Celluloid Dolls of the World

The hobby of doll collecting is attracting increasing interest the world over. Along with this surge in popularity comes a growing desire for more information concerning the origins and approximate ages of the rarer dolls which fetch extremely high prices at auctions and exhibitions. Celluloid dolls are now being spoken of in the doll world as the next 'sleeper' to awaken. The most recent celluloid dolls are more than forty-five years old, and the the oldest are true antiques, having been made at the end of the last century. Presented alphabetically by country, Celluloid Dolls of the World is Marjory Fainges's third doll encyclopaedia (following The Encyclopaedia of Regional Dolls and the Encyclopaedia of Australian Dolls) and presents new up-to-date information gleaned over many years of research, which will be of interest to toy and doll collectors, historians and enthusiasts alike. It is now well over a decade since any definitive book has been written on the celluloid dolls that were manufactured in their millions by countries as diverse as China, Czechoslovakia,England, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and the United States. Besides the companies that manufactured complete dolls in celluloid, other companies throughout the world imported celluloid components which were assembled into dolls bearing their own respective company's identification. This comprehensive work showcases many of the manufacturers around the world, which were making celluloid dolls from the very early years of this century until the late 1950's. Also Included are examples of the logos used and historical notes on each company. There is a special section devoted to 'Personality Dolls' such as Shirley Temple, Charley Chaplin and Popeye, and over 450 photographs of celluloid dolls made and sold around the world in the first half of the twentieth century.