Doll
Periodca. 1880
MediumComposition, cotton, sawdust
Dimensions7 in. (17.8 cm)
ClassificationsDolls
Credit LineMuseum Collection
Object number1983.428
DescriptionA composition doll, painted dark black, with short molded hair and painted brown eyes. The doll is wearing a cotton calico-print dress, with a lace collar and cotton slip.Curatorial RemarksAt just seven inches tall, this little doll represents social empowerment, determination, and the simple desire of children to play with toys that celebrated who they were. After the Civil War, virtually no American toy company produced dolls designed specifically for the African American community. By the last quarter of the 19th century, German and French toymakers offered dolls in a range of hues, with lifelike, respectful features that would appeal to girls. In 1907, Richard Henry Boyd (1843-1922), an African American minister, businessman, and head of the National Baptist Publishing Board, frustrated with the lack of American-made dolls for his own children, began the Negro Doll Company in Nashville, Tennessee. At first, Boyd purchased ceramic heads made by German factories, later moving production to Nashville. In its first year, The NDC sold more than 3,000 black dolls to grateful customers. This small doll was most likely made in Germany between about 1880 and 1890 and represents the type of doll merchants in African American communities would stock for their customers. With her gently smiling face, huggable stuffed cloth body, and simple hand-sewn clothing, this doll was no doubt highly prized - and loved - by an unknown little girl.NotesThis doll was possibly manufactured at the Hertwig & Co. factory in Thuringen, Germany.
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