Toys - Dolls

Here's a great resource that has quite a few pictures of dolls from 1860 to 1980. Jennifer McKendry has done a great job on this and I believe those of you who are writing during this time period and have female characters, will enjoy browsing through her site.

Jennifer McKendry's A History of Dolls for Dollhouses from 1860 to 1980

Bilbo Catcher & Dolls

Hi all,

One of the hardest things I've been trying to locate is a source of 19th century toys. A Bilbo Catcher, cloth balls, leather balls, rings to be rolled with sticks down the street, hopscotch, blocks, dolls, pick-up sticks, table top nine pin, marbles, rocking horses, tops, etc. are some of what I've found. I'm wondering if you, my blog readers have come up with others.

Below is an excerpt from a book written in 1888 based on the letters, poems and selected prose of David Gray. What I find interesting in his list of dolls is "dolls that speak." This has me curious, what did they say? How did they work? Again, I'm reminded that it is not only modern man who was inventive. Here's the excerpt.

For example, there are factories, employing hundreds of work-people, where only dolls are made, and these, chiefly, for the American market. Dolls that speak, and dolls that squeak ; dolls dressed, and dolls in a state of nature; dolls with wax heads, and dolls with porcelain heads; dolls in all stages of dollhood, and acres of the disjecta membra of dolls, I have seen in one of these places;—a perfect doll-chaos, in fact, it seemed, in which hundreds of thousands of little human effigies were getting themselves created, in order to be dandled and kissed, and, finally, to have their heads smashed, by children over the sea. I could not help thinking, in the course of my visit to this factory, what an immense amount of solid pleasure it was organizing, with its hundreds of busy hands, and how brightly it contrasted with another far greater workshop we had seen, in which Germany was having its cannons cast, to murder people withal.

End of quote

Tin Toys

Here are a couple Tin toys I've found that were produced during the 19th Century. I'm certain there were many, many more but these are the only two illustrations I could find.

The first is called "Artist" the six foot figure would draw an elephant, face, dog and court jester on a small piece of paper and small pencil. 1898

Horse & Buggy was actually made before the 19th Century.

Paper Dolls

There were several books sold for Christmas and other occasions of paper dolls. This is not an exhausted list but it will help get you started. Note the various "kinds" of paper dolls.

Here is a list with descriptions:

THE BROWNIE PAPER DOLLS.
By Florence E. Cory.
©1891
Nine designs ofBrownies in characteristic costumes, front and bach, in many colors, and so made that they can be cut out as paper dolls.
I. In book form, with bright covers In colors, i vol., oblong 4to, cloth back 75 cents.
II. With the designs as loose sheets, in a box with bright covers in colon, 75 cents.


A Year of Paper Dolls,"
by Miss E. S. Tucker,
1894
is a beautiful and unique novelty for children, similar in general idea to the popular " Brownie Dolls," which have had such a great success. It has twelve designs of children in dresses appropriate to the different months of the year, front and back, in many colors, and so made that they can be cut out as paper dolls. One of these sets of dolls will furnish amusement to a child for months. One entirely new feature is that with these dolls comes a sheet of calendar dates. The dates of each month can be cutout and pasted on the doll representing that month, the twelve figures making a calendar that will last through the year. This new and interesting feature makes the dolls a source of instruc
tion as well as pleasure to children. (75c.)

The Dolls of A11 Nations.
1895
Figures of girls of different nations, in box. . .50

Lady Dolly and her Fancy Dresses.
1895
Figures of Mother Goose characters, in box...50
These dolls are on a different plan of any in the market, having easel backs to stand up and made very beautifully. Each doll has six costumes.

These next few are wholesale prices from 1894:
One Cent Dolls
New Paper Dolls, 4 kinds
Paper Soldiers, Infantry, 12 kinds
A Buffalo Bill, or the Wild West
Amusements for Children, 12 kinds Large Pictures of Animals to cut out. Cards 6 1/2 by 14 inches very handsomely printed in color.
New Paper Soldiers and Indians, These soldiers and Indians are represented in action, running, shooting, etc.
The sheets are 5 1/4X17 inches,

Five Cent Dolls
French Paper Dolls in Sheets
Paper Furniture, small, 4 kinds,
Jointed Dolls 8 kinds these are undressed dolls 6.5 inches tall.
Jointed Dolls 9 inches tall beautifully lithographed, having their arms and legs jointed so they can move in any position. They are intended to be dressed in tissue paper.

Ten Cent Dolls
My Dolly, 12 pages, with colored and monochrome illustrations, 3 3/8 x 8.5 inches, 6 kinds assorted.

