# 3151i - 1997 32c Classic American Dolls: "Babyland Rag"

US #3151i
1997 “Babyland Rag” – Classic American Dolls

• Pictures the “Babyland Rag” doll popular from 1893 to 1928.
• Part of the Classic American Dolls set – the first time photographs were used instead of paintings or drawings for a large US set with different stamp designs

Stamp Category:  Commemorative
Set:  Classic American Dolls
Value:  32¢, First Class Mail Rate
First Day of Issue:  July 28, 1997
First Day City:  Anaheim, California
Quantity Issued:  105,000,000
Printed by:  Printed for Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. by Sterling Sommer of Tonawanda, New York
Printing Method:  Offset
Format:  Panes of 15 (Vertical, 5 across, 3 down)
Perforations:  10.9 by 11.1
Tagging:  Large tagging block over all 20 stamps, covering the stamps to the edges

Why the stamp was issued:  To commemorate the “Babyland Rag” dolls produced from 1893 to 1928.  They had painted faces until 1907 and then some began to have printed faces instead.

About the stamp design:  The stamp pictures a photograph of the doll against a blue paper background.

First Day City:  The First Day of Issue Ceremony was held during the annual membership meeting of the United Federation of Doll Clubs at the Anaheim Hilton and Towers Hotel in Anaheim, California.

About the Classic American Dolls set:  The USPS issued the stamps to commemorate American dolls that “reflect the tradition, heritage, culture, and artistic style from various geographical regions of this country.” 

Each stamp design pictures a photograph by Sally Andersen-Bruce.  Each doll or pair of dolls is shown in front of a blue paper background, tying the stamp designs together.  The names of each doll are printed in small type below the bottom frameline of each stamp, across from the 1997 year date.  They’re also listed in the horizontal selvage at the bottom of the pane of 15.

The set marked the first time photographs were used instead of paintings or drawings for a large US set with different stamp designs.

History the stamp represents:  E.I. Horsman Co. began manufacturing its Baby Land Rag Dolls as early as 1893.  Simple in design, the earliest dolls had hand-painted  faces and removable clothing.  Starting in 1907, the dolls were produced with lithographed “life Like” faces – a result of technological advances in the printing industry.  However, the hand-painted dolls were created simultaneously until 1912.

By 1908, the line included thirty-four models with lithographed features which were sold under names such as Baby Land Rag, Baby Land Fancy, and Baby Land Beauty.  Character dolls, such as Buster Brown, Red Riding Hood, and Dinah (like the one pictured on the stamp), were also produced.  Advertised by well-known stores such as R.H. Macy and Gimbel Bros., the popular dolls were available in four sizes ranging from 12” to 30”, and cost from 24¢ to $4.51.  According to the manufacturer, their faces could all be safely washed with soap and water.  Produced until 1928, the name was changed to the more familiar spelling, Babyland Rag, in 1920.