March 20, 2021
When I first saw these doll I thought they were ugly, but I began to slowly find them more cute. Now I want a one, but the prices are high and the supplies are limited. I read a number of internet websites about these dolls and now I know their history. They were Italian Dolls to begin with made by Italy by Maura (Alice of Milano). But they were later copied by A.D. Sutton of New York. The dolls were made in Hong Kong and imported. They are made of celluloid and are very light weight. They crack at the joints because of a reaction to the glue that is used. Celluloid is problematic and the better dolls have moving eyes. Moving eyes were earlier in the 50’s and later they changed to cheaper non moving eyes. Sometimes the eyes get cloudy. I found someone who makes custom outfits to fit these dolls on Ebay. I really do want one for myself, but I am worried about the aging of older dolls. I could be happier with a reproduction of a Dedo Doll because then I would not have to worry about cracking, aging and other issues such as they can catch fire very easily. I am not posting a photo because I don’t own this doll, but one can search for the dolls online. I saved an ebay sale of the doll on Archive Today. They are 12 inches tall making them early precursors to Blythe Dolls. It would be possible to create a reproduction using a Blythe Factory Doll but that is above my skill level. The making of these dolls reminds me of Breaking Bad and making meth because they are so likely to explode. Camphor was used to set the cellulose which was made of wood product. They are a sort of pre-plastic. If you put hot water on them they are supposed to smell like camphor. But you must keep them away from heat.
Macy Makes Magic 