Fifteen Cent Dolls
New Paper Dolls in Envelopes.
Size 7.5x11 inches

Wax Dolls

When I stumbled on the term of a wax doll I just had to look it up and find more information on them. Enjoy!

THE WAX DOLL MANUFACTURE.
To make a real wax doll or one of papier-mache is quite a long process. First of all the limbs have to be made. The legs, either of pot or cotton, have to be filled out with moss and sawdust, and the same process is gone through with the body and arms, the task being entrusted to a number of young women. The head is more diflicult to make. First comes the moulding, from a kind of whity-brown paste, which when hard is almost indestructible. The head is moulded in two halves, the back and the front, and then the two parts are joined together with the same sort of paste. The heads are made by the thousand, of all shapes and sizes, and left for the moment unpolished and sickly looking. Then these frame pasteboard heads are carried to the wax room, where they are passed through some severe ordeals. The papier-mache model heads are dipped in boiling wax, and thus have the appearance of wax dolls. But the genuine article, the real dolls of wax, are made thus:—The boiling wax is poured into a plaster mould; it adheres to the sides as it becomes cold, and when the mould is taken apart there is the beautiful wax head, but simply a shell, and of course very weak. The head is cast complete, and only a small opening is left in the crown of the head. Then a workman takes the wax shell and very carefully lines it throughout with a kind of soft paste about the thickness of cardboard, which soon hardens and gives the head its strength and durability. After this process the head is placed over a hot furnace, the wax is permitted to melt to a very slight degree, whereupon it is dusted with powder made of potato meal and alabaster, to give it a delicate flesh tint. In another room the head is provided with a pair of eyes, and it is no easy thing for the workman to select two exactly alike.

Sometimes, as the children know, dolls squint, and this proves that the workman who put them in was not very careful in his work. Another very skillful workman then receives the head, and finishes off the front appearance of the eyes, scooping off all the wax and aflixing the lids in a charming manner. Then eyelashes have to be aflixed, and then the little lady has to be provided with teeth, which are put in by a skillful workman one by one. A still more interesting study is in the hair dressing room of a doll manufactory. All the dolls that come into this room are complete as far as their heads. The hair for these heads is first worked on to a mesh, which fits the dolls heads so nicely that one cannot tell but that it is a natural growth. Then the rough head of hair, with the doll, is sent to the female hair dressers, who are armed with combs and brushes and hot curling tongs, have no small amount of good taste, and would make excellent ladies’ maids. The hair is made up in the most beautiful manner, in imitation of the very newest fashions; and then when the doll is thus combed and curled, it is provided with a delicate little chemisette, and placed, with a hundred or more little companions, in a huge basket, and transported either to the great store—rooms or to the doll milliner who provides it with clothing and costumes fitting it to appear in the great world. This will only give a faint idea of how wax dolls are made. There are other interesting parts of the process such as how the baby dolls are made to open and shut their eyes and to cry 'papa' and 'mamma' but nearly all children at one time or another looked into these mysteries of doll life, and a description would be superfluous. NY Tribune.
Source: The People's Condensed Library ©1877

Wax dolls have undoubtedly become the favourites of our little English maidens. They have the disadvantage of being perishable, but that is a mere detail in these days of cheap toys. No doll made of other material can be given such a natural expression or such a rich peach-like complexion as the wax doll which is made by the hundred and thousand in German factories. For, alas! although 125 years ago this business was in the hands of Englishmen, it has long since passed over to foreigners. Our photographs of doll-making were taken in one of the half-dozen surviving manufactories in London, and the various operations portrayed will be manifest to the reader. The most tedious work in the perfecting of a wax doll is the insertion of the eyelashes and eyebrows, and consequently these details are omitted in all but the most expensive varieties. There is a wonderful similarity in the features of wax dolls of one make, which is accounted for by the fact that their faces are cast in a uniform mould. When, however, a doll is to be made for Royalty, a far more elaborate task falls to the duty of the workman. As a rule, Royal dolls' faces have to be made according to certain photographs sent with the orders. This year it is said that most of the dolls made for the use of our little Princes and Princesses bear a wonderful resemblance to Queen Wilhelmina, although whether her youthful Majesty feels flattered by the multiplicity of her effigies is a question open to doubt.
Source: The Royal Magazine ©1899

Toy Tops

Here are some tidbits on various tops and games with tops from our 19th Century.

The peg-top appears to be a modern invention, but the whip-top is of great antiquity, it having been used in remote times by the Grecian boys; it was well known at Rome in the days of Virgil, and in England as early at least as the fourteenth century, when its form was the same as it is now. Strutt, in his "Sports and Pastimes of the People of England," relates the following amusing anecdote of Prince Henry, the eldest son of James I., which he met with in an old manuscript at the British Museum: "The first time that the prince went to the town of Stirling to meet the king, seeing a little without the gate of the town a stack of corn in proportion not unlike to a top wherewith he used to play, he said to some that were with him, 'Lo, there is a goodly top! Whereupon one of them saying, 'Why do vou not play with it then' he answered, 'Set you it up for me aud 1 will play with it.'"

