Busacca Gallery

A rare vintage hand carved Schoenhut wooden jointed painted Body doll. Toy designer Albert Schoenhut & Company 1872-1935 / Albert Schoenhut was a third generation wood carver born in Germany, established his toy factory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1872 for making wood toys of which a piano was his first. It's believed the first dolls copyrighted in 1903 were for the Humpty Dumpty Circus; lady and gentleman acrobats, lion tamer, lady circus rider and a ringmaster. Also a Chinaman, Hobo and Black Dude dolls. By 1907 Farmer and Milkmaid dolls were sold in a farm set. Max and Moritz German boys and Mary had a little lamb set included a doll. 1908 Rolly-Dollys in several sizes were patented. A fifty-three piece set called Teddy's Adventures in Africa included the portrait spring jointed Teddy Roosevelt doll. By 1911 Albert's patent was approved for his All Wood Perfection Art Dolls with solid wood heads and molded carved hair or wigged; boy or girl dolls, have compressed metal spring joints and have two holes in the soles of the feet that allow the dolls to stand or pose. Baby Tootsie Wootsie and toddler Schnickel-Fritz, Mr. Common People doll (a cartoon character by Herbert Johnson). 1918-1928 Barney Google (cartoon character) 6 1/2" tall wooden doll with his nailed on black wood top hat. Schoenhut dolls are marked with a paper label on back; Schoenhut Doll, Pat. Jan. 17th, 1911 U.S.A. as shown on right. After Albert passed away in 1912 his six sons succeeded him. In 1913 son Harry Edison Schoenhut designed the bent limbed Babydoll. 1915 Manikin boy dolls 19" tall. 1915 Miss Dolly with decal eyes. 1919 Walking dolls without the feet holes. 1920 Sleep Eyes were introduced, 1924 Mama dolls with a wood head and hands on a cloth body. 1924 All Composition jointed dolls with molded curly painted hair, marked with a round paper label; Schoenhut Toys Made in U.S.A.

A doll is a model of a human being, often used as a toy for children. Dolls have traditionally been used in magic and religious rituals throughout the world, and traditional dolls made of materials such as clay and wood are found in the Americas, Asia, Africa and Europe. The earliest documented dolls go back to the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greece and Rome. The use of dolls as toys was documented in Greece around 100 AD. They have been made as crude, rudimentary playthings as well as elaborate art. Modern doll manufacturing has its roots in Germany, going back to the 15th century. With industrialization and new materials such as porcelain and plastic, dolls were increasingly mass-produced. During the 20th century, dolls became increasingly popular as collectibles.