition, which made it illegal to make or sell liquor (including beer and wine), Americans drank anyway, going to secret clubs (or speakeasies) or making “bathtub gin” at home. Prohibition was virtually unenforced in Atlantic City.
The crowds drawn to Atlantic City provided a lucrative opportunity for Louise Kampes.
Louise held a patent for the face of her doll which was granted in November 1920. She never applied for a patent on the doll’s body or limbs, as over time she experimented with and made many changes. (Illustration 2)
When I talk about Kamkins dolls, the question that seems to come up most often is “how do I tell when my Kamkins was made?” This article will provide definitive information on how to make this determination.
First of all, there are certain characteristics which are common to all Kamkins, regardless of age. All dolls are: handmade; heads constructed in the same manner; have oil paint painted facial features; have heads that swivel; bodies made of a heavy canvas cloth which is either overall painted, partially painted, or unpainted; have a large seam at the back of the body that was used to stuff the torso cavity then closed by hand with large coarse stitches. Unless a very early doll with painted hair or a special order, all had wigs in a short bob haircut with bangs, a popular style of the time, that lent itself to the unisex appeal of the dolls.
The painting style of the faces remained consistent until the Depression. Kamkins painted face features natural skin tones. Brows, often hidden by bangs, are a single stroke of reddish brown with an upper eyelid outline of the same color. There are no lashes with a few examples of refurbished, special-order or New York City dolls with painted lashes. Eyes are usually painted blue. Slate gray is used on some early dolls and infrequently brown eyes are found. Eyes were painted on a bright white background with black center dots for pupils and
Illustration 2: Illustration from Patent for Head dated November 2, 1920.
Photo 2: Postcard of Atlantic City, New Jersey Boardwalk and Traymore Hotel in the 1920s.
white accent dots. The small molded nose is accented with red nostril dots. Molded ears are usually blushed pink. Cheeks are blushed in light orange or soft pink and fully painted “bee stung” lips are found in shades of deep pink or orange/red.
There are six distinct periods of time for dating a Kamkins doll. They are: Earliest – Pre-1918; 1918 – 1920; Transitional – 1921; Most Common – 1922 – 1929; Great Depression – 1929 – 1934; New York City – 1934 – 1935. Here is a description of each.
Earliest – Pre-1918
The earliest dolls have bodies, limbs, faces, and hair painted with somewhat glossy oil paints. The bodies and limbs are heavily painted and tend to show cracks from play wear over time. In examining these dolls, there are multiple body and limb variations indicating Louise was experimenting to find a compromise between a pleasing look and ease of manufacture. The lips are thinner than later dolls and there are no identifying marks.
The oldest of these dolls may be the painted hair girl
Photo 3: Thought to be the earliest doll to date. Photo by Bernice Millman.
Photo 3a: Face in profile showing the painting over her ears. Photo by Bernice Millman.
Photo 3b: Chubby body with external shoulder plate front and back.
Photo by Bernice Millman.
Photo 3c: Back view of shoulder plate.
Photo by Bernice Millman.
Photo 4: Face of the early boy with a human hair wig.
Photo 4a: Full body of wigged boy.
shown in this article (Photos 3, 3a). She has oil painted pale-yellow hair, which is styled as a cap, where the paint crosses her brow and continues around her head to cover a good part of her upper ears. The arms and legs of the girl are heavier, the arms ½ inch longer and the hands are larger than other dolls of this timeframe. Because of their heaviness, the arms stick out from her body. The girl’s legs are very chubby and have a slight shape at the knees with well-defined toes and large feet. The girl’s torso holds two interesting and very different features. First, an external cloth shoulder plate is sewn onto the body from the front to the back. Second, and equally as puzzling, is the addition of an extra piece of fabric sewn into the crotch area. Perhaps Louise felt the body would need additional strength at points of wear. The extra fabric and work to complete the torso added to the expense of manufacture and was shortly discontinued. (Photos 3b, 3c) The height of the doll is approximately 17 inches.
The boy with a side–parted human hair wig is also about 17 inches high (Photos 4, 4a).
Carol Corson, who previously owned this doll, documented his provenance in an article in the April 1998 edition of Antique DOLL Collector magazine titled “It’s a Kamkins! - No, It’s Not! - Is It?” The doll was originally purchased from a woman who worked for Louise Kampes. The doll was “top of the line” and modified to resemble the child for whom it was purchased. The soft nature of his hair might indicate it was hair from a haircut of his soon-to-be owner. To date, this may be the earliest example found with hair which is not painted. It may have helped herald Louise’s use of hair with her dolls. His body and limbs are not as heavy as the girl but have a soft chubby roundness like a young child.
The second boy wears a World War I original military outfit of a Navy sailor indicating his date to just before or during World War I (1915-1918). (Photos 5, 5a, 5b, 5c) In contrast, the hair on the painted hair boy does not cover his ears. His body and limbs are somewhat slimmer and his height is about 18 inches. The front of this body is three pieces. (Photo 5d) This intricate seaming gives the torso lovely child-like dimensions and is a similar shape and size to the dolls with painted bodies made from 1918 through 1920. (Photo 6) A seam on the body back is hand stitched; no doubt left open for the stuffing. The arms and legs on both boys are slimmer and shaped like the later painted body dolls with swivel jointed arms and legs. However,
Photo 5: Face of Navy boy. Of the early dolls shown here, he is the only example with totally original paint.
Photo 5a: Full length Navy boy.
Photo 5b, 5c (below): Naked front and back of Navy boy.
Photo 5d: Close up of body showing the two seams (dashed lines) of the three pieces of the front of the body.
the seaming on the arms greatly differs from later dolls. There is a slender U-shape that ends at the palm. This piece runs the entire length of the arm. There are small seams which give additional shape to the hands and sewn-on thumbs. (Photo 7) Common to these three dolls is their cork-filled bodies, packed over 100 years ago, which remain firm with cork stuffing intact. The neck edge is hand-stitched. The seaming at the rear of the head consists of a center hand-stitched seam that begins at the neck edge and stops where the front and back of the head are joined. There are two back seams that bi-sect the center seam, and stop at the top of the head. This style of seaming gives the back of the head a well-rounded appearance. (Illustration 3) Pre-1918 dolls have a separate piece of fabric which forms the upper foot. (Photo 8) There is a cardboard inner sole. For definition, toes are individually stitched. It is clear, on these very early dolls, there was experimentation with body construction.
