Boudoir, Bed, Flapper, Smoker, Sofa, Salon, Parlor Dolls! All terms used to describe the ornate long limbed dolls popular from the 1910’s well into the 1940’s. The dolls were made throughout Europe and America in different variations. These dolls were constructed from various media; silk mask face or heads, felt mask face or heads, composition (sawdust mixed with a staying agent such as sugar water or starch placed in a mold) heads with sometimes composition hands and/or arms and feet A few had composition bodies and even twist heads or waists. In later years, the dolls transitioned to hard plastic and vinyl.

Earlier dolls had cloth bodies with elongated arms and legs stuffed with anything from what looks like lint out of your dryer to excelsior (wood shavings) to cotton batting. They average in size from 24" - 32" with smaller dolls averaging 14" - 18". Some had inset human hair or camel hair eyelashes, glass eyes and sleep eyes. Hair was made from mohair, human hair or silk strands tightly braided in buns that resemble "Princess Leia" from Star Wars. They were beautifully painted with blush, dark eye shadow, bee sting lips in with bright red lipstick and the infamous "beauty mark". They donned lavish satin gowns with lace and ruffles or silk pajamas with cigarettes (smokers) mimicking flappers. Dolls were made to reflect famous people of the times (mostly females actresses) and also historical figures such as Martha Washington and Annabel Lee (Edgar Allan Poe’s wife) and were given out as special promotion free gifts and carnival prizes. In the movie "Chicago" you can see display of "Roxie Hart" dolls. 

Boudoir dolls were "adult" dolls and not meant to be played with by small children but rather to be displayed as decoration. There are stories of the dolls as status symbols. They were given as gifts by wealthy suitors to eligible young ladies and then dressed to match the attire of the young ladies when carried as escorts for "protection" on their social engagements. Later, they were then dressed in a wedding gown using left over remnants. It was thought that the dolls were fashioned after poplar actresses of the time as portrait dolls and it is a favorite past time of many to match the dolls up with photographs.

Pictures of some boudoir dolls are shown on my doll type web page.

Doll Information Links

Denise Van Pattens ~ About Dolls ~ Boudoir dolls

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