Paper Dolls

The paper doll, in its simplest form, is a two-dimensional figure drawn or printed on paper with accompanying clothing. The first paper dolls date to as early as the mid-1700’s, found in the fashion centers of Vienna, Berlin, London, and Paris. They were hand-painted figures created for the entertainment of wealthy adults.
Paper dolls were not always a child’s plaything; they were used to display current fashions, as advertisements, satires, and sociopolitical illustrations of popular persons. Eventually, paper dolls migrated from being a feature of the adult world to an aspect of the playroom, but the paper doll never fully severed its link with advertising. They were used to advertise household products such as Baker’s chocolate, Singer sewing machines, and Pillsbury flour. These advertisements worked especially well in newspapers and magazines. The first magazine to print paper dolls was Godey’s Lady’s Book in November 1859. By the early 1900’s, paper dolls were printed regularly in women’s magazines such as Good Housekeeping and Ladies’ Home Journal, the publisher of the well-loved American paper doll, Lettie Lane, her friends, and family.
Paper dolls reached the peak of their popularity in the 1930’s-50’s; during the Great Depression and WWII, paper dolls were affordable toys for children, especially because they often came in the newspaper.
By the ‘40’s and ‘50’s, paper dolls were making regular appearances in comic books. At this time, the comic book ceased to be stories purely of adventure and heroes and moved into areas that appealed to the female consumer, for example, modelling. Some of these were Sugar and Spike (D. C. Comics, 1957-1971), Dennis the Menace (Fawcett, 1953-present), and the Betty and Veronica series (Archie Comics, 1950’s-mid-1990’s).
Paper dolls are still made today, but are not nearly as common as they were during the ‘Golden Age’ of their popularity. Most are variations made of plastic or wood and often have magnetic components.