1918–1920
Pictured next is a pre patent, Pittsburgh doll (Photos 9, 9a) that was shown previously in comparison to the pre-1918 Navy boy. As with the earlier painted hair dolls of this period, Louise continued fully painted bodies with swivel-jointed limbs. The painted bodies and limbs have a somewhat pliable, dull finish. The finish on the faces is similar to the body and limbs having lost the glossy look of the earlier dolls. The body construction is the same as the pre-1918 boys. During this period, some dolls are stuffed with cork while others are stuffed with kapok as later dolls are. Like the earlier dolls, the hands are finished with a separately applied thumb. (Photo 10) The feet have cardboard reinforced soles, but the foot does not have an additional piece of fabric.
The head carries the characteristic three “baseball-like” seams closing the rear similar to earlier dolls. (Illustration 3) A human hair wig is applied directly to her head with seven rows of wefting (Photo 11). The doll shown here is marked only
Photo 8: The feet are made by an additional piece of fabric sewn to the leg. Dotted line denotes the seam.
Photo 6: Pre-1918 doll (left) shown with post 1918–1920 doll.
Photo 7: U-shape seam extends to palm and additional seams help shape the palms on the two early boys (wigged and Navy).
Illustration 3: Head seams, solid lines are machine sewn. Zig Zag is hand sewn. Drawn by Bernice Millman.
“Kampes Atlantic City” in sienna ink, found on the rear of her head just below her hairline (Photo 12). This mark, found in either black or sienna ink, continued to be used to identify the early Pittsburgh output before the 1920 patent was granted. After the patent, the marks are still handwritten in both ink colors and carry the legend that reads: L. R. KAMPES Atlantic City Pat. Nov. 2-20. (Photos 13, 14)
An ad in the April 1920 edition of Playthings magazine gives the following description of a Kamkins doll: “They are indestructible and will last for a lifetime.” The ad further states “the dolls cost $150.00 per dozen.” This brought the dolls into a very expensive and luxurious market compared to other dolls of this time. For example, Trion dolls were advertised
as costing from $4.75 to $48.00 per dozen which translates to $.40 to $4.00 for each doll. Kamkins’ wholesale price per doll would cost $12.50 each. This equates to $197 per doll in 2025.
Transitional – 1921
Although not showing any Kamkins dolls, an ad in Playthings magazine dated February 1921 by the Kamkins distributor Riemann, Seabrey Company proclaims: Fine stuffed, life-like dolls, dressed in original costumes, like real American children. Washable, unbreakable dolls with real hair wigs sewed direct to head. A new walking feature, requiring the use of no mechanical device. All these dolls are handmade. In an effort to compete with the trend for walking dolls,
Photo 10: Hands have separately applied thumbs with four fingers delineated by stitching.
Photo 11: Human hair wefting was sewn directly to the head.
Photo 9: 1918-1920 pre-patent example oil paint painted body fully dressed.
Photo 9a: Close up of face.
Photo 12: Pre-patent mark on head below hairline.
Photo 13: Post-patent mark on head below hairline on fully painted body. The patent is written twice.
Photo 14: Post-patent mark in black ink on back of head fully painted body.
Louise made her bid. No doubt realizing that using a mechanical device of any sort would cause the dolls to lose their lightweight, soft, and cuddly status, she focused on changing the lower torso and leg placement. Situating the swing of the leg at a different angle did allow a more walking-like movement. This evolved into the splitbuttock version of Kamkins. (Photos 15, 15a, 15b). This example of Kamkins is the only body style that can accomplish walking to some degree. It must be pointed out that the doll does not walk easily. Attempts to “walk” a Kamkins doll are met only with minimal success. The doll must be held under each arm and then will take hesitant steps. It is easy to imagine that a child would soon become frustrated with the struggle of trying to make the doll walk.
The split-buttock doll came as a great surprise in the line of Kamkins. Examples have painted limbs but come in both fully painted torsos without a voice box and partially painted torsos with a voice. The dolls now have tab jointed arms and legs sewn to the body, a change from the earlier overall painted version that always had swivel jointed arms and legs. (Photo 16) The hands still feature separate thumbs. Very chubby legs are swing jointed, but sit low on the torso and are widely separated due to the split buttock feature in the posterior of the doll. The doll’s short fat feet are minus the cardboard undersole, replaced instead, by a small seam at the heel area that gives the foot some shaping. Multi-seaming in the front torso gives the doll the appearance of a chubby toddler. The rear of the torso has the expected hand-stitched center seam, but this seam separates in the lower torso area to form “split buttocks.” This
Photo 16: Tab jointed shoulder is used for the first time.
Photo 15: Front full body of split-buttocks Kamkins (left) compared to a pre-patent Kamkins (right).
Photo 15a: Back view of split-buttocks Kamkins (left) compared to a prepatent Kamkins (right).
Photo 15b: Face of doll with split-buttocks.
doll continues to feature tri-baseball seaming at the rear of the head. Marks are spelled out in black hand letters: L. R. Kampes Atlantic City Pat Nov 2-20. The head has the handapplied human hair wig similar to earlier wigged dolls, (Photo 15b) styled in the blunt bob cut. Louise may have anticipated the evolution of the body design and it may be a reason she only patented the doll head.
Her foray into the world of walking dolls lasted only a short time. Louise’s attempt was awkward and obviously not too successful, since very few of these dolls are found today. Ads boasting of the walking Kamkins are not found after 1921.
Shortly after this style of body, Louise created a doll with a fat, wide body, often with slightly bent toddler-type legs. (Photos 18, 18a) The toddler legs give the body a slightly slouched look. As with all bodies and limbs made until the end of production, they are unpainted and were made of a flesh-colored cloth. A voice box is included. A cardboard support in the foot is no longer found. The arms attach with a tab top and the legs are considered “swing jointed” and sewn on at the bottom of the torso. This type of leg attachment continued to be used and allowed the doll to sit easily. Thumbs were still separately applied and the wig was human hair. During this period, the head construction transitioned from the tri-baseball seaming to a single, hand- stitched seam in the center. (Illustration 5,
18 and 18a: Toddler. Notice the slightly bent legs give the doll a slouched look.
5a) For the first time, the neck edges are tucked under and hand-stitched in place as are all future dolls.
The faces on both the “split buttocks” dolls and the toddlers have a soft, slightly glossy sheen.
Most Common – 1922–1929
With the huge appeal of Atlantic City, this period is the heyday of Kamkins dolls. After the chubby bodies, multiple changes occurred which allowed dolls to be made more quickly and economically.
