How do you identify a composition doll?
How do you identify a composition doll?
Composition was used to make doll bodies for many years, from approximately the late 1870s, long before it was widely used to make doll heads. Since the material a doll head is made from determines the type of doll, only dolls with heads made of composition are referred to as composition dolls.
What is an antique composition doll?
Antique composition dolls are formed by molding a composite mixture of sawdust and glue, resulting in a denser material than papier-mâché but lighter than wood or porcelain. Prior to the use of composition as a doll-making material, most dolls had heads made out of porcelain or bisque and limbs made of stuffed cloth.
When did they stop making composition dolls?
1940s
First produced in 1934, millions of the composition Shirley dolls were produced. Composition doll manufacturing lasted until the late 1940s in the U.S., when plastic began to be used for dolls.
Why do composition dolls crack?
The interior of the dolls were often made of materials different from those on the dolls’s exteriors. As a result, the different materials react differently to changes in temperature and humidity, resulting in breaks and cracks in the dolls.
How do you fix a composition doll?
Repair holes in composition dolls by patching them with epoxy putty, such as Loctite. Work quickly using a putty knife to smooth and conform the putty into the contours of the doll for this putty sets in merely three minutes. Use a pourable finishing coat, such as Evercoat 417, to fill cracks in dolls’ bodies.
What kind of material is a Composition doll made of?
Composition dolls are a type of doll that originated in the 20th century and are composed of a mixture of glue and sawdust, hence “composition dolls.”.
How tall is the composition Girl doll in feet?
Composition Girl doll 14″ tall, molded painted curly hair, painted eyes, cloth stuffed body, unmarked, unknown USA doll maker. To help identify your doll, you’ll need to know what the doll marks, letters, words and numbers mean found on composition dolls that were made between 1899 to the early 1950s.
How can you tell if a doll is made of porcelain?
Check that the doll is made from porcelain or bisque and 1 other material. Hold the head of the doll to your teeth. If it feels hard and cold, this means that it’s made of porcelain or bisque. The body of the doll is usually made from a different material, such as kid (soft leather) or cloth.
Where was the composition Body Girl doll made?
Doll head marked on metal screw PAT. APR. 12.1921 or unmarked. In 1931 doll production was taken over by the European Doll Company. Bester Doll Company Inc. 1918-1921 – in Bloomfield, New Jersey, USA manufactured mostly all composition jointed character dolls, baby dolls and WW I German like jointed composition body girl dolls.