Porcelain Head Doll
This doll has a head made from untinted bisque. This is a matt (unshiny) porcelain with painted features added, but is otherwise left white.
It has a fabric body, with bisque arms and legs. The clothes ...
Porcelain Head Doll
This fashion doll was probably made in France, perhaps by the firm of Pierre Jumeau.
Fashion dolls were popular between 1860 - 1890, and were made to look like elegant young women.
This doll has ...
Porcelain Head Doll
This doll has a bisque head - a matt (unshiny) porcelain, with closing blue glass eyes and a mohair wig. Its body is made from leather, with bisque arms and composition legs.
Porcelain Head Doll
This doll's head was made in Germany by the maker Armand Marseille. His porcelain factory began making bisque doll's heads from c.1890, and became one of Europe's biggest producers.
Bisque is a matt ...
Porcelain Head Doll
Toys become even more interesting when we know something about their history. This doll belonged to Winifred Woodcock, who was born in 1934. It was a Christmas present in 1938, when she was 4 years old. ...
Porcelain Head Doll
This bisque head doll, with her trunk of clothes, was given to Irene Hey for Christmas 1922. It was one of the best presents she ever had:
"This precious doll came to me on Christmas Day in 1922. I ...
Pot Head Doll
This doll was made in Staffordshire during World War I (1914 - 1918).
Imported German dolls were not available during the war, and some English porcelain factories made doll heads to fill the gap left ...
Potter's Workshop model
This is an automaton (moving) model of a potter's workshop in an angled case with a glass front. Two men are in the workshop and both move when operated by a key from the back.
When the key is turned, ...
Potter's Workshop model - detail of figure
Automaton model of a potter's workshop. Two men are in the workshop, and both move when operate by turnkey from the reverse.
The flywheel turned by the man on the right drives the potter's wheel. The ...
Potter's Workshop model - detail of model
Automaton model of a potter's workshop. Two men are in the workshop, and both move when operate by turnkey from the reverse.
The flywheel turned by the man on the right drives the potter's wheel. The ...
Pull-along Bull toy
This is a child's pull-along toy of a bull on a four-wheeled base. It is made from polychrome painted wood and metal, and the bull's hide is painted in liver and white dapples.
Toys that moved, especially ...
Puppet
Wooden articulated 'Jolly Boy' puppet.
Puppet
This string puppet represents 'Muffin the Mule', a popular puppet character on children's television.
Puppets
These Punch and Judy puppets have painted papier-mache heads and hats, mounted onto turned wood sticks.
They may have been used in professional puppet shows rather than as children's toys.
Puppets
These glove puppets represent 'Sooty' and 'Sweep', two popular puppet characters on children's television.
They are made from fur fabric, and belonged to a brother and sister called Sophie and Jeremy ...
Rag Doll
For hundreds of years rag dolls were made at home, using old scraps of material and trimmings.
Factory-made rag dolls date from the mid 19th century.
This one has been printed onto cotton sheets ...
Rag Doll
Rag dolls, made from fabric, have been popular for hundreds of years. They could be made at home, using any scraps of material and trimming.
Factory-made rag dolls date from the mid 19th century. By ...
Rag Doll
This little sailor doll, made of velvet, is by the Norah Wellings factory.
Norah Wellings began work with the Chad Valley Company, but set up in business on her own in the 1920's.
Sailor dolls like ...