The heads and faces during this time are the same as the transitional period—single seam in the back of the head with neck edges tucked under and hand-stitched, and faces with a slight glossy look. (Photo 19b)
Photos
Illustration 5, 5a: Head seams, solid lines are machine sewn. Zig Zag is hand sewn. Drawn by Bernice Millman.
Bodies were slimmer, stuffed with kapok and contain voice boxes. (Photos 19, 19a) The arms and legs are shapeless. The doll now wears a mohair wig with the cap securely glued to the scalp. Fingers and thumbs are stitched as one. (Photo 20) Legs are sewn to the body, in a swing style, and the shoulders are joined with a stronger tab. The tab construction was fortified to allow the arm to be more firmly secured with triangular stitching on the tab. (Photo 21)
The dolls of this time period have a variety of identifications. Many of the dolls have a long line ink stamp. (Photo 22) These marks are mostly found on the back of the head below the hairline but have been found on the torso and the bottom of the feet.
A mark, of unknown date, has a purple ink stamp on the rear of the head and a larger version on the torso that reads: A Dolly Made to Love / patented - by - L. R. Kampes / Atlantic City, NJ
Some dolls have no markings and likely came only with a paper red heart label. (Photo 23) It was used as a cost saving measure as it was much cheaper and quicker to glue on a label. If a paper heart label is found on the doll, you
can bet this doll was seldom, if ever, played with. Often there is a shadow on the upper chest where a heart label once was.
On January 3, 1928, Louise Kampes filed an application for a trademark, serial # 259-631. In this filing, Louise states that she has been using the trademark continuously in her business since January 1921. An October 1926 ad in Playthings magazine is shown in this article. (Illustration 6) At the bottom of this ad appears the more familiar stamped “little house” logo which was part of the trademark logo granted in 1928. This mark, with Kamkins looking like the roof of a house, was ink stamped on dolls starting in the mid-1920s. (Photo 24)
Great Depression – 1929–1934
As the decade ended and 1930 approached, Americans were living with great doubts about their future. Millions of savings accounts were wiped out and families were being evicted from their homes. Many were forced to sleep on sidewalks. From Wall Street to Main Street, America was mired in the Great Depression.
Photo 20: Fingers and thumb stitched as one.
Photo 19: Slimmer body on dolls made from 1922–1929. This is the most common period Kamkins doll to find.
Photo 19a: Back view. A slight circle in the middle of the back is the outline of the voice box.
Photo 19b: Close up of face showing soft mohair wig.
Photo21: New reinforced tab top at shoulder.
Photo 22: One line ink stamp commonly used.
Like so many others, troubles began for Louise soon after the crash of 1929. As the clientele shrunk, business went into decline. Dolls had become a luxury that few could afford, especially the more expensive dolls like Kamkins. This dark era wreaked havoc on the Kampes business. As the economy took a downtrend Louise, known for creating dolls that were very labor intensive and always of highest quality, found her business ethics too cumbersome and the dolls too expensive to produce. If the L. R. Kampes Company was to survive, quality had to be compromised. The dolls, once affordable to the affluent, had to be adjusted to lower quality construction and materials due to the impact of the economy.
Perhaps the easiest way to determine if a doll was made post-1929 is by the wig and height of the doll.
Decreasing the use of fabric and stuffing lowered costs and saved money. Thus, while the original height of the Kamkins doll measured from 18 inches to 19 inches, the later version had shrunk in height to 17-½ inches. (Photo 25). The legs of both early and later examples measure the same 7 inches but the torso measurement (from shoulder to crotch) decreased from 8 inches to 7-½ inches. This resulted in a shorter and less padded torso. Using stockpiled bolts of
Note that the painting of the upper lip is uneven as are the black pupils in the eye. It is likely less skilled artists were employed to save cost.
fabric already on hand, the material used for the body did not change. Seaming and construction of the body remained identical.
The wigs of this period have three widely spaced rows of mohair stitched to a coarse burlap material. Still in the same bob haircut, this made the wigs sparser. The finish on the face no longer has a sheen. Many of the dolls also have less artistic painting of the face, giving what looks like a blank facial expression. (Photo 26)
New York City – 1934–1935
Drafted on July 27, 1934 and filed on August 3, 1934, three businessmen based in New York City incorporated
Photo 23: Classic paper Kamkins heart label reprinted with permission of The Doll Collectors of America, Inc.
Illustration 6: Playthings magazine October 1926 showing “Little House” that Louise obtained a trademark for in January 1928.
Photo 24: This mark, with Kamkins looking like the roof of a house, was ink stamped on dolls starting in the mid-1920s.
Photo 25: Depression-era Kamkins have a torso that is about ½ inch shorter.
Photo 26: Faces have a less artistic look and the finish is dull.
a business named Kampes Dolls, Inc. Louise Kampes was not named in the filing and it is unclear if she held any interest in the business, although some advertising appeared to imply this.
A certainty is that in 1934-1935 the newly conceived Kampes organization of New York City produced some dolls, although, apparently not in great numbers. Very few known examples of the New York production Kamkins have surfaced.
The new company opted for construction similar to the early dolls and returned to the swivel-jointed body. The thighs of these dolls are placed more to the front of the body than in the early swivel-jointed dolls. The slim torso, stuffed with kapok, is unpainted flesh color fabric with side seams and a whip-stitched back seam. Like the earliest Kamkins dolls, there is no voice box. Arms are long and slightly curved with a single seam front and back and fingers and thumbs stitched as one. Long and shapely swivel legs with center front and back seams, with a slight suggestion of a knee, extend into the foot. The legs are slanted at the top where they join the torso. The narrow foot is constructed in the same manner as the early period swivel jointed Kamkins. Toes are accented by stitching. Cardboard is inserted at the bottom of the foot for stability. These dolls are taller at 20 inches. The body has a long neck on which the swivel head is placed. The neck and top of the body are reinforced with an interior stiffening. The signature twin seams at the chin area are missing.
Pictured are two dolls from this time period. The doll in Photo 27 was likely received sometime in 1934. Although no records exist on the transfer of the business from Louise Kampes to Kampes Dolls, Inc. of New York City, it is a certainty that Louise’s remaining stock was part of the transfer. The doll pictured is proof of this as the head of the doll was most certainly made in Atlantic City.
The construction, including a neck which is part of the head, and painting style, is the same as the dolls made in Atlantic City.