THE HUMMING-TOP.
These cannot easily be made, but can very easily be purchased by those who are so lucky as to have the money. They are made hollo"', having at their crown a peg, round which is wound a string; this, being pulled through a kind of fork, gives motion to the top, and sets it spinning—the fork and the string being left in the spinner's hand In spinning the top, care should he taken to wind the string firmly and eveniy on the peg; and when it is pulled out, neither too much nor too little force should be used, and a firm axil steady hanu should be employed, while the top should be held in a perpendicular position. The string should be drawn with a steadily increasing force, or the top will not hum properly.

PEG-TOP.
There are various kinds of Peg-tops, and they also vary in shape, some being much rounder than others. Those are the best which are shaped like a pear. There is also great variety as regards the shape and size of the peg, which in some tops is short and thick, in others long and tapering. Again, tops are made of different kinds of": wood, some being made of deal, others of elm, some of yew-tree, and others of boxwood. These last are the Boxers so highly prized. Some of the vcr» best tops are made of lignum vitae, with long, handsome pegs.

SPANISH PEG-TOP.
The Spanish peg-top is made of mahogany. It is shaped soir.e wliat like a pear; instead of a sharp iron peg, it has a small rounded knob at the end. As it spins for a much longer time than the English peg-top, and does not require to be thrown with any degree of force in order to set it up, it is pxtrcmely well adapted for playing on flooring or pavement.

THE WHIP-TOP.
Whip-top is a capital sport when played by two persons; and it played by first whirling the top into motion by turning it sharolv with both hands, and then by flogging it till its motion becomes very rapid. When two persons play whip-top, the object should be for each to whip his top to a certain goal, he wiio reaches it first being the victor.

CHIP-STONE.
This game is played by two boys, in the following manner: Two lines, about six lect apart, are marked upon the ground, which ought to be smooth and hard. Some small stones are then procured and placed midway between the lines; they should not be larger than a small bean, and the black and polished ones are the most sought after. The tops arc now set up spinning on the ground, and the players, being each provided with a small wooden spoon, dexterously introduce them under the pegs of the spinning tops, and then, with the top still spinning in the spoon, throw the point of-ihe peg against the stone, so as to chip it out of bounds; he who docs this the soonest being the victor. While the top continues to spin, he may take it up with the spoon as many times as he can, and when it spins out he must again wind up, pursuing the same plan till he " chips out."

Directions.—In winding up the top do not wet the end of the line too much, and take care to lay it closely and evenly within the grooves. In throwing the top from vou, the line must be pulled in with a peculiar jerk of the hand, which practice alone can give. The string button should be held close in the hand, between the last two fingers of the hand. There is what is called an "underhand" way of spinning a top, i.e. by holding it peg downwards, throwing it in a straight line forward, and withdrawing the string; but as we dislik ■ everything underhand, we shall not recommend this practice anymore than we shall the Spanish tops, which are spun after this method.

This game may be played by any number of boys. A ring about a yard in diameter is first marked on the ground, and another ring sunounding the first, and at a yard's distance from it, is also marked. The players must stand on this ring, and from it throw their tops. One player begins by throwing his top spinning into the ring, anil while it is there spinning the other players are at liberty to peg at it as quickly as they can. If none of them hit it while it is spinning, and if it rolls out of the ring, the owner is allowed to take it up, and having wound it, to peg at the others which may be still spinning in the circle. Should any of the tops, when they cease spinning, fall within the ring, they are considered dead, and arc placed in the centre of the circle for the others to peg at. The player who succeeds in striking any of the tops out of the circle claims those so struck out. In some places each player may ransom his top with a marble.

Sleeping tops are exposed to much danger in the play, for they offer a fair mark to the "peggcr," and often get split, when the "peg" is taken by the splitter as his trophy. Long-pegged tops are the best for the game, for they lie more upon their sides after their fall, and, before the spinning entirely ceases, are the more likely to spin out of the ring.
There is a way of making the top spring out of the ring directly it has touched the ground. Only long-pegged tops will execute this feat. It is done by drawing the hand sharply towards the body jusl as the top leaves the string. When the manoeuvre is well executed, the top will drive any opponent that it strikes entirely out of the ring, while it does not remain within the dangerous circle itself for Ciore than a few seconds.

