Antique Dolls
Many collectors prize the beautiful dolls made in the 1840 to 1930
period. Dolls by famous makers are worth very considerable prices
on the collector's market.
Antique dolls available on today's market were made by just a few
doll makers who were from France or Germany, where the art of
doll making peaked in the years 1840 to 1930.
During that time in France a man by the name of Leon Casimir Bru
went to work for a doll maker in Paris. Soon after beginning his
work of doll making, Bru started his own doll manufacturing company.
His first dolls were much like other doll makers products, but his
later dolls, from 1870 and on, stand above those of other makers of the
time.
Today these Bru dolls are much sought after and very expensive. Every doll collector wants to have a Bru in his/her collection.
Also in France at that time, or a bit before before Bru, was Francois
Jumeau. He married the niece of a doll maker. When Jumeau's wife died,
he started his own doll company, a porcelain factory, and introduced
the bebe dolls that became so popular at that time and are still so
popular today. These dolls looked like a little girl rather than like
an adult woman.
The Jumeau doll today is highly sought after as it is one of the
most beautifuil of the antique dolls.It was was made between 1872 and
1899.
There were excellent doll makers in Germany during this time
also. Problay best known is J.D. Kestner who started making dolls in
1820. In 1860,Kestner died and his grandson assumed the business. They
acquired their own porcelain factory to make porcelain doll heads. They
continued in production until 1938.
Armand Marseille was another very well known German doll maker whose
dolls are sought after by antique doll collectors. Marseille was the
largest and best known porcelain doll head maker. Born in Russia in
1856, he emmigrated to Germany with his family around 1860 and his doll
business became prominent in 1886 when he acquired a toy factory and a
porcelain factory to produce 1000 doll heads daily from 1900 - 1930.
All types of porcelain dolls were made there. His bisque child, baby,
lady and character dolls with their kid leather bodies are very well
known.
During the same period Heinrich Handwerck began his doll making career
in 1876. In 1902 Kammer and Reinhardt bought out Handwerck and made
Handwerck dolls until 1932. Handwerck's original dolls were designed by
him but produced by Simon and Halbig and were of very high quality that
carried on under Kammer and Reinhardt.
Ernst Kammer and Franz Reinhardt started the Kammer and Reinhardt doll
company in 1886 in Germany. Designing their own heads, they had them
made by Simon and Halbig as they did not have a porcelain factory of
their own. They first bought the Handwerck company and then the
Simon and Halbig company.
Ernst Heubach married the daughter of doll maker Armand
Marseille. In 1919 the two companies, Heubach and Marseille, merged to
become the United Porcelain Factory of Koppelsdorf, Germany. The
companies separated once more in 1939.
The beautiful dolls made long ago by this small number of French and
German doll makers are now sought after for by serious doll collectors.
The beautiful faces with the wonderful painted or glass eyes seem to almost come alive.
Whether you are a doll collector or not you can enjoy the beautiful
antique dolls made long ago and prized by a succession owners over the
years.