The head on the second doll, found by Bernice Millman, is a little different and probably made in New York City. (Photo 28) The bodies of both dolls are similar, thus leading to the conclusion of their New York
Photo 28: Kamkins made entirely in New York City. Photo by Bernice Millman.
Photo 29: Left: Late Atlantic City manufacture. Right: New York Manufacture. Photo by Bernice Millman.
Photo 27: New York City Kamkins with head from Atlantic City stock. Photo by Ann Willis.
City origin. The facial features of the second doll are very similar to other Kamkins except the ears are placed at a different angle on the head. It is easy to conclude that, with modification, the original Kamkins molds were still being used. The painted facial features are very much in keeping with the older Kamkins doll except for tiny painted lashes which enhance the eyes. The heads swivel on a neck that is part of a shoulder plate set into the torso. However, the Atlantic City-made head has a neck as part of the head which fits down over the neck of the torso. While the New York-made head has no neck other than the one on the torso.
Both dolls have a mohair wig sewn onto a cloth cap and glued to the head. The wig is styled in a bob fashion with bangs. It is identical to those found on other Kamkins dolls, although the doll pictured with the Atlantic City made head has experienced some damage to the ends over time.
If you are looking to buy one of these charming dolls, here is a little advice.
You will most often find a doll made between 1922–1929. I personally like the faces on these dolls the best as the slight glossiness and exceptional painting make the face really stand out. The softness of the mohair wig causes the hair to be very child-like.
If you are looking for a doll made before 1922, two immediate tips are—look for a thumb which is sewn on as opposed to being part of the hand and look for a doll with a human hair wig. It is extremely hard to find dolls from the earliest period of pre-1918 with painted hair. But some dolls made from 1918 to 1921 can be found. The pre-1922 dolls will have a dull finish to the face. The human hair used can sometimes make the hair look a little unruly.
I love all the dolls regardless of the period they were made in. Something that makes these dolls so special is when they are found with original clothing. There is a long chapter in the book Kamkins – A Dolly Made to Love which goes into detail on this.
The Celebrated Steiner Bébés and the Mysterious Jules Bourgoin
By Florence Theriault
The French doll maker Jules Nicholas Steiner was always the outsider in the tight-knit Parisian world of dolls. He was born in 1831, not in Paris, but in the far-away city of Dijon, France, close to the Swiss border, where he appears to have lived until his midtwenties. And, in fact, he was not actually French. His unwed mother, although living in France at the time of his birth, was of Swiss nationality and, because birthright citizenship did not exist in France at that time, Jules was born and remained a Swiss citizen until 51 years later when, in 1882, he finally acquired French citizenship.
This non-traditional heritage may have been a factor in his outlier status in the world of dolls. But what is more likely is simply his own creative inclination. Having grown up in a region where clockmaking was a traditional skill, he early became fascinated by the mechanical works of clocks, and how they might be utilized for objects other than clocks. Although some of his early patents, in 1855, 1862, and 1865, were concerned with dolls, it was the mechanical device inside the doll that was the focus of each patent, not the doll’s face or costume. And, in fact, the majority of his life-time patents and advertised inventions were not dolls; there were the mechanical horse, the adaptation of the Phenakistiscope and the toy mechanical bicycle and carriage, for instance.
The bébés marked Series E, created during the Bourgoin era of Jules Steiner, are quite rare. Shown here are size 1 and tiny size 3/0.
Five examples of the gentle-faced Series C bébé, include the tiniest 4/0 size bébé standing atop a chair, her three sisters, each sought-after rare size of 3/0, and all overseen by a kindly-faced larger sister. Variation was achieved by use of either wire-lever sleep eyes or paperweight eyes.
Yet, curiously, Steiner is most celebrated today as the originator of the bébé. This may trace back to the Paris 1878 Exposition L’Universelle in which Steiner exhibited his articulated mechanical bébé as well as more simplified bébés, earning him a Silver Medal, and the accolade by one of the jurors, Madame Buree, as “the inventor or king of bébés.” While the award may have pleased Steiner, he could not have failed to see the growing trend in the doll world. Wealthy Parisians, as well as international travelers were seeking elegant and pretty child dolls for their children, dolls that were meant to be paraded along the Champs Elysees or displayed in a plethora of fancy silks rather than the dolls with mechanical movements that were his métier. He concluded that perhaps the reason his competitor Emile Jumeau had won the top prize, the Medaille d’Or, at the Exposition was that his bébés were created with beautiful portrait-like faces and elegant silk costumes. But this new trend held little interest for Jules Steiner. For him, it was always the invention, the mechanics of movement, the design. So, in 1880, he stepped back from the helm of the company he had started in 1855. From 1880 until his death in 1901, with the exception of one year in 1889, the Steiner firm became the property of a succession of owners. This information was presented by American collector and researcher Dorothy
McGonagle in her landmark book, The Dolls of Jules Steiner, published in 1988, while, later, important and tantalizing additional details were offered by the French research team of Francois and Danielle Theimer, detailed in The French Encyclopedia of Dolls and his journal Polichinelle
It was in March of 1880 that Jules Steiner transferred ownership of his company to Jules Achille Bourgoin, a Parisian jeweler, who was the brother of Jules Steiner’s second wife, although the two families lived and worked in the same building. Steiner now turned his complete attention to further innovative inventions, some related to dolls while others were far-afield, such as his 1884 patent for a system of docking hot air balloons. During this time,
Shown are three rare examples of bébés introduced during the eight-year Bourgoin era of the Jules Steiner firm. Left to right, Series F with clown variation of facial painting, and two size variations of the Figure F bébé.
Three bébés presented by Steiner during the pre-Bourgoin era. The dolls are usually marked only with size indication such as 3/0 on the doll on the left. The larger doll has a rare bisque hip style body. The same facial model, with teeth and open mouth, was also used by Steiner for his Bébé Gigoteur (aka Bébé Vivant in its earlier years).
Steiner introduced his system for sleeping eyes, which involved the entire production of the eye, and so proud was he of his inventions, that the back side of each doll eye bore the Steiner name.