There are some out-door games played with toys which do not fan under any of our previous headings. These games we now lay before our reader, together with a description of the toys in common.
Source: Every Boy's Book ©1881

19th Century Board Games Plus

Below are some images from an 1891 Youth's Companion displaying various games available at the time. Many you will already know, perhaps you have some in your game closets as well.

Basalinda (Looks to me like a very early version of battleship)

Bean Bag & Ring Toss

Fish Pond

Game of Halma
(apparently designed as a scientific game combining chess and checkers)

Jolly Marble Game

Parlor & Lawn Tennis

Royal Parchessi

Table Croquet

Tiddledy-winks, tennis, hop scotch.

Boy's Toys to make Part 1

Today begins the first in a series of Boys Toys and the instructions in how to make them.


As a sample here are the illustrations and directions to make a paper boat. There is another boat, a comic paper mask, a pyramidical hat, a paper box, a fire balloon, parachute, and three kites. If you would like a pdf or word doc of these instructions email me lynn(at)lynncoleman.com and I'll be happy to send you a copy. Just let me know which kind of file you would like.
Cut a piece of white writing paper, but not of too stiff a quality, six inches by four (fig. 1);

fold it to the dotted line a, making exactly one half when folded to c; then the corners b b are to meet in the centre (fig. 2); turn down the two sides d forming the dotted lines e, take the two sides between each finger and thumb, in the left hand, and with the right pull it out until it forms fig. 3,

taking care to turn over the corners at dotted line e; turn down F the two top lines to dotted line g, pull out the sides again, as before, to make fig. 4;

a a being pulled out as before described, taking care not to press the inside, it will form the boat, fig. 5.

Corn Husk Doll

We've all heard about them, and many of us have seen them but do you know how to make them? Here are the directions to make a corn husk doll that one of your characters might find themselves doing for a variety of reasons.

CORN-HUSK AND FLOWER DOLLS.

O such beautiful dolls as delight the hearts of the children of to-day, ever peeped forth from the Christmas-stockings of our grandmothers or great-grandmothers when they were little girls. In those times there were not, as there are now, thousands of people doing nothing but making toys for the entertainment and pleasure of the little ones, and the motherly little hearts were fain to content themselves with lavishing unlimited affection and care upon a rag, wooden, or corn-husk baby, made and dressed at home. Since then almost every child tired of, and surfeited with handsome and expensive toys, has been glad at times to get grandma to make for her a real old-fashioned dollie which might be hugged in rapturous moments of affection without fear of dislocating some of its numerous joints, or putting out of order its speaking or crying apparatus; and might in times of forgetfulness be dropped on the floor and suffer no injury thereby. Such a doll is just the kind to adopt for the summer. The fine French doll with its delicate wax or china face, silky hair, and dainty toilets, is more suited to the elegances of the parlor than to the wear and tear of out-door life, and everyone knows that summer holidays spent in the country are far too precious to be wasted taking care of anyone's complexion, let alone a doll's; so it is best to leave the city doll in her city home, safe out of harm's way, and manufacture, from materials to be found in the country, one more suited to country surroundings.

Corn-husks, corn-cobs, and ordinary garden flowers can be made into dolls which, although not quite so pretty nor so shapely as those produced from more costly material, yet possess a charm of their own which the children are not slow to perceive.
Little Indian girls, to whom store babies are unknown, make the most complete and durable corn-husk dolls, and the following directions tell just how to construct them:
Provide yourself with the husks of several large ears of corn, and from among them select the soft white ones which grow closest to the ear. Place the stiff ends of two husks together, fold a long, soft husk in a lengthwise strip, and wind it around the ends so placed as in Fig. in.

Fig.112
Select The Corn Husk the softest and widest husk you can find, fold it across the centre and place a piece of strong thread through it (as in Fig. 112), draw it in, tie it se-
curely (Fig. 113), place it entirely over the husks you have wound, then bring it down smoothly and tie with thread underneath (Fig. 114); this will form the head and neck.

To make the arms, divide the husks below the neck in two equal parts, fold together two or more husks and ins e r t them in the division (Fig. 115). Hold the arms in place with one hand, while with the other you fold alternately over each shoulder several layers of husks, allowing them to extend down the front and back. When the little form seems plump enough, use your best husks for the topmost layers and wrap the waist with strong thread, tying it securely (Fig. 116). Next divide the husks below the waist and make the legs by neatly wrapping each portion with thread, trimming them off evenly at the feet. Finally, twist the arms once or twice, tie, and trim them off at the hands. The features can be drawn on the face with pen and ink, or may be formed of small thorns from the rose-bush. Fig. 117 shows the doll complete, minus its costume, which may be of almost any style or material, from the pretty robe of a civilized lady.

Source: How to Amuse Yourself and Others ©1887