Doll manufacturers are always open to using the latest materials in the construction of their dolls, and, in the early age of plastics, celluloid was no exception.
Celluloid is a plastic-like compound made from nitrocellulose and camphor. It's the earliest known plastic compound, invented in 1855. It did not gain widespread use, however, until the 1860s and one of its first uses was in the manufacture of billiard balls. It was often used to replace ivory in the manufacture of hair combs, buttons, buckles, men's collars, jewelry and other household items. It's most popular use was in the creation of photographic film. Of course, it was eventually used to make dolls.
Up until the time celluloid was used to make dolls, they were more frequently made of bisque, wood, glazed china, kid leather, composition, or fabric. In the 1860s, the first celluloid dolls were made by the Hyatt Brothers of New Jersey using a blow mold process.
Celluloid dolls found most often nowadays were made from the 1930s to the early 1960s, as celluloid is highly flammable and deteriorates quickly. It's rare for a celluloid doll made in the 1870s to have survived to our modern era, but what a fantastic find if you have one!
I have two celluloid dolls in my collection. The first is a 6-inch Petitcollin doll in her French regional costume. For such a small doll, great care has been given to her face paint. She has delicately painted eyes and lips, and the eyes are dotted with red dots. The red dots painted on dolls' eyes help to prevent them from looking "cross eyed" from a distance. (This trick has also been used by myself and others in stage makeup.) She is stamped Made in France on her leg, and on the inside of her skirt, she has a tag marked Kimport Dolls, Independence, MO. Mademoiselle Petitcollin is quite light and fragile and she was most likely made in the 1950s. At one time she had a head scarf and carried a basket of flowers.
My other celluloid doll is a 17-inch German turtle mark doll. The turtle insignia is the mark of the Schildkröt (Rheinische Gummi und Celluloid Fabrik Co) company, which was in operation for over 100 years. She is a strung, socket head doll with an open pate and glass eyes, and I believe she dates from the 1950s (she may be older than that.) She is not without her "issues." She is missing most of her eyelashes and she has one lazy eye, but in spite of her flaws, she is an adorable girl. She has the turtle mark on her back with the number T44. She's on my list of dolls next to be repaired and restored. Her wig and clothes do not appear to be original to her, although they fit her well, and her cryer no longer works, but I find her to be a charming example of a celluloid doll.
At one time, celluloid dolls were considered to be "cheap." They were mass-produced and are susceptible to going up in flames if not treated properly. Carnival dolls were often made of celluloid and these can be found in abundance on auction sites, but some celluloid dolls are valuable due to the quality of their design and manufacture.
As a side note, if you collect celluloid dolls, be sure to store them properly. Keep them out of direct sunlight and in a dry area. Do not expose them to water. They also dent easily due to the delicate nature of celluloid, so treat them with care.
Well, I am employed! It took eight months, but I did manage to land a good job. It's a contract role, however, so I'm holding my breath that they like me well enough to bring me on full time. Then I'll be able to sponsor my husband and write more about my dolls. I still have quite a few to cover, including my Lenci dolls, a Civil War era China head doll, Native American dolls, Coco Chanel doll, Madame Alexander Jacqueline and many more.
This move has taken a lot longer than I anticipated and I miss having my dolls around me, so, what did I do when my husband came to visit me and we took a trip to Savannah? Of course, I had to purchase a porcelain Southern Belle with fixed glass eyes. She's made by Golden Keepsakes of Ontario, CA. She's not vintage, but it feels more like home when there's a doll in it.
With the popularity of Madame Alexander's Cissy doll, there came the inevitable competition by other doll manufacturers. Little girls now wanted large fashion dolls with bendable joints so that they could be posed in any number of ways. To meet the demand, in the late 1950s, Uneeda gave us Dollikin, and Horsman gave us Cindy.
Dollikin's body is made completely of hard plastic but her head is made from vinyl, and Cindy is made of vinyl. Both dolls have high heel feet and sleep eyes with brush lashes. Cindy is marked HORSMAN on the back of her neck, and Dollikin is marked UNEEDA 2 S on the back of hers. Of course, no fashion doll would be complete without a great fashion wardrobe. My Cindy is dressed in her original bride's costume. Her hair is perfectly coiffed in its original setting and she wears pearl earrings in her pierced ears. She wears grown-up nude stockings on her feet and carries a bouquet of fabric flowers. More fabric flowers adorn her veil.
Celluloid is a plastic-like compound made from nitrocellulose and camphor. It's the earliest known plastic compound, invented in 1855. It did not gain widespread use, however, until the 1860s and one of its first uses was in the manufacture of billiard balls. It was often used to replace ivory in the manufacture of hair combs, buttons, buckles, men's collars, jewelry and other household items. It's most popular use was in the creation of photographic film. Of course, it was eventually used to make dolls.
I have two celluloid dolls in my collection. The first is a 6-inch Petitcollin doll in her French regional costume. For such a small doll, great care has been given to her face paint. She has delicately painted eyes and lips, and the eyes are dotted with red dots. The red dots painted on dolls' eyes help to prevent them from looking "cross eyed" from a distance. (This trick has also been used by myself and others in stage makeup.) She is stamped Made in France on her leg, and on the inside of her skirt, she has a tag marked Kimport Dolls, Independence, MO. Mademoiselle Petitcollin is quite light and fragile and she was most likely made in the 1950s. At one time she had a head scarf and carried a basket of flowers.
My other celluloid doll is a 17-inch German turtle mark doll. The turtle insignia is the mark of the Schildkröt (Rheinische Gummi und Celluloid Fabrik Co) company, which was in operation for over 100 years. She is a strung, socket head doll with an open pate and glass eyes, and I believe she dates from the 1950s (she may be older than that.) She is not without her "issues." She is missing most of her eyelashes and she has one lazy eye, but in spite of her flaws, she is an adorable girl. She has the turtle mark on her back with the number T44. She's on my list of dolls next to be repaired and restored. Her wig and clothes do not appear to be original to her, although they fit her well, and her cryer no longer works, but I find her to be a charming example of a celluloid doll. 
