Those Fascinating Wooden Dolls
Wooden dolls have captivated children since the early days of man, when
such toys were no more than sticks wrapped with bits of skin and fur.
Dolls were found in most every country around the world and midst the
antiquities of the early Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans.
The Ellis DollAmong the most well-known American wooden dolls were those made by Joel Ellis, a wagon maker of Springfield, Vermont, during the 1870s and 80s. Also known as the "Springfield Doll," it is a rare item today and is valued among collectors.Ellis obtained his first patent for these dolls in 1873, but probably produced many before that. Made of hard rock maple, the doll was completely jointed and had metal hands and feet. These were the first wooden dolls with mortise and tendon joints. The parts, made under hydraulic pressure, were smooth, and of durable design. The Springfield area became known as the birthplace of the American toy and doll industry. Soon variations of Ellis' doll were patented, and the Taylor, Mason, Martin, Sanders, and Johnson dolls began to be produced. Other American Wooden DollsWooden dolls made to resemble, in design and dress, boys and girls were patented in America in 1911 by Albert Schoenhut, a German woodcarver. The unique feature of this doll was the metal spring joint, designed so the doll could assume nearly any position. This wood was molded under hydraulic pressure, as with the Ellis doll, and was advertised as unbreakable.Other charming dolls were made throughout the ages with cloth bodies and wooden heads and arms and sometimes wooden legs. These were among the homemade variations turned out by pioneer women with the wooden parts often carved by the menfolk or a traveling peddler. The bodies often have fallen apart, but the wooden pieces can be reused when found today.
Dolls throughout the ages have been favored playthings for children.
Whether they are made of wood or some other material, dolls will continue
to exist and be loved throughout the years to come.
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