Yet from 1880 until 1888, the control of the Steiner firm was in the hands of Jules Bourgoin, whose name in red ink script began to appear on the back of the bébé head, allowing today’s collectors to precisely date those so-marked dolls as created between 1880 and 1888. And what of these bébés? Astute collectors judge this era to be the high point of the Steiner firm, both in quality of production and in the tantalizing variety of models that were offered. While most other French dollmakers of the era were content with one or two models, simply changing their look by variations in wig, complexion tones or fashionable costume, the Steiner firm, under the auspices of Bourgoin, presented eleven different models with distinct sculpting for each. The dolls were marked with Figure or Series letters each indicating a different facial model, while even more variations were achieved by offering models with paperweight or Steiner’s sleep eyes, with open or closed mouth, having various complexions, and in a grand array of sizes. According to Francois Theimer, the models were inspired by the young 24-year old wife of Bourgoin, who was fascinated by the business and quite involved.
Yet, in 1888, shortly before the 1889 Parisian L’Exposition Universelle, the ownership of the business curiously appears to have been transferred back to Jules Steiner. Not a single mention of the Bourgoin couple is made after this time. The advertising in the 1889 L’Annuaire du Commerce specifically only mentions the Steiner name, describing him as “the creator of the French bébé.” What are we to make of this unexplained disappearance of the Bourgoin couple? Sadly, the mystery remains unsolved. We know only that Bourgoin returned at some point to his birthplace, Vaureal, where he died in 1898 at
A panorama of Steiner models. The bébés in the following photos are 8 inches-10 inches tall, vividly illustrating the variations in modeling presented by Jules Bourgoin during his creative eightyear ownership of the Steiner firm, 1880-1888.
Series E
Marked only Bourgoin
Figure C
Figure A
Figure F
the age of 56 years.
Even today, 137 years later, the much-deserved credit due to Jules Bourgoin goes unacknowledged. While honor should certainly be given to Jules Steiner for his inventive and creative work during the early period of the French bébé, it is also important to give just due to Jules Archille Bourgoin, for it was during his epoch that the firm, arguably, was at its peak. Just nine short years, 1880-1888. Hopefully, further research will uncover more details concerning the inspiration for the various models created during the Bourgoin epoch.
As for Jules Steiner, shortly after retrieving his firm back from Bourgoin, and being awarded a Medaille d’Or for his bébés at the 1889 Exposition, he filed two more patents for doll construction, one involving a walking doll. Then, just one year later, he once again sold his company to Lafosse who later sold the firm to Mettais. Notably, until 1908 the Steiner successor firms used the Steiner name in their advertising, alongside their own, signifying the importance of his early designation as “the king of bébés.” The name Bourgoin was never mentioned again.
The bébés shown with this article are from the private collection of Dorothy McGonagle and were presented in her book, The Dolls of Jules Steiner. The collection will be presented at public exhibit and auction by Theriault’s in Annapolis, Maryland on September 20, 2025. A full-color commemorative catalog is available.
Unmarked
Figure A
Series F
Series C
Figure C
Series C
The Forgotten Haute Couture Dolls of The French Recognition Train
by Rachel Elspeth Gross
bout three and a half years after the end of the Second World War, France sent a gift to the United States, Les Train de la Reconnaissance Française au Peuple Américain, the French Recognition Train to the American People. It was a literal train; 49 box cars, one for each state. There were thousands of gifts in each car; donations made by everyday people and private organizations; everything from children’s crafts to historic treasures. La chambre syndicale, the organizing body behind Parisian haute couture, contributed a set of 49 handmade miniature mannequins. These fashion dolls, each standing about 80 cm tall, were all dressed in bespoke ensembles representing a specific year between 1710 and 1910. Two Hundred Years of French Fashion is a priceless work of collective art made by the best couturiers and couturières of the era, though the set of dolls have mostly been forgotten.
The train itself was the idea of French veterans of the two World Wars, inspired by the fraternity between French and American members of the armed services. In the twenty-first century, the idea of a chosen or found family is commonly understood; during the war-ravaged years of the mid-twentieth century, a great many French and American soldiers and sailors found the resilience required to survive the traumas of war while working together to rebuild France’s devastated national railway.
Life magazine covered the arrival of the steamship Magellan as it came into New York harbor in February of 1949. The ship carried gifts of gratitude from the people of France to the people of the United States of America.
While documentation survives related to both the train and her haute couture dolls, pieces of the story are currently missing. Physical copies of correspondence, records, news coverage, and internal project communications have all been preserved in the archives of some truly wonderful American libraries and museums. However, there is very little interest in the set of mannequins from the general public, which means very little pressure for the funding required to properly and safely digitize the archives which contain the missing pieces of the puzzle. Questions remain about the dolls; it is unclear how the couturiers and couturières were selected to participate or how the year each doll represented was chosen. Also, it is not clear if the original intention was for the collection of dolls to remain together, or if they were meant to be split up, with one accompanying each box car to its state.
We do know that in late fall of 1948, following the presentation of the next season’s collections, the designers who participated returned to their ateliers specifically to create historic costumes for each house’s doll. To les petites mains, the “little hands” of the workers who assemble haute couture (high sewing) flou (dressmaking) and tailleur (tailoring), the wire armatures were well known.
The first couture collections presented after World War II were atypical fashion shows. Les Théâtre de la Mode,
The Theater of Fashion, replaced models walking down catwalks with dolls dressed in miniature versions of the new season’s offerings. Beginning in 1945 and continuing through both seasons of 1946, the maisons able to reopen immediately after World War II collectively produced at least 237 mondaine ladies for Les Théâtre de la Mode. On average, over the three seasons’ worth of collections, each house produced between three and five mannequins.
But why did the industry make such a major shift in its historic practices?
While the French economy greatly needed haute couture to get back to serious business, years of Nazi occupation had left the country and its infrastructure devastated. Europe was destitute. The presentation of haute couture collections has always been fraught with ritual, and the reality was that the traditional plan was too complex and expensive for the moment. But a young woman named Elaine Bobabel, working with the renowned sculptor and craftsman Jean Saint-Martin, found a creative solution. Iron wire was one of the only supplies that was easy to source at the end of the war, and though perhaps not glamorous, the material was soon re-envisioned and used to create hundreds of small dolls. Each was jointed and poseable; each stood about 80 centimeters tall, and every one of them had a delicate plaster head exquisitely sculpted by the Catalan artist Joan Rebull.
The gifts included dolls dressed by the top fashion designers of the day to represent historic fashion. Shown from left to right: Carven doll (1862), Madeline Vramant (1873), O’Rossen (1904), Agnes Drécoll (1879), and Balenciaga (1870).
Les petit mains or “little hands” from the ateliers of Bruyere (L) and Paquin (R).
A selection of dolls from Les Théâtre de la Mode collection (1945–1946). Image license by Glen Bledsoe, available under a Creative Commons license.
