Figure 1.--This is another American magazine paper doll page. It was a 1940 magazine, but we don't know hich one. I shows the fashion transition from knickers to long pants in America. Note the syles of the sports jackets and the absence of jeans. The illustrator was Dorothy Wagstaff. She did alot of paper dolls in the 1940s-60s.

Advances in printing technology in the late-19th sand early 20th century made possible delightful full-color lithographs. As they were printed in large numbers they did provide a very simple and inexpensive plaything for little girls. We notice magazines like Ladies Home Journal and Pictorial Review including paper doll cutouts as an attraction for children, presumably the girls. This meant both women's magazines and children's magazines. We are not sure precisely when magazines first began doing this or which magazine was the first. The first we note are American magazines. After World War II (1945) beautiful paperback books appeared with paper dolls. Many girls, now grown up, remember these books from their childhood. The books were not only beaufifully printed, but the main figures were done in heavy stock that made the dolls easier to play with. Several important magazines cntinued to run the by now well known features. Paper dolls continue to be popular with girls in the modern era.

The 1900s

Advances in printing technology in the late-19th sand early 20th century made possible delightful full-color lithographs. As they were printed in large numbers they did provide a very simple and inexpensive plaything for little girls.

The 1910s

We notice magazines like Ladies Home Journal and Pictorial Review including paper doll cutouts as an attraction for children, presumably the girls. This meant both women's magazines and children's magazines. We are not sure precisely when magazines first began doing this or which magazine was the first. The first we note are American magazines. Grace Drayton began doing the Cambell kids lok-alike, Dolly Dingel and her friends in the Pictorial Review (1913). It became a popular monthly feature. Here we see a Ladies Home Journal 1915 paper doll cut out figures. The Journal character was Betty Bonnett. It was the monthly feature in what the magazine call the children's page. They were not always paper dolls, but this was a popular item. Apparently they were built around the various members of Betty Bonnets's family. The boy depicted in 1915 was brother Bob. Notice it was done in black and white. Color printing was still expensive. Betty Bonett in Ladies Home Journal and her friends after America declared war on Germany (1917). We note a paper doll wedding page with all sorts of uniforms.

The 1920s

Playmates from Storyland by Harold Cue came from The American Woman magazine, 1922. This particular doll is Little Lord Fauntleroy. There are two figures, boy and dog. Each has a front and back version, which I suppose glues together over cardboard. There are also front and back hair, hat and clothes for the boy. The Fauntleroy pictured here is the boy right out of the Frances Hogdsen Burnett's book and not the suits more commonly worn. We note pattern dvertisements in the popular Child Life magazine during the 1920s that were done as paperdolls.

The 1940s

After World War II (1945) beautiful paperback books appeared with paper dolls. Many girls, now grown up, remember these books from their childhood. The books were not only beaufifully printed, but the main figures were done in heavy stock that made the dolls easier to play with. Several important magazines cntinued to run the by now well known features.

The 1950s

The 1990s

Paper dolls continue to be popular with girls in the modern era.

Created: 10:29 PM 1/17/2009
Last updated: 10:29 PM 1/17/2009