musée poupée paris
about the museum
temporary exhibits
doll shop
doll hospital
location doll exhibit
links doll and bear
Room 1 - 1800-1899 : Fashion dolls, the golden age of the "child doll" with bisque head.

•••••• Fashion dolls

Group of fashion dolls, circa 1870

Under the Second Empire, the doll has first represented the lady morphology. These rich and refined lady-dolls are particularly remarquable for their trousseau and accessories reflecting the fashion of their time. First made of wood and composition, they than had a bisque (mat porcelain) head and a leather or wood body.

papier maché shoulderplate fashion doll, 1840

papier maché shoulderplate fashion doll, 1850


porcelain doll


Bru fashion doll, 1869


Jumeau fashion doll with Barrois head, 1860


Victor Clément fashion doll, 1860

group of Gaultier, Jumeau, Bru fashion dolls, circa 1870

•••••• The bisque head bebes

group of fashion dolls and bébés circa 1880

In 1878 a new type of dolls appeared at the universal exhibition of Paris : the bisque headed « bebe » that represented from then on the child from 3 to 12 years old.
The "bebe’s" birth is related to the incredible international development of French doll and toy industry. The main doll makers of that time are Jumeau, Bru, Gaultier, Steiner, Fleischmann but also Thuillier, Schmitt, May, Halopeau...

Jumeau bébé, circa 1882

Petit & Dumoutier bébé, circa 1875-1890

group of bébés, circa 1885

Steiner bébé, circa 1870

Gaultier bébé

Kestner bébé, 1880


Room 2
Return to Permanent Exhibit