Dressed in the new post-war collections, the Théâtre de la Mode dolls traveled across France, then Europe, and eventually made their way to a tour of the United States. They traveled, and were presented, in style, with carefully planned lighting and detailed sets handmade by artisans. After touring the globe for almost two years, the hundreds of dolls were stored in a Parisian department store’s back rooms and forgotten. They were rediscovered in the 1980s thanks to Stanley Garfinkle. Around 170 of Les Théâtre de la Mode dolls survive today, and live in the United States, having found a forever home at the wonderful Maryhill Museum of Art in Washington State.
One major difference between the two sets of midcentury French dolls is that those from the French Recognition Train were all dressed in historically accurate costumes, recreations of clothing worn between 1715–1915. According to a press release from the Chambre Syndicale, these miniatures were created by the haute couture designers “at that time [who were] most famous for their achievements.”
The fabrics and furs used to make the historic garments were all donated by French and Italian firms, including the Union des Industries Textiles (the union for the textile industry), Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode (the primary governing body of French fashion as an industry), the Comité Central de la Laine (The Central Wool Committee), the Syndicale Général de l’Industrie Cotonnière (professional organization representing the French cotton industry), and the Négociants en tissus spéciaux pour la Haute Couture (dealers in special fabrics for haute couture).
The dates for their dolls, 1715–1915, were not arbitrarily selected; every detail was packed with symbolism and reverence for history. The eighteenth century starting point acknowledges the year that King Louis XIV died, which is represented in an ensemble designed by Marcel Rochas. Le Roi Soleil, the Sun King, had been a great patron of the textile industries. His support ensured that France, perhaps Paris especially, was well stocked with the caliber of materials which allowed it to become the arbiter of western style.
The designer of each doll, sometimes a partnership of designers, all selected a look from history to recreate or re-envision. To inspire each ensemble, the makers looked to fine art and literature as well as historic fashion plates and written records, like the press surrounding historic French society’s fanciest events. The doll made by Maison Worth, the first haute couture house ever, was
A photo from a French catalog shows this ensemble designed by Marcel Rochas, with a hat designed by Maud Roser, representing 1718.
The peacock dress made by the House of Worth. This dress was originally made by the couturier’s grandfather for Empress Eugenie in 1865.
designed by the grandson of the founder, a recreation of the peacock dress Charles Fredrick Worth had made for Empress Eugenie in the third quarter of the nineteenth century. Sadly, today the Worth doll is lost. About five or seven of the dolls seem to be missing, possibly because they were at one point able to be checked out, like library books, from the Brooklyn Museum’s Edwin Blum Design Laboratory.
This is not to suggest malfeasance or theft; the Brooklyn Museum is a fine institution, and when it was selected as the home for the French dolls, Brooklyn was already well-respected for its historic costume collections. The American Federation of Arts initially accepted custody of the collection and seems to have immediately begun planning for a national tour of the dolls. But it seems that there was a miscommunication, perhaps something literally lost in translation. Were the mannequins intended to be split up, one sent out with each box car? Or, had the organizing body of French Fashion intended for the ladies to remain together as a collective body of work?
LEFT: Jacques Fath designed this fur trimmed coat dress and matching hat from 1867.
ABOVE and RIGHT: Elsa Schiaparelli and Michelle Murphy with Schiaparelli’s doll wearing fabulous boots by Perugia.
Before the collection left Paris, it was photographed on at least two occasions, and some dolls were again photographed for press coverage of the story. In the French catalog, the details about each doll were written down in immaculate calligraphy, along with a box number, seemingly indicating the box car each lady was assigned to. It is possible that this numbering system was part of the problem. On the page of the French catalog for Jacques Fath’s doll we see an example of how the dolls were packed for their journey. When the mannequins arrived in America, the presumption seems to have been that they would be matched with their freight cars before being sent out to each state. (NOTE: Hawaii and Alaska did not receive box cars, as they were not yet states, but the car that went to Washington, D.C., eventually found a permanent home in Hawaii.)
Regardless of anyone’s intentions, from late December of 1948 through January 1949 people started to ask why the dolls were going to be split up. From correspondence dated in the early weeks of 1949, we know that a few people used their personal contacts to relay their concerns about sending a single doll out with each boxcar. Though how this all happened is currently unknown, the result was that the people with the power to make such decisions decided that the collection of dolls held more value as a set and the Brooklyn Museum accepted the dolls on behalf of the citizens of the United States.
Many years later, between 2007 and 2010, in a complicated acquisition, the collection of haute couture dolls became a part of the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute when that museum absorbed Brooklyn’s collections. In a rather confusing series of events, which terrified those who research the French Train and her dolls, they abruptly disappeared from the Met’s website near the end of 2021. Though it was not announced publicly, the Costume Institute, after featuring the Christian Dior doll in their retrospective the summer before,
returned the collection back to Brooklyn. The Lanvin doll has also been included in an exhibition in recent years, and there is an upcoming show at another museum that will hopefully include a couple of the dolls from the French Recognition Train.
There was only one official exhibition of the doll collection, curated by the head of the Blum Design Lab, the brilliant Michelle Murphy, who also wrote two versions of a guide to the dolls, published in 1949 and 1951. When the Brooklyn Museum exhibition of Two Hundred Years of French Fashion opened, both Elsa Schiaparelli and Jacques Fath attended.
Complete bibliography upon request: antiquedoll@gmail.com. Also available on our website: www.antiquedollcollector.com.
Doll costumed by Jean Desses.
Auction Calendar
Engaging 28 inch glassy eye pre Greiner papiermâché shoulder head doll overall condition very good with few craze lines neck some weak areas arm. $999 plus tax & shipping Contact Martha.sabin@Verizon.net
www.evelynphillipsdolls.com Paula Claydon 914-939-8982 Eyelash27@aol.com Member NADDA
Withington Auction
Check Website for dates: September 603.478.3232 | withington@conknet.com www.withingtonauction.com
Theriault’s
Sat., Sep. 20, Preview 10 AM ET, Auction 11 AM ET Marquis: “Vivant” Antique Doll Auction Sun., Sep. 21, Preview 10 AM ET, Auction 11 AM ET Marquis: “Made to Love” Antique Doll Auction Theriaults Gallery | 410.224.3655 info@theriaults.com | www.theriaults.com
Auction Team Breker
Sat., Sep. 13, 2025 Sat., Nov. 8, 2025
Otto-Hahn-Str. 10, 50997 Köln (Godorf), Germany auction@breker.com | +49 (0)2236 38 43 40
US Contact: Andrew Truman 207-485-8343 | AndrewAuctionTeamBreker@gmail.com
SAS (Special Auction
Services)
Come Celebrate with Us! October 11 & 12, 11-5 October 18 & 19, 11-5 Thank you for all your support!
