Issue Date: July 28, 1997
City: Anaheim, CA
Quantity: 7,000,000
Printed By: Sterling Sommer for Ashton-Potter (USA) Ltd
Printing Method: Lithographed
Perforations: 10.9 x 11.1
Color: Multicolored

 

In 1911, Albert Schoenhut, a German-born Philadelphia toymaker, patented his “All-Wood Perfection Art Doll.” Made entirely of wood and fully jointed with steel springs, the dolls could hold virtually any lifelike pose. In 1919, he introduced the “walkable” doll that featured legs that swung from the hip in a walking motion. A. Schoenhut & Company was also one of the many companies to produce interchangeable heads and bodies – a practice which greatly increased the variety of its dolls.

 

Often promoted for their realism, Schoenhut’s dolls were well known for their expressive features. In fact, one advertisement claimed that the doll’s head was “artistically modeled in real character style, more natural and lifelike than anything ever attempted.” Most of the dolls represented babies or children, and were commonly produced with Germanic features that reflected the heritage of their maker.