Send us a photo or a digital photo of your 1-3 doll(s) or accessories with a description and your check or credit card information. We do the rest!! Take advantage of this special forum; the cost is only $95 for a 2.4”w x 2.9”h ad space. For More Info, Contact: Louann at louannw@antiquedollcollector.com
Tue., Sep. 16, 2025, 10 AM
Popular Dolls & Teddy Bears Auction Tue., Oct. 14, 2025, 10 AM
Popular Toys, Diecast & Figures Auction Tue., Nov. 11, 2025, 10 AM
Fine Dolls, Dolls’ Houses, Traditional Toys & Teddy Bear Auction
Tue., Dec. 2, 2025, 10 AM
Rare Bears Auction
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Alderfer Auction
Tue.-Wed., Sep. 30-Oct. 1, 2025, 10 AM ET
Online Auction Catalog of Antique and Other Fine Dolls
Late Aug. - Mon., Sep. 8, 2025
Business Liquidation of Good Golly Dolly | The Estate of Gloria Casale
Mid-late Sep.-Mon., Oct. 6, 2025
Estate Sale Pt 2 – The Personal Collection of Gloria Casale
501 Fairgrounds Road, Hatfield, PA 19440 215.393.3000 | www.alderferauction.com
Ladenburger Spielzeugauktion
Fri.-Sat., Oct. 10-11, 2025
Autumn Auction
Sat., Nov. 8, 2025
Steiff special auction
Fri.-Sat., Nov. 14 & 15, 2025
Winter Auction
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Sweetbriar Auction
Sat., Oct. 25, 2025
Doll & Toy Auction
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Calendar of Events
Send in your Free Calendar Listing to: Antique DOLL Collector, c/o Calendar, P.O. Box 349, Herndon, Virginia 20172 or events@antiquedollcollector.com If you plan on attending a show, please call the number to verify the date and location as they may change. Auctions in Blue. Many events have additional information online. Check antiquedollcollector.com > events.
LONG TERM
Please check online for Long Term listings. SEPTEMBER 2025
5-6 ~ Ringgold, GA. Tennessee Miniature Show. Patriot Hall, 320 Emberson Dr. Info or class registration: 314-277-2601 or tdminiatures@gmail.com. MiniatureShows.com.
5-8 ~ Online. Fall Stars + Fur Mania Teddy Bear Online Show. Valerie Rogers. 502-423-7827. brtstar1@aol.com. bright-star-promotions.com.
6 ~ Flat Rock (Hendersonville/Asheville), NC. 36th Annual Fall Doll Show & Sale. Land O’Sky Doll Club. National Guard Armory, 2025 Spartanburg Hwy. Lue Gravely. c/t 828-553-2763. landoskydollclub@gmail.com. LandoSkyDollClub.com.
6 ~ Salisbury, NC. Annual Doll Luncheon. 9:30 AM-3 PM. Trinity Oaks, 728 Klumac Rd. Free parking, $80/museum members or $85/nonmembers. Beth Nance. info@ncmdtm.org. 704-762-9359 (call only), register: ncmdtm.org/ event/annual-doll-luncheon-switzerland/.
7~ Buena Park, CA. Sherri’s Doll Show feat. Barbie® Dolls. Double Tree Hotel, 7000 Beach Blvd. Admission/Door: Early bird 8:30 AM: $15; Adults: $7; Children: $3; Free Parking. Sherri Gore. c/t 424-394-7612. sherribean7@aol.com.
7 ~ Lebanon, PA. Central Penn Annual Doll Show & Sale. 10 AM-4 PM (EDT). Central Penn Doll Collectors Club. Lebanon Expo Center, 80 Rocherty Rd. Admission/Door: Adults: $5; < 12: FREE. Free Parking. Dotti G. 309-397-6481. CPDCC.Dotti@gmail.com. CentralPennDollCollectorsClub.org.
12-13 ~ Westfield (Indianapolis), IN.
Dollhouse & Miniature Show. Fri 4-8 PM. Sat 9 AM-3 PM. Wyndham Hotel, 18592 Carousel Ln. Tickets: $5 for both days, cash only at the door. MiniatureShows.com.
13 ~ Albany, OR. Wagon Wheel Dollers Show & Sale. Wagon Wheel Dollers Doll Club. Linn County Fair & Expo, 3700 Knox Butte Dr. NE. Admission/Door (Cash/Check): Early Bird (9-10 AM): $10; General: $7; < 10: FREE. Parking: FREE. Verni Knight, c/t 541-979-2097. wagonwheeldollers@gmail.com.
13 ~ Alexander, NY. Alexander Doll Show & Sale. 9:30 AM - 2:30 PM (ET). Alexander
The Spirit of St. Louis Doll Club's 47th Annual Doll & Bear Show & Sale
Sunday, October 12, 2025 10:00 am to 3:00 pm Machinists Hall
12365 St. Charles Rock Road Bridgeton, MO 63044 Antique & Collectible Dolls, Bears & Accessories
Adults - $6.00
Children 12 and under – FREE Early Buyer (9:00 am) $10.00
For more info: Connie 314-440-4086
Jeff 314-422-1502
Dealer Inquiries Welcome! Visit us on Facebook: The Spirit of St. Louis Doll Club and at www.stlouisdollclub.com
RICHMOND DOLL & BEAR SHOW
ANTIQUE TO MODERN DOLLS & BEARS
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2025 9:30 AM to 3 PM
NEW LOCATION: RICHMOND EAST MOOSE LODGE #1947
7167 FLAG LANE
MECHANICSVILLE, VA
FREE PARKING | Door Prize Drawings Admission - $8, 12/UNDER FREE
Information: Van (252) 523-4002 vodavis59@gmail.com
Firemen’s Recreation Hall, 10708 Route 98. Admission (Cash Only): Adults: $5; < 12: FREE. Parking: FREE. Linda V. 585-482-0835Lin C. sukeylin@yahoo.com.
13 ~ Burbank, CA. Jewel City Doll Club 45th Annual Doll Show And Sale (Sat 10-3) Burbank Elks Lodge, 2232 N. Hollywood Way. Info: Janie Olds. 562-818-2501. email: j.l.olds@ca.rr.com.
SEPTEMBER 28 ~ Wichita, KS. Wichita Doll Show. Holiday Inn, 549 S Rock Rd. Judith M. Schafer, jms50@cox.net. 316-737-7851. facebook.com/WichitaDollShow.
13 ~ Cincinnati, OH. Fall Fashion Doll Show & Sale. Queen City Beautiful Doll Club. Eastgate Holiday Inn, 4501 Eastgate Blvd. Admission/ Door (Cash Only): $5; < 12: FREE with pd adult; Parking: FREE. Margie Schultz. 513-207-8409. Askmargie@aol.com.
13 ~ Spencer, NC. Super Saturdays Monthly Sales. Every second Saturday. 10 AM-2 PM. The First Community Center of Spencer, 215 5th St. Free parking/admission! Vintage, Antique & Modern Dolls to benefit the NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures. Beth Nance. info@ncmdtm.org, 704-762-9359 (call). ncmdtm.org/events/. 13-14 ~ Stateline, NV. Doll, Teddy Bear, Collectible & Miniature Show & Sale. Rowbear’s Lake Tahoe Treasure Hunt Event. Rowbear Presents. Golden Nugget Lake Tahoe, 50 HWY 50. Adults: $8; < 12, Military Families: FREE. Free Parking. Rowbear Lowman. 831-438-5349. RowbearPresents@charter.net.
14 ~ Taunton, MA. Doll, Bear & Miniature Show & Sale. 10 AM - 3 PM (ET). Collins Gifts. Taunton Conference Center, 700 Myles Standish Blvd. Admission at the door: Adults: $7; < 12: FREE. Parking: FREE. Wendy Collins. c/t 603-969-1699. CollinsGifts14@aol.com.
16 ~ Spencer, NC. Rowan Doll Society Doll Club monthly meetings. Every 3rd Tue. Sept 16 2025Aug 2026. 12:30-2:30 PM. NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures, 440 South Salisbury Ave. Free parking. First meeting free. UFDC chapter.
OCTOBER 12 ~ Portland, OR. Portland Doll & Bear Show. 11 AM-4 PM. Embassy Suites - Portland Airpt, 7900 NE 82nd Ave. 50+ vendors-antique, vintage, artist & modern dolls, vintage Barbie, and teddy bears. Admission cash only: Adults: $10, children < 12: $5 . Parking free! Joe Koury. joe@queensofthedollaisle.com. 650-303-4140. queensofthedollaisle.com/.
Info: Kathy Gregg. kgregg002@gmail.com, see dates at ncmdtm.org/events.
17 ~ Garden Grove, CA. Tri-County Doll Council Meeting (Wed 10-2). First Presbyterian Church, 11832 Euclid St. Info: Michele WiseSimpson. 949-351-0512. edstvimi@hotmail.com. 19-21 ~ Online. Online Charity Sales Event. Good Bears of the World. Fri. 10 AM - Sun. 5 PM Daily. Terrie Stong. goodbears1@sbcglobal.net. goodbearsoftheworld.org.
20-21 ~ Anaheim, CA. Estate/Doll Sale of Sherryl Shirran Doll and Toy Collection. Family Home/ Gallery, 1304 South Westchester Dr. CASH ONLY in front of house. Discounts best w/cash for doll/toy/bear/sale in house. Doll appraisals. Free. Mary Ann Spinelli, C/T 818-738-4591. nellingdolls@gmail.com. maspinelli.com
20 ~ Concord, CA. World Doll Day Show & Sale. Sat., 10 AM-3 PM. Concord Plaza Hotel, 45 John Glenn Dr. Admission: $10, < 12 free. Mary Senko. 425-330-1770. mary.senko@worlddolldayshows.
OCTOBER 15-18 ~ Houston, TX. Bay Area Doll Club of Texas 2025 International Doll Festival. Houston Marriott South, 9100 Gulf Freeway. Bay Area Doll Club of Texas. Becca Hisle, Director. 281-914-0077. beccasdolls@gmail. com. bayareadollstexas.com. Please join us for funpacked 4 days!
com or mary.senko@comcast.net. WorldDollDayShows.com.
20 ~ Las Cruces, NM. Doll Show & Sale. Dona Ana Doll Club. Scottish Rite Temple, 195 E Boutz Rd. Admission/Door (Cash Only): $3; < 12: Free. Parking: FREE. Gail Savage. 575-644-4224 c/t. gail1952@comcast.net.
20 ~ Mechanicsville (Richmond), VA. Richmond Doll Toy & Bear Show. 9:30 AM - 3 PM ET. Richmond East Moose Lodge #1947, 7167 Flag Lane. Admission/Door (Cash Only): $8; < 12: FREE. Parking: FREE. Van Davis. 252-523-4002 (lve. vm.). vodavis59@gmail.com.
21 ~ St. Charles, IL. Kane County Doll & Dollhouse Show. Karla Moreland Presents. Kane County Fairgrounds, 525 S Randall Rd. Admission/ Door (Csh/Chk): Early Bird: 8 AM-9:30 AM): $15; General $8; < 12: FREE; Parking: FREE. Karla Moreland, C/T 815-621-3255. kmorela@ais.net. KaneCountyDollShow.com.
27 ~ Sarasota, FL. Venice Doll Club - FX Doll & Toy Show & Sale. VFW Sunshine Post 3233 124 South Tuttle Ave. Admission/Door: Early Bird: 8 AM - 9 AM $10. After 9:00am: FREE; Parking: FREE. Bruce Zalkin, c/t 941-302-0572. fxtoyshows@gmail.com. fxtoyshows.com.
Yes. Send me one year of Antique Doll Collector for only $59.95. At a 40% savings off the annual cover price, that’s like getting 4 issues FREE prefer two years for $109.95 – that’s like getting 10 issues FREE.
28 ~ Fife (Tacoma), WA. Doll Show & Sale. Tacoma Doll Club. Emerald Queen Casino Conf. Center & Ballroom. 5580 Pacific Hwy E. Admission/ Door: $10. Parking: FREE. Karen Truesdell. c/t 253-861-4685. karentruesdell@gmail.com.
28 ~ Flint, MI. Doll Show & Sale. Flint Barbie® Doll Club. Dom Polski Hall, 3415 N. Linden Rd. Admission/Door: $2. Sue Ferrier. 810-639-2353. ferrier@centurytel.net.
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